Sour Dough Bread

Sour Dough Bread
Yields 3 loaves

3pm the day before baking, mix together:
1 TBSP Sour dough starter
1 TBSP Purified water
2 TBSP all purpose flour

Before going to bed the night before baking, add:
5 TBSP water
8 TBSP all purpose flour

The morning of baking, add:
4 to 4 1/2 cups Purified water
4 1/2 cups Fresh ground wheat flour
5 1/2 cups All purpose flour

All to rest 15-60 minutes, then add:
3 1/2 tsp. non-idolized salt

Mix for 8 minutes, then proof in an oiled bowl.  Cover with saran wrap.

Punch down after a few hours and allow to rise again.

In the early afternoon, shape loaves with plenty of tension and allow to rise in banneton bowls.

Allow to rise 30% in the bowls while oven preheats.

Bake at 450 F for 26 minutes or until center is 190 F.

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To maintain starter, remove an additional 1 TBSP of starter from the original jar and place in a clean new container (discard any remaining or use in a different recipe).  Feed at 3pm and 10pm following the same directions for the bread.  The morning of baking, place your well fed starter back in the fridge.  Feed starter in this manner at least every 5 days.

Sour dough breads can be rather technical and complicated at first.  This recipe assumes baker has a basic understanding of sour dough and free form loaves.
 

Perfect Sandwich Bread

Perfect Sandwich Bread (makes 4 loaves)
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

4 cups warm water
2 TBSP (heaping) dry active yeast
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 TBSP lemon juice

6 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
6 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
4 tsp. salt

Add dry active yeast to warm water and allow yeast to proof for 5 minutes. While yeast is proofing, add oil, molasses and lemon juice to water and yeast mixture. Set aside. Mix dry ingredients together, then slowly add wet ingredients in mixer and mix until well combined (if mixing by hand, add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients as it will be easier to mix).

Add more flour or more water until you get a nice, soft dough. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes at this stage, then knead until the dough reaches the "window pane" test. In my Bosch mixer it takes 8 minutes to fully knead this dough to the “window pane” stage.

Cover the bowl with saran wrap and allow to rise for one hour. Punch down gently and allow it to rise again until doubled in volume. Divide the dough into four sections being careful not to fully flatten the dough. Shape into sandwich loaves and allow the bread to proof in bread pans (about 15 minutes). Once the bread has risen above the sides of the pans, place them in a preheated oven to 375 F for 30-35 minutes (33 minutes is perfect is my oven).

*****
This is our weekly go to sandwich bread recipe. I have modified this recipe so many times and in so many ways from the original recipe, I feel confident calling it my own recipe. I’ve made this recipe once a week for the past year as we use this bread for all our breakfast toast and lunch sandwiches. It’s perfect. I have made over 30 different sandwich bread recipes trying to convert my husband to want homemade bread for his work lunches but he stood firm. He has loved every other bread I have made but didn’t care for homemade bread with a peanut butter sandwich- it was just too dry a combination for him.

But after several years and literally 30+ attempts, it was this creation that converted him. We no longer buy bread at the grocery store- ever. For the past year all of his lunches he uses this bread and raves about how amazing his sandwiches now taste. :) Plus its dairy free, egg free, soy free for my daughter and uses all shelf stable ingredients.

Fast and Easy Whole Wheat Bread

Fast and Easy Whole Wheat Bread
Yields 2 (8x4 loaves)
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

2 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 TBSP dry active yeast

3 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 TBSP salt
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 TBSP lemon juice

2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Mix together yeast and water and allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes. Add 3 ¾ cup flour to yeast mixture and let rest for 10 minutes. Add salt, oil, honey or sugar, and lemon juice and mix for one minute. Add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing between each cup. Knead for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This makes very soft dough.

If you are kneading by hand, gradually add last cup of flour to keep dough from sticking to counter. You will add more flour when kneading by hand. With wheat flour always add the least amount of flour possible to keep the bread moist. Knead for 10 minutes before shaping into loaves.

Pre-heat oven for one minute to lukewarm and then turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves and place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for about 15-18 minutes or until dough reaches the top of the pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on racks.

*****
I really enjoy this 100% whole wheat recipe, it’s so fast as it skips the usual first rise and goes directly into the pans. Recipe courtesy of “Emergency Food in a Nutshell" by Leslie Probert.

Whole Wheat Molasses Bread

Version 1 using 100% whole wheat flour
2 3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 TBSP dry active yeast
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses*
1 1/2 tsp. salt
8 - 8 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the oil, honey, molasses, salt and 5 cups of the flour until well combined. Allow to rest 20 minutes. Then, knead in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is just barely not sticky, and knead for about 10 minutes. Put in a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with a towel to let it rise until double (about an hour). Turn on the oven to 375, punch down and form into two loaves and place into greased bread pans. Allow to rise for ONLY 10-11 minutes, then bake for 32-35 minutes.

*If you are avoiding molasses or don't have any on hand, you can substitute an extra 1/4 cup of honey for the molasses.

Version 2 using a mixture of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour
2 3/4 cup warm water
4 tsp. dry active yeast
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses*
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups all purpose flour
6 – 6 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the oil, honey, molasses, salt and 5 cups of the flour until well combined. Allow to rest 20 minutes. Then, knead in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is just barely not sticky, and knead for about 10 minutes. Put in a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with a towel to let it rise until double (about an hour). Turn on the oven to 375, punch down and form into two loaves and place into greased bread pans. Allow to rise for ONLY 9-10 minutes, then bake for 32-35 minutes.

*If you are avoiding molasses or don't have any on hand, you can substitute an extra 1/4 cup of honey for the molasses.

*****
Thanks to my dear friend Heidi for this great recipe. It’s challenging finding a 100% whole wheat bread recipe that is still soft and moist and this is by far the best 100% whole wheat bread recipe I have ever had. Heidi’s famous for this bread and for good reason! Plus it’s egg and dairy free!
Occasionally I prefer to lighten it a little and reduce the amount of whole wheat flour from the original recipe. Version 2 lists the modifications needed for changing the types of flour.