Wholemeal bread with yeast
Baking bread with Doris #4, see here for #1 Principles of bread baking and here for #2 Sourdough baking and here for #3 Fermented Buckwheat bread
This is a basic recipe for a no knead wholemeal loaf that you can adapt and vary to your own taste in many ways, depending on the ratio of wholemeal:white flour and depending on how much yeast you use, in combination with a starter or not. Best to read this recipe in combination with #1 Principles of bread baking where I briefly discuss these variables.
Recipe for Wholemeal Bread with Yeast
Dissolve:
§ 1 flat tablespoon of dry yeast in 800ml warm water with
§ 1 tablespoon treacle or molasses
Let stand for a few minutes.
Add
§ 3 cups of wholemeal,
Mix well and let sit for one hour
Add:
§ 1 flat tablespoon of salt
§ 3 tablespoons of oil (could be sunflower oil, ricebran oil, not olive oil as its taste is too strong, save olive oil for a pizza dough)
Mix well, and then add:
§ 2 1/2–2 3/4 cups of white flour or white flour/wholemeal mix, or white flour including 1/2 cup of rolled oats or rye flour
On purpose, I have given a variable amount of flour (2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups), as the actual amount depends on your chosen flour mix. You slowly add flour, stirring with a sturdy wooden spoon, until the dough starts to ‘come off the bowl’, no longer sticking to the bowl walls. It should be too moist to knead. ’Knead’ it the best you can with your wooden spoon (careful not to break it!). It works best to hold the handle close to the spoon part. Take time for this part, adding flour slowly. What is even better, if you do it in a 2–3 rounds, with taking 10 minutes resting time in between add more flour and stirring. You want to prevent adding to much flour. Taking the time, gives the dough ‘the chance to respond’.
§ Optional: Add ½ cup soaked and rinsed sunflower seeds/pumpkin seeds, linseeds etc.
Cover your bowl with a tea towel and let it sit for rise for 2 hours (or more if colder). It should double in size.If you have plenty of time (such as all day!), you could experiment to use half the amount of yeast and to add a bit of starter from your sourdough baking, and then let it rise much longer. I have seen recipes for this type of loaf, that let it rise all day, and/or over night in the fridge.
When doubled in size, wet your hands and gently fold it over a few times, lift it out of the bowl, divide it into two and put it into two tins. Let it rise for 1–2 hours (depending on temperature and amount of yeast you used), till they come up to the edge of the tins (of course depends on your tins).
Bake in preheated oven at 220oC for 20 minutes and then turn down to 180 and back for another 20–30 minutes (depending on your oven). Take it out of the tins and rap it on the bottom with your knuckles. It needs to sound hollow. If not crusty enough, put back into the oven, outside the tins, for another ten minutes.
