I have the flu. Actually it’s more like a sinus infection on speed, but either way I feel like death warmed over. Knowing this piece of information, it might surprise you to find out that I attempted baking whole wheat bread yesterday. I’m not sure why this was my therapy of choice, but I can tell you I needed something to take my mind off of my exploding head.
I measured everything carefully. I even kneaded the bread by hand. As I was cleaning up the kitchen, putting everything away, I realized why I should stay away from cooking when high on Tylenol Severe Cold and Sinus. I had used yeast and self-rising flour. Ugh. UGGGHHHH. I threw the entire lump of dough in the garbage so I wouldn’t have to watch it take over my house. What a waste.
I am not easily deterred though. Today, still high on cold medicine, I attempted the bread again. (I do feel a little better…) This time it worked. It’s a good thing too, or I might have destroyed something in a drug-induced rage. I made the following recipe:
Whole Wheat Bread
1 package of dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (105 – 115 degrees) – I used Rapid Rise.
1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup), melted
1 egg, beaten
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water (85 degrees)
1/4 sugar, maple syrup, or honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups Whole Wheat Flour
4 cups All-purpose flour
Pour the package of yeast into the 1/4 cup warm water and let it dissolve in a large bowl. This should take about 5 minutes. Add the egg, butter, remaining water, sugar, and salt and mix well using the paddle attachment of a heavy-duty stand mixer. With the mixer on low, add 2 cups of the flour, mixing until smooth. Remove the paddle attachment and replace with the dough hook attachment. Add the remaining flour, a cup at a time, until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. Knead with the dough hook (on low speed) for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. (When kneading by hand, this will take 8-10 minutes). Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. (These instructions are for bread made with Rapid Rise yeast). Divide the dough in half and shape into two loaves. Place in two greased 9×5 inch loaf pans and let rise until doubled in bulk. This will take around 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees until the crust is a light brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. This will take about 45 minutes.
(This recipe was adapted from The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Baker and Ethan Baker. Copyright 2006, Simon and Schuster.)
My bread is cooling now, but I have already tasted some. It is really delicious. It isn’t the lightest bread I’ve ever made, but I would assume that this is because of the whole wheat flour. Or it could be that I made it while under the influence of medication and didn’t let it rise enough. I will make this recipe again in a week, and will let you know the outcome. Making bread is beginning to become a love of mine.
As a side note, I should say that I made cinnamon bread with one of the loaves by rolling out the dough into a rectangle, spreading it with softened butter and sprinkling it with cinnamon and brown sugar. I then rolled it up into a loaf and baked it. My mother does this with her homemade bread, and it only seemed right. Yummy Yummy. Now that’s medicine for the body and the soul.
1 Comment
January 21, 2008 at 3:07 pm
[...] on a project for the last week that has eaten into every nap-time. I have had time to bake bread Whole Wheat Bread again though, and let me tell you – I have enjoyed relishing my first real bread baking success. [...]