When I started Baking,I never felt confident baking Breads.Thats why you wouldn’t find many bread recipes in my site:) It took some time for me to get comfortable handling yeast. Now I’ve almost stopped buying breads and try and bake at home. Bread Flour is nothing but wheat flour made with hard wheat and has a higher protein and gluten than All Purpose flour.Since it is especially formulated for bread baking I prefer this to All Purpose flour. However,nothing like making some healthy breads.When I came across Michelle’s blog I realized what I have missed so far.Immediately I mailed her with details and placed an order of the Healthy Baking Bread in Five minutes a day.I joined her HBinfive group.Having never worked with Gluten flour,it was quite a different experience.I went to the Grocers looking for Gluten flour and ended up buying Red Mills Gluten free All Purpose flour.How on earth did I get confused? Don’t ask me…guess it happened coz I was absolutely not sure of what I needed. Anyways,I picked up the right flour later and started with my bread.Gluten flour is basically made by removing most of the starch from high protein,hard wheat flour.

The idea of Baking with Steam interested me the most.Creating a steamed environment is needed for bread to help in achieving a crispy crust.Ofcourse highly enriched bread like challah & broiches don’t benefit from this kind of baking.Pour Hot tap water(or a handful of ice cubes) into the preheated broiler tray just before closing the oven door. We were asked to make the below mentioned basic Whole wheat bread dough and using the same dough we had to make the Whole wheat Bread, Focaccia and Aloo Paratha.

100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD>

Makes enough dough for at least four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
Ingredients:

7 cups Whole wheat flour
1 ½ tbsp granulated yeast,or packets
1 tbsp kosher salt
¼ cup vital wheat Gluten
31/2 cups Lukewarm water
½ Cup Olive oil

Method: Whisk together flour,yeast,salt and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl,or a lidded food container.Add the liquid ingredients and mix without kneading,using a spoon or a mixer.Cover(not airtight) and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses,approximately 2 hrs.The dough can immediately be used after the initial rise,though it is easier to handle when cold.Refrigerate in a lidded(not airtight) container and use it over 7 days.

Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound piece and kneading it a li’l quickly roll into a ball.Elongate it into a narrow oval and allow the loaf to rest loosely covered with plastic wrap for 90mins.If using fresh dough,allow it to rest for 40mins.

Preheat oven at 450F.Place an empty metal broiler tray on any other rack that won’t interfere with rising the bread.Brush li’l water on top of the bread just before baking.Slash loaf with 1/4inch deep parallel cuts using a serrated knife.Place inside the oven,pour a cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven.Bake for about 30mins until richly browned and firm.Cool on rack.

SOUTHERN FOCACCIA WITH ROASTED CORN AND GOAT CHEESE

Makes one medium size Focaccia (abt 10-12”)

Ingredients:

1 pound Whole wheat Bread dough (Use our basic pre refrigerated dough as above.)
1 ear fresh corn ,roasted/1/4 Cup frozen corn nibblets(I substituted this with canned corn)
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 medium Onion,chopped
1 for poblano pepper,seeded and stemmed and diced
1 tsp ground cumin
One 14-ounce can pureed or diced tomatoes
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 ounces semisweet goat cheese
1 tbsp fresh cilantro

Method: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.Add the onion and sauté until beginning to brown,add poblano pepper and continue cooking until softened.Add cumin and chili powder and cook for 2 mins.Add the tomato and salt and then cook for another 5 mins.Preheat oven to 425F.Place an empty broiler tray on any of the rack that wudn’t interfere with the focaccia.

Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off 1-pound piece.Stretch the surface of the dough and roll into a ball.Flatten it into ½ to ¾” thick round using hands/rolling pin.Cover with a plastic wrap and cool for 20mins.Cover the surface of the dough with the sauce,leaving a narrow border at the edge.Dot the surface with pieces of goat cheese and finish with roasted kernels.Place the focaccia in the oven.Pour 1 cup of hot top water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door.

Bake for 25mins until the crust has browned.Remove the focaccia from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro.

Cut into wedges and serve warm.


ALOO PARATHA (POTATO AND PEA-STUFFED FLATBREAD)

Makes one Aloo Paratha

1 pound of pre refrigerated Whole wheat bread as per the first recipe

2 medium potatoes,boiled and mashed
½ TbspGhee(melted) for brushing the top
1 ½ tbsp oil
1tsp Cumin Seeds
1 medium onion(chopped)
2 tsp Chilli Powder
As per taste ,Salt
Sugar – a pinch
Cilantro l’il
1 tsp curry powder+ for sprinkling
½ tsp kosher salt
½ cup frozen or fresh peas

Filling – I had made some Samosa’s(an Indian appetizer made with potato filling covered with a dough made of A.P flour and wheat flour) and used up the remaining filling for the Paratha.This is how I made it – Heat oil in a pan,add cumin seeds ,onion and sauté until translucent.Add mashed potatoes and peas.Add Chili,Curry powder,sugar and salt, cook for 2mins.Garnish with Cilantro and set it aside.

Dust the surface of the dough with flour.Using a rolling pin,roll the dough into a 1/8” thick round.Cover half of the dough with the filling. Using a pastry brush,wet the ends of the dough with water.Fold the bare side of the dough over the potato mixture and seal the border by pinching it closed with your fingers.Brush the top with Ghee and sprinkle l’il curry powder.Cut three slits on top crust and place it in the preheated oven.Pour a cup of hot water into the broiler tray and quickly close the door.Bake for 25mins or until golden brown.Serve this with Indian Pickles and Yogurt.

Verdict: A good bet to keep you fit.There is no compromise to the taste.You cant ask for anything more,if the taste is not compromised and the caloric value is low.Focaccia was more like a pizza which I liked the most.The crust is perfect.The next time I make this,I plan to roll it out much thinner to get a thin crust.Baking Aloo Paratha is something that I would never dreamt off.It was wonderful.I think one should have an acquired taste for wheat bread,not all prefer this. It is not the best bread I would personally like but just because it’s healthy I wouldn’t mind baking this often.Healthy Bread is the way to go!

Michelle,thanks so much!

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