Deborah's Whole Wheat Italian Bread
Crispy, tasty and very nutritious. This is adapted from a recipe found online, but I've added whole wheat flour and seeds. I freeze the second loaf and refresh it in a 350-degree oven (turned off after 15 minutes) to crisp the crust, making it taste like it's fresh.
Crispy, tasty and very nutritious. This is adapted from a recipe found online, but I've added whole wheat flour and seeds. I freeze the second loaf and refresh it in a 350-degree oven (turned off after 15 minutes) to crisp the crust, making it taste like it's fresh.
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- dough:
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- preferment:
- 1 cup water warm
- 1 cup bread flour
- all of the preferment
- 3 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
- 2 cups bread or all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seed
- Carbohydrate 18.1993721105575 g
- Cholesterol 0.250000000211338 mg
- Fat 1.63931454894456 g
- Fiber 1.60789520237291 g
- Protein 3.98392668179603 g
- Saturated Fat 0.213397429288488 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (47g)
- Sodium 15.9069986125523 mg
- Sugar 16.5914769081846 g
- Trans Fat 0.222827756294588 g
- Calories 101 calories
Step-by-step
- To start the preferment, mix together the flour, water, and yeast in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave out at room temperature for at least 4 hours and as long as 16 hours. Best if mixed the night before and left out.
- To make the dough, mix together the preferment, water, olive oil, yeast, salt, sugar, and dry milk in a bowl with 2 more cups of WW flour. Mix thoroughly. Add seeds. Mix or knead in the rest of the flour a half a cup as a time until you have a slack dough but one that is a little sticky. Total mixing time should be in the ballpark of 10 to 15 minutes.
- Place the dough in a well-greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature until at least 2 times in size, approximately 2 hours. Punch the dough down and let it rise again for half an hour.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it in half. Shape half the dough into a ball or log, cover with a damp towel, and allow it to relax for another 20 minutes. Put the 2nd half of the dough in the oiled bowl in the fridge
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven and baking stone, to 425F .
- Shape the dough into its final shape. Roll the dough on surface covered with oat flakes and rice flour. Place on cooky sheet covered w/ a sheet of parchment paper. Slash loaf. Cover again and allow to rise for another hour until doubled in bulk. Slide loaf off baking sheet onto the baking stone by pulling the parchment paper. Form 2nd loaf so it is ready to put in the oven when the first is done.
- Right before placing the loaves in the oven brush or spray them lightly with water. Place them into the oven and bake for 30 -35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least a half an hour before serving.
Why does whole wheat dough demand a different structural approach than refined white flour? Incorporating heavy grains and seeds introduces dead weight that cuts gluten strands, making a preferment essential for building adequate tensile strength. Allowing flour, water, and yeast to ferment for up to 16 hours develops natural acids and enzymes that soften the bran.
- Mix the dough for 10 to 15 minutes until it remains slightly tacky rather than completely dry.
- Keep the initial room temperature fermentation at roughly two hours until the volume doubles.
- Preheat a baking stone to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to deliver bottom heat that forces rapid oven spring.
- Coat the exterior in rice flour and oat flakes to prevent sticking during transfer.
- Reheat frozen loaves in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes to revive the crispy crust.
Managing hydration and heat prevents dense, heavy loaves from forming. Proper steam generation right before baking sets the exterior shell before the interior crumb finishes expanding.
