Authors: Zoe Francois,Jeff Hertzberg MD
Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients (13 page)
OMEGA
-3
FATTY ACIDS
are a super-healthy type of polyunsaturated fat. The Inuit peoples of Alaska experience low levels of heart disease, and some researchers have suggested that it may result from their high intake of fish and marine animals rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This despite an otherwise high-calorie, high-fat, and high cholesterol diet. But some of our readers don’t like fish, and others are vegans. People have also told us that they just can’t eat enough fish to provide much of an omega-3 boost in their diets.
So, short of moving to Alaska and gorging on the local cuisine, how can we help you get more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet? One word:
flaxseed!
It’s a concentrated vegetarian source of omega-3. Not very Inuit, but very effective.
1. Mixing and storing the dough:
Whisk together the flaxseed, flour, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2.
Add the water and mix without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle). You might need to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you’re not using a machine.
3.
Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
4.
The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 10 days. The flavor will be best if you wait for at least 24 hours of refrigeration.
5. On baking day,
dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
6.
Allow the loaf to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, on a pizza peel prepared with cornmeal or lined with parchment paper for 90 minutes (40 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough). Alternatively, you can rest the loaf on a silicone mat or a greased cookie sheet without using a pizza peel.
7. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450°F,
with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty metal broiler tray on any other rack that won’t interfere with the rising bread.
8.
Just before baking, dust the top of the loaf with flour and then slash the loaf with ¼-inch-deep parallel cuts, using a serrated bread knife.
9.
Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone (or place the silicone mat or cookie sheet on the stone if you used one). Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door (see
Chapter 3
for steam alternatives). Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until richly browned and firm. If you used parchment paper, a silicone mat, or a cookie sheet, carefully remove it and bake the loaf directly on the hot stone or an oven rack two-thirds of the way through baking. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in resting and baking time.
10.
Allow the bread to cool on a rack before slicing or eating.
Rosemary Flax Baguette
Flax has a strong flavor that some people love, but it is an acquired taste for others. For those folks, we wanted to create something that had all the health benefits without an obvious flax flavor (see
sidebar
). The addition of rosemary and olive oil makes this an aromatic and absolutely delicious loaf. To accentuate the rosemary’s presence in the bread we added a few sprigs to the outside of the baguette—gorgeous! For those of you who love the taste of flax, you can add a couple more tablespoons to the dough without throwing off the recipe.
Makes enough dough for at least eight ½-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
½ cup ground flaxseed
3 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup wheat germ
1½ tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets (
decrease to taste
)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (
increase or decrease to taste
)
¼ cup vital wheat gluten
3½ cups lukewarm water
½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced, plus sprigs to decorate the top
Egg white wash (1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water)
Like turmeric (see
sidebar
), rosemary contains antioxidants, and has been studied as an ingredient in marinades for protein-rich grilled foods. So this is delicious news—Indian spices and Mediterranean herbs both have health benefits in addition to great flavors. Kansas State University researchers found that naturally occurring rosmarinic acid in rosemary (and other herbs) inhibits the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that build up in food during grilling. HCAs have been implicated as carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents. Leave it to Kansas to discover yet another benefit of the Mediterranean diet!
1.
Mixing and storing the dough: Whisk together the flaxseed, flours, wheat germ, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2.
Add the water, olive oil, and minced rosemary and mix without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle). You might need to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you’re not using a machine.
3.
Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
4.
The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 10 days. The flavor will be best if you wait for at least 24 hours of refrigeration.
5. On baking day,
dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a ½-pound (orange-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
6.
Elongate the ball into a baguette shape, or use the letter-fold technique to get a perfect tapered result. Allow to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, on a pizza peel prepared with cornmeal or lined with parchment paper for 40 minutes (20 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough). Alternatively, you can rest the loaf on a silicone mat, a greased cookie sheet, or a baguette pan (see
chapter 3, Equipment
), without using a pizza peel.
7. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450°F
, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty metal broiler tray on any other rack that won’t interfere with the rising bread.
8.
Just before baking, use a pastry brush to paint the top with egg white wash and then slash the loaf with ¼-inch-deep parallel cuts, using a serrated bread knife. Decorate the top of the loaf by poking a few rosemary sprigs into the cut part of the dough, laying them flat against the loaf.
9.
Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone (or place the silicone mat or cookie sheet on the stone if you used one). Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door (see
Chapter 3
for steam alternatives). Bake for about 25 minutes, until richly browned and firm. If you used parchment paper, a silicone mat, or a cookie sheet, carefully remove it and bake the loaf directly on the stone or an oven rack two-thirds of the way through baking. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in resting and baking time.
10.
Allow the bread to cool on a rack before slicing or eating.
Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
This is the bread your kids will want in their school lunch boxes every day. It’s nice and soft, with just a touch of sweetness from honey. You’ll love that it is made with whole wheat and your kids will think it’s perfect with everything from peanut butter and jelly to ham and cheese. When formed into flat buns and sprinkled with sesame seeds it makes the best hamburger buns ever; for instructions.
Makes enough dough for at least two 2-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
5 cups whole wheat flour
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets
1 tablespoon kosher salt (
increase or decrease to taste
)
¼ cup vital wheat gluten
2½ cups lukewarm water
½ cup honey
5 large eggs
2/3 cup neutral-flavored oil, or unsalted butter, melted, or zero trans fat, zero hydrogenated oil margarine, melted
1. Mixing and storing the dough:
Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2.
Combine the liquid ingredients and mix them with the dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle). You might need to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you’re not using a machine.
3.
Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
4.
The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. The flavor will be best if you wait for at least 24 hours of refrigeration.
5. On baking day,
lightly grease an 8 ½ × 4½-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
6.
Elongate the ball into an oval and place it into the loaf pan; your goal is to fill the pan about three-quarters full. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the loaf to rest for 90 minutes (40 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).
7. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350°F
, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. The baking stone is not essential for loaf-pan breads; if you omit it, the preheat can be as short as 5 minutes.
8.
Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Smaller or larger loaf pans will require adjustments in baking time.
9.
Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a rack before slicing and eating.
Hamburger (or Hot Dog) Buns
Hamburger and hot dog buns present a special challenge for home artisan bakers. We’re always going for the perfect crisp crust in our breads. But we really don’t want a crisp or firm crust in hamburger or hot dog buns. If you make these buns with a hard or crisp crust, you can really bruise the top of your mouth! What to do? There are two choices: You can either stick with enriched dough, and the oil or butter will soften the crust. Or, you can use non-enriched (“lean”) dough, but don’t omit the egg wash or melted butter before baking.
Makes 6 buns
Use any of these refrigerated pre-mixed doughs:
Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
dough is our first choice, or any of the enriched doughs (
Chapter 10
)
1½ pounds (small cantaloupe-size portion) of any pre-mixed dough listed above
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water) or melted butter
Sesame seeds (optional)
1. On baking day,
dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1½-pound (small cantaloupe-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
2. To form hamburger buns,
divide the ball into 6 roughly equal portions (each about the size of a plum). Shape each one into a smooth ball as you did above. Place the buns at least 2 inches apart on two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Press them so that they are slightly flattened. Allow to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 40 minutes (20 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough). Alternatively, you can rest the buns on a silicone mat or a greased cookie sheet.
3. To form hot dog buns,
divide the ball into 6 roughly equal portions (each about the size of a plum). Shape each one into a smooth ball. Stretch each ball into a 6-inch-long rope. Allow to rest as above.
4. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350°F
. The baking stone is not essential for this recipe; if you omit it, the preheat can be as short as 5 minutes.
5.
Just before baking, use a pastry brush to paint the tops of the buns with egg wash or melted butter, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Slide the cookie sheet into the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, until richly browned and firm.
6.
Allow the buns to cool on a rack before slicing and eating.
Olive Spelt Bread
This is one of our favorite breads in the book. We’ve fallen in love with spelt flour and it’s made all the better here by the addition of yogurt. It gives the bread a tanginess right from the start that we’ve waited days for in other doughs. We’ve used a whole milk yogurt, which gives the bread richness, but the bread is also excellent with a nonfat version.