Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients (12 page)
Authors: Zoe Francois,Jeff Hertzberg MD
Cinnamon-Raisin Whole Wheat Bagels
Cinnamon–Raisin Whole Wheat Bagels
“Two things that a transplanted New York bagel–snob like me doesn’t like to admit are: 1) New York bagels aren’t quite what they used to be, and 2) I like cinnamon-raisin bagels, even though they’re newfangled. Just as French readers of our blog tell us that baguettes in France aren’t what they used to be, many New York bagels have become mass-produced and bland, without the chew and crispy crust that I remember (there are exceptions but you have to seek them out). So here’s how to hand-shape, boil, and bake your own. If you’re really a traditionalist, don’t bother adding the cinnamon, sugar, and raisins and you’ll have a terrific plain whole grain bagel (see
photo above
).”
—Jeff
Makes about 10 bagels
2 pounds (cantaloupe-size portion)
Master Recipe dough
2 tablespoons sugar (brown or white)
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ cup raisins
The Boiling-Pot
8 quarts boiling water
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using your hands and a rolling pin, flatten the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon-sugar and raisins. Roll up the dough, jelly-roll style, to incorporate the raisins. Shape into a ball and dust with flour.
2.
Cut off a 3-ounce piece of dough from the ball (about the size of a small peach). Dust the piece with 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.
3.
Punch your thumb through a dough ball to form the hole. Stretch it open with your fingers until the hole’s diameter is about triple the width of the bagel wall (see
photo
). Repeat with the rest of the dough balls, cover them loosely with plastic wrap, and allow them to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
4. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 425°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 bagels.
5. Prepare the boiling-pot:
Bring a large saucepan or stockpot full of water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the sugar and baking soda.
6.
Drop the bagels into the simmering water one at a time, making sure they are not crowding one another. They need enough room to float without touching or they will be misshapen. Let them simmer for 2 minutes, flip them over with a slotted spoon, and simmer for another minute on the other side.
7.
Remove them from the water, using the slotted spoon, and place them on a clean kitchen towel that has been lightly dusted with whole wheat flour. This will absorb some of the excess water from the bagels. Then place them on a peel covered with whole wheat flour. Alternatively, you can place the bagels on a silicone mat or a greased cookie sheet without using a pizza peel.
8.
Slide the bagels directly onto the hot stone. 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 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply browned and firm.
9.
Serve these a bit warm—they’re fantastic!
WHOLE GRAIN BREADS
Whole grains are
better for you than white flour. They’re loaded with fiber that comes from bran, the fibrous coating on the seeds that are ground to make flour. Whole grain flour also includes the germ, which contains a wealth of vitamins, antioxidants, and a little vegetable-based fat, all destined to nourish the newly sprouted plant; that nourishment ends up in our bread when we leave it in the flour. White flour milling discards the two nutritionally crucial parts of the grain—the bran and the germ.
About bran:
Somewhere in history, cultures decided that the inner white part of the grain was where the nutrition lived and that eating it was somehow more “refined.” They decided that the outer shell (the bran), should be eaten only when we couldn’t afford to throw it away and needed something to fill up on. Well, they were partly right. There’s little protein, calories, or vitamins in bran. But bran is fiber, and a healthy digestive system requires it to function properly. Adults need about 30 grams of fiber per day, and our 100% Whole Wheat Bread provides over 2 grams per 1½-ounce slice. White bread, on the other hand, contains less than ½ gram per slice, and near zero in most cases.
About the germ:
Unlike bran, wheat germ contains nutritious vitamins and antioxidants. But before we even start on those, remember that wheat germ has fiber as well, over 14 grams per cup, which is more than whole wheat flour. In addition, a 2-tablespoon portion contains 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin E and folic acid, 15 percent of the thiamine, and 10 percent of the magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. Not bad for something that people used to feed to farm animals.
100% Whole Wheat Bread, Plain and Simple
This is for all the purists, who want nothing to get in the way of the flavor and goodness of whole wheat. We’ve added vital wheat gluten to give the dough a better rise, but it’s otherwise simple and delicious. Try it with whole grain spelt instead of whole wheat if you like.
Makes enough dough for at least four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
7 cups whole wheat flour (or substitute whole grain spelt flour
1½ tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets (
decrease to taste
)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (
increase or decrease to taste
)
¼ cup vital wheat gluten
3¾ cups lukewarm water
1. Mixing and storing the dough:
Whisk together the 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 the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 10 days.
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 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, use a pastry brush to paint the top with water. 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 under the loaf, 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 and eating.
VARIATION: Traditional American-Style Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Add ½ cup of honey, and decrease the water by ½ cup (you don’t need to carefully dissolve it in the water before mixing). The result will be a more tender, kid-friendly loaf that is very traditional in the United States. Bake in a lightly greased loaf pan, using a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece of dough. Decrease the temperature to 350°F, and increase baking time to 50 to 60 minutes.
100% Whole Wheat Bread with Olive Oil
Olive oil and whole wheat are perfect partners in bread. The oil is rich in monounsaturates, so it’s a great way for healthy fats to complement the nutrients in whole wheat. The dough makes marvelous free-form loaves, pizza, and an
Algerian flatbread
that is unlike anything you’ve ever tried.
Makes enough dough for at least four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
7 cups whole wheat flour
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
1. Mixing and storing the dough:
Whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2.
Add the liquid ingredients 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 the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 7 days.
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.
Elongate the ball into a narrow oval. 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 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, use a pastry brush to paint the top with water. 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 minutes, until richly browned and firm. If you used parchment paper, a silicone mat, or a cookie sheet under the loaf, 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 and eating.
Vollkornbrot: 100% Whole Grain
Vollkornbrot
is German for “whole kernel bread,” so to make an authentic one, you need to find some wheat or rye berries—the whole, unbroken kernels of grain (they’re not really berries). Rye berries are hard to find, but natural foods co-ops often carry wheat berries and whole rye flakes (flattened-out rye berries), or you can order these ingredients from King Arthur Flour. The result is a 100% whole grain loaf that is rustic, hearty, and moist—perfect when sliced thinly, slathered with butter, and topped with smoked fish, cold cuts, or cheese.
Because of the high quantity of grains, this dough is not worked like most. The dough has little resiliency, and you can’t tightly shape it; just press the dough into the shape you want. Don’t expect a lot of rising during the long (2-hour) resting time after shaping.
“German bread is among the best in the world even though much of it is sold in supermarkets today. Even there, everything’s baked on the premises according to methods that haven’t really changed much since the days of the corner bakery. So on my first day as a tourist in Germany, off I went into a supermarket to buy a loaf of
vollkornbrot.
One semester of college German sufficed to make the precious loaf appear, but unfortunately a friend traveling with me turned to ask me quietly, ‘Is that one FRESH?’ Not quietly enough—the words are pretty much the same in German. The now-crabby bakery lady withered us with an outraged ‘Ja, das ist FRISCH!’”
—Jeff
Makes enough dough for at least two 2-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved. Any leftover dough can be made into buns.
5 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat berries
1 cup rye flakes
1½ tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets (
decrease to taste
)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (
increase or decrease to taste
)
¼ cup vital wheat gluten
3¾ cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons molasses
1. Mixing and storing the dough:
Whisk together the flour, wheat berries, rye flakes, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2.
Combine the water and molasses 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 dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
4.
Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days, but
do not use the dough until it has aged at least 24 hours (to give the whole kernels a chance to absorb water).
5. On baking day,
lightly grease an 8½ × 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 a loaf pan; your goal is to fill the pan about three-quarters full. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the loaf to rest for 2 hours.
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 water.
9.
Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven. 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 45 minutes, until richly browned and firm.
10.
Remove the loaf from the pan and allow the bread to cool on a rack before slicing thinly and eating.
100% Whole Wheat and Flaxseed Bread
“Wherever flaxseed becomes a regular food item among the people, there will be better health.”
—Mahatma Gandhi
This is a book about healthy breads, and we would be remiss not to include those made with flax, which has some powerful health effects (see
sidebar
) and a mild and nutty flavor. If you’d rather downplay the flavor of flax, try our aromatic
Rosemary Flax Baguette
, in which the herb dominates the grain flavors.
Makes enough dough for at least four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
½ cup ground flaxseed
7 cups whole wheat flour
1½ tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets (
decrease to taste
)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (
increase or decrease to taste
)
¼ cup vital wheat gluten
3¾ cups lukewarm water