This bread is another example of whole wheat bread that is not only really delicious, but super nutritious as well. That’s them pictured above after just being placed in the oven…beautiful, aren’t they? It is easier to make than the recipe may seem at first glance, and the resulting bread is as soft and airy as any supermarket bread (yet it still only has a handful of wholesome ingredients, all of which are pronounceable). This is actually not unlike my Ezekiel bread recipe but is a bit easier (less ingredients to boil), and while it is called a brown rice bread nearly any grain can be substituted (I used a mixture of brown, black, and wild rices). For an Ezekiel bread recipe, click here; for other bread recipes, click here; for recipes using all whole wheat, click here.
Whole Wheat Brown RiceBread
Makes 3 loaves
1 cup (6.6oz/187g) brown rice
3 quarts (96floz/2.83L) water
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cooked rice
2/3 cup (5.3 oz/157ml) cookingliquid
2 cups (11oz/312g) whole wheatflour
2 teaspoons (.2oz/5.6g) instantyeast
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4 cups (21oz/595.3g) whole wheatflour
3 tablespoons (.75oz/21g) vitalwheat gluten
2 cups (16fl oz/.47L) cookingliquid
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1/4 cup (2fl oz/59.1ml) honey
1/4 cup (2fl oz/59.1ml) olive oil
3 teaspoons (.3oz/8.5g) instantyeast
3 teaspoons (.5oz/14.1g) koshersalt
Combine the grain and water in a mediumpot and bring to a boil; lower the heat to simmer and cook the ricefor about 45 minutes or until very soft. As the grain cooks add morewater to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which isfull of nutrients, will become part of the recipe. After the grainsare cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature,refrigerating if necessary. Then drain it, squeezing it with yourhands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Place two bowlsside-by-side; one will hold the pre-ferment, the other autolyse. Inone bowl combine the cooked and drained 7-grains with 2/3 cup (5.3oz/157ml) of the cooking liquid, 2 cups (11oz/312g) whole wheatflour, 2 tablespoons (.5oz/14g) vital wheat gluten, and 2 teaspoons(.2oz/5.6g) instant yeast. Stir just until combined then cover itwith plastic wrap. In the other bowl combine 4 cups (21oz/595.3g)whole wheat flour and 1 1/3 cups (10.5fl oz/315ml) cooking liquid;stir just until combined then cover it with plastic wrap (take carenot to get yeast into this bowl). Allow the bowls to rest at roomtemperature for about an hour, during which time the preferment willbegin it’s job multiplying yeast and fermenting flour, and theautolyse will soak liquid, swelling the gluten.
After an hour or so, combinethe ingredients from both bowls into the bowl of an upright mixerfitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, olive oil, salt, and 3teaspoons (.3oz/8.5g) of yeast (add the yeast and salt on oppositesides of the bowl). Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover itloosely, and allow to ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled inbulk. Deflate the dough and allow it to ferment an additional 30minutes.
Turn the dough out onto afloured work surface and cut it into 3 pieces. Shape into loaves andplace into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plasticwrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in sizeand when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.Preheat an oven to 450f (232.2C).
Bake the breads for about30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with icecubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes.The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow whentapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cookon a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Urban Simplicty 