#369 (on my way to work in the morning)…A canvas bag containing a couple books and writing implements, 3 plastic buckets of different sizes…the largest of them containing a whole wheat preferment made with an additional seven grain mix and its cooking liquid, the other containing a whole wheat autolyse with a few tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, and the smallest containing extra virgin olive oil, honey, and a few teaspoons of kosher salt.
#370 (On my way home in the late afternoon)…Two empty plastic dough rising buckets, and a cardboard box containing a canvas bag and three freshly baked loaves of 7-grain whole wheat bread.
7-Grain Whole WheatBread
Makes 3 loaves
1 cup (6.6oz/187g) 7-grain mix
3 quarts (96floz/2.83L) water
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fully cooked grains
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
2 tablespoons (.5oz/14g) vitalwheat gluten
1 1/3 cups (10.5fl oz/315ml) 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, and 2 teaspoons (.2oz/5.6g) instant yeast. Stir just untilcombined then cover it with plastic wrap. In the other bowl combine 4cups (21oz/595.3g) whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons (.5oz/14g) vitalwheat gluten, and 1 1/3 cups (10.5fl oz/315ml) cooking liquid; stirjust until combined then cover it with plastic wrap (take care not toget 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 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loavesand place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves withplastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until doublein size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentationremains. Preheat an oven to 450f (232.2C).
Bake the breads forabout 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (eitherwith ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every tenminutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and soundhollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allowthem to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Urban Simplicty 
Wanted to leave you a note on how much I enjoy your blog. I too love to bake bread and since April I have replaced my car with a Yuba Mundo. I use it haul everything from a handful of kids, a couple bags of chicken feed or grains, and my stuff from my twice monthly trip to Costco. One thing I always think when I read your blog is that you should invest in the Go-Getter bags for your Yuba. I realize it conceals what you're carrying, but I think it would be a whole lot easier – at least it is for me.Keep riding (and baking)!
Anonymous…Thanks for visiting and commenting. You are not the first to suggest Go-Getter bags. I haven't purchased them for a couple reasons. One is that I simply don't like how they look…big bags hanging off the sides. Just my opinion. Another is I don't think I'd like to pile everything in them…I have had standard panniers on other bikes and found this to be the case. Again, just personal preference. Bungees, crates, straps, and nets seem to work for me. I am, though, thinking of building a sort of semi-permanent trunk for the deck. Not sure but maybe. I'll post it I I do. Peace.