Two Loaves of Ezekiel Bread, a Spinach Pizza, and a Mechanical Malfunction

Makes 2 or 3 loaves

12cups water
2 tablespoons white beans
2 tablespoons redbeans

2tablespoons spelt berries
2 tablespoons lentils
2tablespoons barley
2 tablespoons millet
2 tablespoonsbulgur wheat
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cooked beans and grains

½cup cooking water
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoonsinstant yeast
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4 cups whole wheatflour

3tablespoons vital wheat gluten

2cups cooking liquid

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1/4cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons kosher
3teaspoons instant yeast

Boil the grains in the water inlogical succession according to cooking times: first the white andred beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, speltberries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add themillet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after eachaddition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all ofthe grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercookedgrains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as thegrains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because thecooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of therecipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). Afterthe grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to roomtemperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooleddrain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon,reserving the cooking liquid.

Placetwo bowls side-by-side; one will hold the pre-ferment, the otherautolyse. In one bowl combine the cooked and drained grains with ½cup of the cooking liquid, 2 cups whole wheat flour, and 2 teaspoonsinstant yeast. Stir it just until combined then cover it with plasticwrap. In the other bowl combine 4 cups whole wheat flour, 3tablespoons vital wheat gluten, and 2 cups cooking liquid; stir itjust 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.

Afteran hour or so, combine the ingredients from both bowls into the bowlof an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, oliveoil, salt, and 3 teaspoons of yeast (add the yeast and salt onopposite sides of the bowl. Knead the dough on medium speed for about8 minutes. 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 a floured work surface andcut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightlyoiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow toferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gentlytouched with a fingertip an indentation remains.

Bake thebreads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times(either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breadsevery ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown andsound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans andallow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes beforeslicing.

 

 

And here’s the quick story of a mechanical malfunction. I was about 4 or 5 minutes into kneading the above recipe and was washing dishes when I heard a loud grinding sound coming from my mixer. I look over to see that, while the motor is running and making very loud sounds, the dough hook is not moving. To make a long story short, it broke. I believe it is something with the gears…sounds like one either broke or came off its shaft. I took it over to the local Sears to have it sent out for repair. I could not find a single small business who would repair it locally. It is only two years old but only had a one year warranty and it would have cost me more to have Kitchen Aid ship it than Sears. Whatever…very frustrating. I have no idea how much it will cost to repair, nor do I know when it will return…the confused man in the repair department at sears said possibly 6 weeks (what?). Anyhow, I have to admit that this is a more than frustrating to me…it’s a bit scary. I haven’t been sans upright mixer in many years…you can see its empty spot waiting its return below. Looks like I’ll be going “old school” for a while…mixing by hand. Egads!

  

Urban Simplicity.