Ezekiel Bread. Enough said. This is one of my favorite breads and still one of the most popular reasons people find their way to this little blog. I have a few versions of this recipe but the one below is the one I use most often. For additional directions and pictures of it being made, click here. To read my lay-person’s biblical interpretation of this recipe, click here.
I haven’t posted this recipe in a while, but it is still my favorite bread, and is in fact still the #1 reason people visit my little blog. To read my views on this bread, click here. For pictures of it being made and additional directions, click here.
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the grains in the water in logical succession according to cooking times: first the white and red beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, spelt berries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add the millet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after each addition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all of the grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercooked grains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as the grains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
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Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Ezekiel Bread; a meal in itself. I’ve posted this recipe a few times prior, but not in quite a while. It is my favorite bread (to eat and to make) and in fact is still the #1 reason people visit this blog. More than 500 people find their way to my little page each day for this simple but delicious recipe. As I’ve also mentioned before, while this recipe looks somewhat difficult to make, it is really not (read the directions in steps). One of the biggest difficulties people seem to have is that the dough is too wet (likely from not squeezing out the beans and grain enough). This is not a problem, simply add additional flour. This bread is not only delicious, but also nutritious. If you are a baker, or someone who wants to bake, I hope you try this recipe…you won’t be sorry. There are additional links below.
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the grains in the water in logical succession according to cooking times: first the white and red beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, spelt berries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add the millet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after each addition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all of the grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercooked grains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as the grains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
For additional directions and photos on how to make this bread, click here.
The read my views and philosophy on this bread, click here.
I’ve posted this recipe some time ago but it is so easy to make and so delicious that I thought I would re-post it. This is really a variation of my Ezekiel Bread recipe (click here or here) but somewhat simplified in that you boil the beans all at once rather than in stages. And while I used 14 different beans and legumes nearly any can be used, or even just one (the recipe below reflects this).
What I find interesting about this bread is that while it adds tons of nutrition to the bread it also adds a soft texture. And interestingly, the beans mostly are mashed into the bread itself when kneaded. You can see in the image above there are just specs of beans in the finished slice. And if you are worried that this is a difficult bread to make, don’t be…basically, after boiling the beans or grains you simply make this like you would any other whole wheat bread except you utilize the cooking liquid as the water and add the beans to the dough.
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the beans until very soft. As the beans cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the beans are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the beans are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Beautiful isn’t it? Bread made with 100% whole wheat flour and just a few other ingredients. If you’ve been to this blog before you know that my diet is the antithesis of a low-carb or gluten-free diet…the bulk of my diet consists of bread, rice, and pasta (with vegetables, meat, and fish). And for this reason about ten years ago I gradually switched to cooking and baking primarily with whole wheat/whole grains–because they are really good for you–and it was a learning curve to say the least. And while my Ezekiel Bread recipe is one of my favorites, and indeed the most popular post on this blog, the bread that is pictured is the bread that I make most often…it is my “everyday bread.” Whole wheat flour and a few other ingredients; that’s it. It’s easy to make, really delicious, and super healthy. To see more explicit pictures of it being made and to read more about the process of controlled fermentation, read this post. The read more about how to bake with whole wheat flour, read this article in Artvoice. Otherwise, the very simple recipe is below.
I made this today and am, in fact, eating a warm and butter-slathered slice as I type these words. This is still my favorite bread, and it is still the #1 reason people find their way to my meager blog. The recipe is below, but for more pictures and a brief description, click here. And better yet, to read my Biblical views on Ezekiel Bread (or at least my interpretation on this recipe), click here.
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the grains in the water in logical succession according to cooking times: first the white and red beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, spelt berries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add the millet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after each addition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all of the grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercooked grains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as the grains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
I’m not one to normally by bean blends because it is so easy to just blend your own (and anything pre-mixed is usually more expensive), but last week I was at the grocery store and saw these and they looked so beautiful I purchased them. Fourteen types of beans, the label stated. I do plan on making soup out of some of them but on this day I was making a batch of Ezekiel Bread and substituted these for the beans and grains in the basic Ezekiel Bread recipe. The outcome was/is delicious…I’ve been eating it for the past two days. (If you’d like to learn more about Ezekiel Bread–how to make it and my interpretation of it–click both the links in previous sentences.)
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the beans until very soft. As the beans cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the beans are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the beans are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
First photo (on my way to work in the morning)…two plastic bowls containing the beginnings of Ezekiel Bread; the preferment in one bowl and autolyse in the other.
Second photo (on my way home in the late afternoon)…two empty plastic buckets, and three freshly baked loaves of Ezekiel Bread.
To see photos of this bread being made and to read about my views on this bread, click here. To read a bit about the specifics of the recipe, click here. To see other things that can be carried on a bike, click here.
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the grains in the water in logical succession according to cooking times: first the white and red beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, spelt berries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add the millet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after each addition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all of the grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercooked grains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as the grains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid. Place two bowls side-by-side; one will hold the pre-ferment, the other autolyse. In one bowl combine the cooked and drained grains with ½ cup of the cooking liquid, 2 cups whole wheat flour, and 2 teaspoons instant yeast. Stir it just until combined then cover it with plastic wrap. In the other bowl combine 4 cups whole wheat flour, 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten, and 2 cups cooking liquid; stir it just until combined then cover it with plastic wrap (take care not to get yeast into this bowl). Allow the bowls to rest at room temperature for about an hour, during which time the preferment will begin it’s job multiplying yeast and fermenting flour, and the autolyse will soak liquid, swelling the gluten. After an hour or so, combine the ingredients from both bowls into the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, olive oil, salt, and 3 teaspoons of yeast (add the yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl. Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover it loosely, and allow to ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Deflate the dough and allow it to ferment an additional 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains. Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
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Beautiful, isn’t it? This is just another example that you can make bread out of nearly anything you like. I happen to like chickpeas, and try to put turmeric in a lot of things because of the yellow hue it offers, but mostly because turmeric is so good for you. While the dough looks really yellow when it is raw, most of the color cooks out when it bakes. And the chickpeas add a really interesting sort of softness to the bread’s texture. I mention that this is a variation of Ezekiel Bread because I used the same method as when making that bread but simply substituted the grains, legumes, and beans with chickpeas. As someone who eats a lot of bread I am always trying different ways to make it healthy. This is a nice variation. The recipe is below, but if you’d like to see how to make my recipe for Ezekiel Bread, click here. And if you’d like to read about my views on Ezekiel Bread, click here.
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the beans in the water for 60-90 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. As the bean cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the beans are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid. Mash the chickpeas a little with a kitchen mallet or a heavy whisk.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
In order to explain the title of this post I have to tell a brief story. And the reason I tell this story is that I am a firm believer that good food can come out of mishap, or at least a near mishap. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The above picture is that of my makeshift outdoor kitchen I often use in the summertime, lest I heat up my teeny indoor kitchen. Two days ago–in the evening–I decided to start a batch of Ezekiel Bread. I hadn’t made it in a while and thought I’d boil the beans and grains outside, then let the dough rise and ferment overnight in the fridge. I had the pot at a low simmer while doing yard work and went to the front yard and talked with a neighbor for a while. To cut to the chase…I forgot I had the beans simmering (at this point I had just red, white, and garbanzo beans in the pot; no grains).
More than an our later I sat down at my computer with a glass of wine to check my blog stats and email, and I noticed that I had another comment on the Ezekiel bread recipe. And as I’m sitting there thinking about how of all the posts that I make on this blog, nearly 80% of new visitors still find their way here through that recipe. I’ve mentioned this before, and am grateful for it, but I do hope people stick around and find something else they like as well. And this is what I was thinking about when I remembered the beans cooking on the stove in the back yard.
Shiiitt!!! I yell, startling my two pugs as I start running for the back door. My computer, where I was sitting is in the very front of the house and the outside stove is in the very rear. And as I sprinted towards the back door I could smell the faint aroma of caramelized beans (burnt, I thought). By now it was night and I had to take a flashlight with me. When I got back there I could hear the pot sizzling (not a good sign), but to my surprise I caught the beans at the precise moment before they went from caramelizing to burning. I quickly carried the post in the house and added more water to it, sending a plume of bean-infused steam into the air. I had to scrape stuck beans from the bottom of the pot, then added the remaining ingredients to finish cooking (and for these I set a timer).
After the beans and grains were cooked I cooled the liquid quickly by adding some ice cubes to it so I could make the starter and autolyse to work over night. After mixing whole-wheat flour for the autolyse, I realized that I didn’t have enough whole-wheat flour to make the pre-ferment with the beans and grains (egad!). So I made it with unbleached bread flour (that’s it pictured above, fully active the next morning).
Anyhow, what I’m trying to say–I suppose–is that most the time things aren’t perfect but they usually work out. Often people tell me this recipe looks complicated or laborious when it’s really not. If you read it and break it into steps you’ll see that it is not difficult or complicated at all. I do hope you try it. The slice pictured at the bottom of the page is the one I ate for breakfast this morning…and yes it was delicious. And I’m not sure if it is because of the series of mishaps with this particular batch, but it seemed to taste especially delicious.
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the grains in the water in logical succession according to cooking times: first the white and red beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, spelt berries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add the millet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after each addition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all of the grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercooked grains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as the grains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
I haven’t posted this recipe or a variation of it in a while (actually, I haven’t made it in a while) so thought that I would. I’ve mentioned before that, oddly, with all the various content on this blog this recipe is still the number one reason first time visitors find their way here. So if you just stumbled upon this blog through a search engine or a link for this recipe this is it…but I hope you stay for a few minutes longer and look around a bit. But, with that said, this is till my favorite bread recipe…it is a meal in itself (and it is a lot easier to make than it may seem at first). I boiled the beans and grain outside last night to keep the kitchen cool, let them ferment overnight, and made the dough at home this morning and carried the raw dough to work on my bike and baked it there. And also, if you are a first time visitor or if you just noticed this Ezekiel Bread Recipe for the first time, I hope you read this link as to my views on this recipe (it also contains additional directions and pictures of the bread being made). The only variation I used in the recipe I made today than the one that is listed below is that I topped the raw dough with sesame seeds for a little added crunch.
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the grains in the water in logical succession according to cooking times: first the white and red beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, spelt berries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add the millet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after each addition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all of the grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercooked grains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as the grains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Firstly, this post is not about how to make Ezekiel Bread, per se, but more about how to incorporate bread making into the rhythm of your daily life rather than upsetting it. I have always thought, and still do, that the bread mostly makes itself, we simply provide the correct conditions and guide it along. And while this can be applied to any of the bread recipes on this blog it just happens that I was making Ezekiel bread. There is a recipe for Ezekiel bread below, but if you’d like more detailed instructions with additional photos–and to read about my views on this bread–click here and here.
Anyhow, the reason it took me 48 hours to make this bread is not that it is any more difficult to make than other breads, it’s just that, well…sometimes life gets in the way of your plans. Here’s a quick story and an example of what I mean.
Two evenings ago I thought I’d start a batch of this bread and let it ferment overnight, so I boiled the grains and beans in the evening. After they were boiled I shut them off on the stove to let them cool and forgot about them. Literally. So I just put a plate over the pot and went to bed for the evening. I had to work yesterday evening but thought I’d make the bread prior to going to work so I started the preferment and autolysis first thing in the morning. Well, you guessed it, time slipped away from me and I never even mixed the dough let alone baked the bread. So I covered the bowls of preferment and autolysis and placed them both in the refrigerator, and then went to work. This morning when I initially woke, I took the bowls out of the fridge to let them come to room temp for about an hour or so. Then–finally–I combined the two bowls and mixed the dough. After placing the dough in a rising bucket I returned it to the fridge and went to church. When I came home the dough had risen so I pushed it down and replaced it into the fridge while I did some yard work. Later, I removed the dough from the fridge, cut it into three pieces–two for bread and one for pizza–and panned all of them up. After allowing them to warm a bit again, I returned them to the fridge while I did some errands and stopped at the grocery store. When I returned, I removed the doughs from the fridge for the last time and preheated the oven while I made the pizza. By the time I put together the pizza the oven and pizza stone was hot enough so I baked the pizza. After removing it, and allowing it to cool for about 5 minutes, I baked the bread while I ate the pizza. All-in-all, it was about 48 hours from boiling the beans until the bread came out of the oven and–while the above text may make it sound complex–it barely disrupted my life. One can postpone the dough from rising and fermenting it by refrigerating it, thus controlling how it progresses.
This recipe in general is delicious, but because of the long slow fermentation it tastes especially full-flavored. And yes the pizza was/is delicious as well. Now if you’ll excuse me I think I’ll go grab another slice.
4 cups whole wheat flour
Boil the grains in the water in logical succession according to cooking times: first the white and red beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, spelt berries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add the millet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after each addition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all of the grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercooked grains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as the grains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Place two bowls side-by-side. In one, start an autolyse with the bulk of the flour, oatmeal, and some water. In the other, start a preferment (biga) with the remainder of the flour, water, and a portion of the yeast. Allow these mixtures to rest and ferment for at least an hour but up to 12 hours.
Next you’ll combine the two mixtures together, and add the maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and remaining yeast. Knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test.
Transfer the dough to a bowl or dough bucket, and allow it to rise, double in size, and ferment for about an hour. Push the dough down and allow it to rise again.
Cut the dough into two or three pieces, shape them into loaves, roll them in oats, and place them in loaf pans. Allow the bread to rise for about an hour, and bake them in a pre-heated oven. Simple and delicious. (a recipe is below).
7/99, as in July 1999…this is my 13-year-old levain (sourdough starter) which I brought out of hibernation. I’ve yet to make 100% whole wheat bread with a natural starter…this is next on my list. After that, naturally leavened whole wheat Ezekiel Bread. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, if you want to read more about sourdough–with pictures, info, and how-to instructions–click here. For an Ezekiel Bread Recipe, click here.
Things on the Bike…a canvas bag containing a laptop computer, another canvas bag containing–among other things–a camera and a couple books, a plastic soda crate containing three loaves of freshly baked sweet potato bread, a dough rising bucket, and five slightly used taper candles.
The recipe below is one that I’ve made plenty of times but is not the exact one which I used for the bread in these pictures (those pictured were made with all whole wheat flour). At any rate, it’s a really good recipe.
This recipe is the not only the basic recipe I use for all of my whole wheat breads, it is the base of all my whole wheat bread recipes…if you master this recipe the variations from this are nearly limitless. This is also an excellent example of artisan bread being made with only whole wheat flour. I use a few more ingredients in this recipe than in the most basic of them all–four ingredient bread–but I prefer this one. And while the Ezekiel Bread recipe and Brown Rice bread may have more substance to them, they also require more time and a bit more effort…this bread, on the other hand, is simple to make (but not simple in flavor). This recipe is also an excellent example of my theory that bread nearly makes itself…we–the bakers–simply combine the ingredients and guide them along. This can be baked free-form (as pictured in this post) or in loaf pans for a more traditional sandwich bread.
Beautiful isn’t it? It’s a slice of a loaf of Ezekiel Bread I made yesterday and had for breakfast and lunch today. It’s airy but not too airy…firm enough to make a nice sandwich bread but at the same time soft enough that most people–even those used to supermarket bread–would enjoy it. You can see specks of beans visible in the cross section. But this is another example how you can really play with the basic recipe…adding or subtracting ingredients as you like (without upsetting the basic bread structure). What’s different about this particular loaf is not what I left out of the recipe but what I added…a cooked and diced sweet potato. Why, you may ask? Simply because it had been sitting in my fridge for a few days and I wanted to use it up. It adds a bit more softness and flavor to the bread and at the same time mashes in and becomes part of it, barely detectable.
Anyhow, for my favorite Ezekiel Bread recipe, and the one that works every time, click here. To read my interpretation on Ezekiel Bread recipes in general, click here.
