King Arthur's Harvest Grains Bread

 

NOTES

1. This recipe uses a small amount of white whole wheat flour and a much larger amount of bread flour. Liz has been experimenting with how to get a loaf that's fairly soft, fairly healthy, and has a touch of sweetness to counter what might be a bit of bitterness from the whole wheat flour. What follows below is her more successful recipe, which has tweaks to the original.

2. Because of the extra sweetener added to the dough in this version (honey), the loaf won't rise as much; see this helpful video, which explains what happens when sugar is added to bread dough.

3. An additional experiment could include the original instructions plus an addition of King Arthur's Bread Improver for whole grain breads.

4. Measure the main ingredients by weight if at all possible.

5. This recipe calls for a loaf pan that is 8-1/2" x 4-1/2"

6. The original recipe (link above) nearly overproofed during the second rise, rising well above the entire bread pan!


INGREDIENTS

298g bread flour (a loose 2 to 2-1/2 cups), plus extra for kneading
57g white whole wheat flour (a loose 1/2 cup)
74g King Arthur's Harvest Grains Blend (approx 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl granulated sugar, divided in half
1 Tbl honey
2 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
just under 1-1/4 cups water
3 Tbl avocado oil or vegetable oil


PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl, combine and mix the two flours, the dry milk, the harvest grains blend, and one Tbl of the sugar.

2. Make a well in the middle of these dry ingredients and sprinkle the salt on the perimeter.

3. Measure out the yeast and the oil, setting both aside.

4. Heat the water--or use hot water--until it is just over lukewarm but not very hot, to 105-110 degrees F.

5. Add the honey and remaining Tbl of sugar to the warm water, stirring to integrate the mixture.

6. Pour the oil into the well created in the dry ingredients and then add the yeast onto the top of the oil.

7. Add the water mixture, mixing gently and steadily with a heavy duty spatula, a wooden spoon, etc until the dough starts to come together. It's likely to be somewhat sticky.

8. Lightly flour a counter or large cutting board with bread flour and reserve 1/4-1/2 a cup, then turn out the dough from the bowl and knead for 1-4 minutes, adding flour so the dough doesn't stick to your hands.

9. When the dough is workable without being sticky, knead for a full 10 minutes.

10. Either lightly grease the now-empty bowl and place the kneaded dough into it, or place the dough into another medium or large bowl.

11. Cover the bread dough and proof it for 1 hour; prepare a small bit of steamy water in a dish and place it in the same space as the bread dough if you can. Dough will be a bit puffier but probably not doubled and not very light.

12. After an hour, turn the dough out onto a counter or large cutting board and knead for a minute or so, then pinch the sides of the dough ball under its bottom until the top is uniform and soft.

13. Pinch the newly formed seam together and gently roll the dough into a thick log until it is the length of the loaf pan; place the dough into it, seam side down.

14. Cover the pan and proof it until the dough rises about 1" above the pan, about 60-90 minutes. Check on it after 50 or 60 minutes and adjust the time accordingly.

15. A few minutes before the second rise is done, preheat the oven to 350F, with the rack in the middle, removing the upper shelf if necessary in order to allow the bread to rise higher during the baking process. Put 1-2 cups of water in a heat-proof dish and place it on the lower rack of the oven. The steam will help the crust stay soft.

16. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, until top is richly brown and the center of the bread registers 190F with a digital or instant read thermometer. Remove from oven, turn out from pan, and cool on a rack completely before slicing.