I've been working on making soaked bread that you can make sandwiches out of. This is the BEST bread I have ever tasted. I have made bread, french bread, cinnamon raisin bread, hot dog buns, etc and It has been awesome! It has yeast in it though so if you can't do yeast this won't work for you. It'll also have about 1-2 cups of flour that is not soaked.
Helpful Hints on Successful Bread Making:
1. When possible, use fresh home-milled flour. This will have the highest nutritional content, and the best baking characteristics for higher rising loaves. If this is not possible, store good quality flour in your freezer, but bring it to room temperature before using for the best results.
2. Use high quality yeast such as SAF Instant Dry Yeast. This is available in quantity at Costco for a good price. Store in the freezer. It will last 2 years or more. If your yeast does not proof, then it is too old!
3. Remember to proof your yeast! Add your yeast to warm water (between 100-115 degrees) with 1 tsp of honey. This will prepare it for action!
4. Remember that less flour is best! You should only add just enough flour until the beaters in your mixing bowl are scraping the sides of the bowl clean. If you add too much flour, your bread will be crumbly. Dough should still be slightly sticky before kneading.
5 . Develop the gluten thoroughly. When dough is properly kneaded it will be smooth and elastic. A quick test for sufficient kneading is to take a golfball-sized portion of dough; stretch it between the thumb and index finger of both hands to determine if the gluten is fully developed. The dough should stretch out thin and not tear readily.
6. Make sure to give your dough two risings! The additional rising will develop flavor, gluten framework and make more fluffy loaves. It is optional, if you are in a hurry.
7 Only let rise till doubled before baking! This is the mistake I make too often. 30 minutes is a good length of time. If they rise too long the structure of the loaf will become weak and it will sink or fall completely during baking.
Homemade Whole Grain Soaked Bread
Learn more about the benefits of soaking here.
9-11 cups of ground whole wheat flour (you can replace 1 or 2 cups with unbleached white flour for a lighter end result)
1 cup acid medium - (1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar and 3/4 cup water)
3 cups of warm filtered water
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup butter or oil
1/2 cup water
1 tsp honey
2 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
Directions:
1. Combine the flour (as much as you can without it getting too stiff. I can get about 8 cups for a good constancy), acid medium, honey, melted butter (or oil), and 3 cups of warm filtered water. Cover and soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
2. After soaking, in a separate small bowl, combine yeast, 1 tsp of honey, and 1/2 cup warm filtered water. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, until fully proofed.
3. Combine the yeast mixture, soaked flour mixture, and Sea Salt in your mixer (or hand knead). You may need to add an additional 1-2 cups of flour. Dough should clean the sides of the mixer.
4. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the gluten is fully developed.
5. Remove to a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let sit until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. (rising is what makes the bread so good. It brings out the flavor)
6. Punch down, turn dough over, and allow to rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes. (OPTIONAL, but preferred for best results)
7. Punch down dough and divide into 4 loaves. Roll out with a rolling pin into a rectangle and roll up into a loaf (this makes the perfectly shaped loaves).
8. Place in greased bread bans and rise again until doubled, about 30-45 minutes minutes (the best place is the oven! Just turn it on low 150-170 degrees till heated and then turn it off, prior to putting the loaves in).
9. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 30-45 minutes. Bread is done when it is fully browned on all sides! Remove from oven, rest in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans.Yield: 4 loaves.
Cinnamon Rolls
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups of flour and yeast. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, 1/3 cup butter, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until warm. Stir constantly and when butter is almost melted, add all to flour and yeast. Add eggs and mix well, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes total. Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover, let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.
After the hour, punch dough down. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a 12-inch square or larger.
Sprinkle filling over dough.
Filling:
1/3 cup of butter softened. Spread this all over the rolled out dough.
drizzle honey all over (as much a you want)
Sprinkle cinnamon liberally
Sprinkle a little nutmeg and cloves
Add nuts and raisins
Roll the dough up and cut into 12 large cinnamon rolls. Butter and flour a large pan. Put in the rolls and let rise for 45 min. Cook at 375 for 25-30 min. Take out and let cool an put on the frosting.
One cube of cream cheese
Honey to taste
1 tsp vanilla
Blend in blender until smooth.
