Sustainable Saturday

Recipe for our family favorite bread (makes 2 big loaves):

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
4 cups all-purpose four
3 cups warm water (41-43 C)
3/4 teaspoons of salt
1/4 cup of olive oil + a bit extra for greasing the bowl
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp honey
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In a bowl mix water, yeast and honey. Cover with a towel and let it proof until its foamy (approx 7-10 minutes).

Add salt and olive oil. Mix.

Add 2 cups of whole-wheat flour and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until well combined. It should have thickness of something like pancake batter or a bit thicker. Cover again with a towel and let it rise for 15 minutes.

Add rest of the flour and knead the dough until its smooth and elastic (10-15 minutes in low-medium speed).

Grease a bowl with a little bit of olive oil and transfer dough into it.

METHOD #1 – FAST RAISE

Cover with towel and let it raise in room temperature for 45 minutes until its double.

Fold the dough gently and let it raise another 30 minutes. Then fold it, divide into 2 and form the breads on the pan. Let it raise another 20-30 minutes.

Score the bread and bake in the oven at 180C/350F degrees for 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Turn the heat off and leave the bread in the over for another 10-15 minutes. Cool down on a rack.

METHOD #2 – SLOW RAISE

Cover with towel and let it raise in the fridge overnight. In the morning take out the dough, fold it, divide into 2 and form the breads on the pan. Let the breads raise about 40-60 minutes so the dough warms up.

Score the bread and bake in the oven at 180C/350F degrees for 50 minutes until golden brown on top. Turn the heat off and leave the bread in the over for another 10-15 minutes. Cool down on a rack.

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TIPS:

Enjoy hot with butter and honey

I do not pre-heat the oven to create a thicker crust on the bread. If you pre-heat the oven, you will need to reduce the cooking time about 10-15 minutes.