# How to make bread with fresh ground OR sprouted grains???



## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

**This is a call for recipes but I thought it belonged here due to the prep type ingredient**

I am an accomplished baker, can make breads of all varietiesâ¦ Baguettes that take all day to proof, bagels, tortillas, biscuits, you name it I can bake it with one exception. I cannot make a completely whole wheat bread or sprouted bread that is any more than survival food. (edible but barely palatable lol)

Most whole wheat bread recipes call for the use of regular flour as well. I would like to venture away from that for health reasons as well as my practical growing and storage plans. Iâve made whole wheat bread by standard bread recipes and just substituted fresh ground for white flour, turned into a brick. I then tried making it thinner like a banana bread consistency rather than a dough. That yielded slightly better results but my family would have to literally be starving to enjoy it. Of course it isnât store bought sliced bread and never will be.

Donât get me started on sprouted breads.

The best prep type bread I make is an Ezekiel bread and it turns out pretty decent but it will never make an acceptable sandwich bread due to crumbly texture. I am hoping there is a prep sandwich bread, flat bread or something I can break my family in with in their packed lunches. IYKWIM

I was hoping you guys could help me out here and offer any tricks you came up with or even actual recipes would be great. Any whole wheat recipes would be appreciated, not just breadâ¦waffles, tortillas etc. I can post the Ezekiel recipe if anyone is interested.


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## Charly (Feb 20, 2010)

Here's the bread my family likes. I make 5 loaves at a time and freeze what we can't use right away. We really like it. Seems a bit confusing, but it's easy. 

Whole Wheat Bread 

3 3/4 C hot water 
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C honey
1/2 C powdered milk
1/2 C rolled oats
4 C whole wheat flour (plus 3-4 more cups)(1 C kernel yields 1 1/2 C flour)
2 T yeast (SAF is best)
1/2 C gluten flour (I usually just use regular whole wheat flour and add about 4-8T dough enhancer instead)1 T per cup of wwflour
1 1/2 T salt
3 (500 mg each) vitamin C tablets

While grinding your wheat flour, add the 3 vitamin C tablets to the grinder as well. 

Combine the hot water, oil, honey, milk, oats in a bread mixer (Bosch with dough hook). Slowly add in 4 C whole wheat flour (with the ground vitamin C tablets). Mix on low for four minutes, then add the yeast, gluten flour/dough enhancer, and salt. Slowly add more wheat flour until you can see the dough pulling away from the bottom of the bowl as it is mixing (about 3-4 more cups) It will be sticky. Set the bread machine to knead for 12 minutes on medium (or 18 minutes by hand) until the dough pulls away from the bowl and it is soft and elastic. The dough will be soft and stretchy. 

Turn the oven to 140 degrees. 

Turn the dough onto a lightly oiled counter (about 1 t) and turn a few times. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes. 

Form the dough into 2-5 loaves, depending on the size of your bread pan (see note). To do this, cut the dough into the allocated number of pieces. Stretch each piece into a rectangle the length of your bread pan and roll the dough horizontally. Spray the bread pans lightly with oil. Lay the formed loaves into the bread pans, seam side down. Turn off the oven and place the pans into the oven, uncovered. After the dough has doubled in size, turn the oven to 350 degrees and bake until golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pans to wire racks to continue cooling. Cool completely before placing in bread bags. 

If you choose to make rolls, they will take 20-25 minutes, and bunny rolls take about 30-35 minutes. Form scones by cutting a small slit in the center and pulling both ends through. Deep fry the scones until they float and are brown and crispy.



Bread making Tips that might help:

You can freeze the bread if you like. You may slice the bread prior to freezing, then when you want a piece of bread, just pop it into the toaster right from the freezer. 
There are several sizes of bread pans. This recipe will make 5 small loaves (8x4.5x3) or 3 medium (10x4.5x3) or 2 large (12x4.5x3). I especially like the dark dimpled, non-stick pans. I think my pans are Norpro - they are dimpled. Really like them.
1. For those getting started, it is good to start with half wheat and half white.

2. Donât add the salt and the yeast together. Wait until the yeast has been incorporated with some flour and water.

3. Donât add all your flour at once. Start with 1 or 2 cups and then add a little more as necessary.

4. If you are adding white and wheat, always add the whole wheat first.

5. Never use any metal, and be sure to use a large bowl to allow for rising.

6. Cover the batter with plastic wrap, punch holes on the plastic to allow for breathing.

7. Keep at 85 degrees temperature overnight, than transfer to the fridge and in 2 to 3 days your started will be ready to make your sourdough bread.

8. To let the bread rise well, put them in a 150 degree oven (THAT YOU JUST TURNED OFF) and then let the oven cool while the bread is rising.

9. Donât open the oven door. Use the light in your oven.

10. Tip for preparing the bread for the loaf pans: Donât put flour on your counter top, use oil. It will keep the the bread soft with no stretch marks.

11. If you want a crusty crust, use a spray bottle and spray a couple of times while it is in the oven. This is a contradiction to normal information about not opening the oven. Do this only when you are making French or Sourdough bread that you want hard crusts.

SAF Yeast rises best. It has an 8-10 year shelf life because it is vacuum sealed. It will last indefinitely in the freezer. You donât need to proof it, just add it to you wet or dry ingredients. 
Vital Wheat Gluten flour is high in protein and gives great elasticity and texture. 
The vitamin C tablets act as a natural dough enhancer and give the bread loft. 


15. Gluten: use 1/2 T. - 1 T. per cup of flour (this means before you measure a cup of flour place the 1/2 T.-1 T. gluten in the bottom of your cup and then measure flour as usual)

16. White Vinegar: use the same amount of vinegar that you are using for yeast (i.e. 1 t. yeast - 1 t. vinegar)

17. Potato Flakes: use 1/8 to 1/4 C. per loaf of bread you are making, experiment to see what works best in your recipe. (do not substitute potato pearls, they donât dissolve as easily and are artificially flavored which you will be able to taste in your bread)


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## Charly (Feb 20, 2010)

Sorry to appear to monopolize the thread. Just thought I would post our favorite whole wheat recipes. Again, I apologize for so many. 


Whole Wheat Cornbread

&#9702;	2 cups whole wheat flour
&#9702;	2 cups cornmeal
&#9702;	4 teaspoons baking powder
&#9702;	1 1/2 teaspoons salt
&#9702;	1/2 cup honey
&#9702;	1/4 cup oil
&#9702;	2 cups milk
&#9702;	2 eggs

1.	Combine the corn meal,flour,baking powder,and salt.
2.	Add the honey,oil,milk and eggs.
3. Mix just enough to moisten the batter.
4.	Pour the batter into an oiled 9 by 13 inch baking pan.
5.	Bake at 375 degree oven for 20-35 minutes or until golden brown.


Next time Iâm going to try adding a bit of bacon grease instead of the oil, bacon, green onions or chilies, and some corn would be good too. Halve the recipe and bake in an 8x8 pan.

I did mine in an old, cast-iron skillet and it came out delicious. If I were being honest, I would probably have to say that I prefer cornbread made with white flour for taste, but I'm trying to incorporate more whole wheat and this is really good. Just a matter of time to get my taste buds preferring the wheat. For several years now I have my family hooked on whole wheat pancakes, but it took me a whole year to get them to make the switch. I just gradually added more wheat flour each time I made them. Now, it's the only way they will eat pancakes and waffles. Same idea here I think. Will make again and again.

Mexican Wheat Salad With Citrus-Jalapeno Vinaigrette

&#9702;	1 cup whole wheat kernels
&#9702;	1 cup boiling water
&#9702;	1 1/2 cups zucchini, diced
&#9702;	1 cup corn
&#9702;	3/4 cup jalapeno jack cheese, diced
&#9702;	3 tablespoons cilantro, minced
&#9702;	1/4 cup scallions, chopped
&#9702;	1 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained & rinsed
&#9702;	1/4 cup orange juice
&#9702;	1/4 cup lime juice
&#9702;	2 teaspoons jalapenos, seeded & minced
&#9702;	1 tablespoon olive oil
&#9702;	1/4 teaspoon cumin
&#9702;	1/4 teaspoon salt


1.	Cook the wheat in salted water to desired consistency. Drain. 
2.	Add zucchini to black beans; stir gently.
3.	Combine orange juice and remaining ingredients, stir well with a whisk.
4.	Pour dressing over wheat mixture and toss gently.
5.	Serve at room temperature or chilled.


I think this is a delicious wheat salad. I also roasted the ground cumin in a dry skillet for a few seconds (until I could smell it). Think it adds a little to the flavor. I will double the cumin next time. I also added a bit of finely minced garlic and some chili powder. I think next time I will up the jalapeno too. Sort of wanted to add some red wine vinegar, but didn't - maybe next time. All in all, a refreshing salad. Kinda reminded me of a salsa.



Wheat Berry Salad with Apples and Cashews

1 C wheat berries or brown rice
10 C water
3 T vegetable oil
Â½ C orange juice
2 T red wine vinegar
2 t ground coriander
Â½ t ground cinnamon
2 Granny Smith apples, cored, diced
2 T fresh mint, finely chopped
Â½ C cashews, toasted, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 C dried cranberries
feta cheese (optional)

Pick over the wheat berries for any foreign bits. Rinse and bring wheat berries to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour or more until tender. Drain and cool.

In a small bowl, mix the vegetable oil, orange juice, vinegar, coriander, and cinnamon. Set aside.

To the wheat berries, add apples, mint, shallots, and cranberries. Toss with the dressing to coat. Prior to serving, add the roasted cashews. 



âI love to make this in the fall. You can use any kind of whole wheat you like. I like to use a hard red and a white wheat mixed together. I donât include the feta in mine. I havenât done it, but I think it might be a nice change with a little fried bacon as a garnish. If I make this ahead of time, I sometimes find that I need to add more dressing, as it absorbs the liquid. 


Feta Wheat Berry Salad

1 C whole wheat berries
Â½ C Feta cheese, diced (I like the basil and sun-dried tomato variety)
Â½ C red onion, minced
Â½ C cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
Â¼ C roasted red peppers, julienne strips of drained bottled peppers, chopped
Â¼ C peperoncini salad peppers, chopped
Â¼ C mixed fresh herbs, minced (I like parsley, mint, thyme, and basil) plus some for garnish
1 T Kalamata black olives, pitted, brine-cured, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 T olive oil 
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T balsamic vinegar

Pick over the wheat berries and remove any foreign bits. Rinse and add the wheat berries to boiling salted water and reduce to a simmer. Cook the wheat for 1 hour or until itâs tender. Drain and cool.

Stir together the wheat berries, Feta, onion, cucumber, roasted pepper, peperoncini, herbs, olives, and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar. Mix everything together. Garnish with herbs. 

Serves 4-6.


âOne of my all-time summer favorites. I grow all the fresh herbs in my garden. You can use any kind of whole wheat you like. I like to use a hard, red and white together. I always adjust the amounts to taste. Next time Iâm going to try adding some marinated artichoke hearts too. Sometimes I need to add more dressing if it absorbs a lot.â 

Wheat Casserole
2 C whole wheat
4 C water
2 lbs ground beef
Â¼ C dried chopped onions, reconstituted
Â½ C green pepper, chopped
2 t chili powder
2 t garlic powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t oregano
2 (14 Â½ oz) cans tomatoes
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (5.75 oz) can black olives, drained, chopped
1 Â½ C Monterey Jack cheese, grated


Cook whole wheat in water for 1 Â½ hours. Drain off any liquid. You may need to add more water during the cooking time too.

Brown ground beef with drained onions and green pepper. Add to drained wheat along with spices. Add tomatoes, sauce, and olives and simmer for 30 minutes. Place in a casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. 



âItâs really pretty good. Tastes like a wheat chili. The first time I made it, I cut the recipe in half thinking the kids wouldnât eat it. I wished Iâd made the whole thing.â


Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix
2 C dry buttermilk powder
8 C whole wheat flour or spelt flour
Â½ C sugar
8 t baking powder
4 t baking soda
2 t salt


In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir with a wire whisk until evenly distributed. Pour into a 12-cup container with a tight-fitting lid. Seal container. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months. 


âWhile trying to utilize food storage and to get my family to eat healthier, we adopted this recipe into our lives. The original recipe actually called for all-purpose flour. However, I wanted our family to eat more wheat. Upon making this mix for the first time with 100% whole wheat flour, the family wouldnât touch it. Undaunted, I next mixed it with about 25% whole wheat and 75% white. The family ate it. The next batch was mixed 50/50. Again, the family ate it, etc. After about a year, I was finally able to use 100% whole wheat. Hurray! The family ate it! As a matter of fact, itâs the only pancake and waffle they now like. I canât get the kids to eat âwhiteâ pancakes. All their friends ask for them when they spend the night. This is our family favorite.

I prefer a hard, red, winter wheat or spelt for these, but white wheat can be used too. I often substitute regular milk powder if you donât have the buttermilk powder.â 



Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes 

Recipe adapted from âMake-a-Mixâ. See recipe for Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix. 

1 egg, beaten
2 T vegetable oil
1 C water, we like a little more
1 Â½ C Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix

In a medium bowl, combine egg, oil, and 1 C of water. With a wire whisk, stir in Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix until blended. Do not over-mix. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in additional water for a thinner batter. 

Preheat griddle according to manufacturerâs instructions. Lightly oil griddle. 

Pour about 1/3 C batter onto hot griddle to make 1 pancake. Cook until edge is dry and bubbles form. Turn with a wide spatula. Cook 35-45 seconds longer until browned on both sides. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with syrup. Makes 10 each 4â pancakes. 


âMix just until moistened. If you blend too well, the pancakes can get tough. If I happen to make too many pancakes, we simply freeze them in a plastic bag. When the kids want some, they either reheat them in the microwave or toaster. The kidsâ friends ask for these pancakes. 

If you have powdered eggs on hand, mix 2 T powdered egg with the dry batter ingredients and add 2 T more water to the wet ingredients. I think Iâll try adding a teaspoon of cinnamon or maybe Â½ C smashed banana for a change. Hubby likes his with milk chocolate chips. I prefer mine served with a bit of jelly on them, or a little butter, syrup, and powdered sugar on top.


Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles 

Recipe adapted from âMake-a-Mixâ. See recipe for Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix. 

2 Â½ C Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix
2 C water
3 eggs, separated
Â¼ C vegetable oil


Preheat waffle iron. In a large bowl combine Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix, water, egg yolks, and oil. Beat with a wire whisk until just blended. In medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into egg-yolk mixture. Bake according to waffle iron instructions. 


âIf I happen to make too many waffles, we simply freeze them in a plastic bag. When the kids want some, they either reheat them in the microwave or toaster. One batch is sufficient to feed our family â they are really filling.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Sounds a little complicated but a lot of artisan breads seem that way until you get elbow deep in the process.

The vitamin c is something I never heard, interesting...

Where do you get your gluten/dough enhancer? Does it "keep" well? (considerig from a prep angle)


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Those recipes look great!

Gives me something to work with.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

I can help you. I can make one kind of bread. Whole wheat sandwich bread. It's what we prefer and I have never tried to make anything else. I don't have time for fancy stuff or all day proofing. I do use a bread machine but I have done it without, with similar results.

I don't use exact measurements either. In this order..

oil (T maybe? I use olive)
egg
honey, a heaping T
some salt
1 cup yogurt
one cup water
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I grind my own, so yes, fresh ground)
2 3/4 t yeast

make as typical bread recipe
bake to standard bread oven settings.
If using bread machine, use the whole wheat setting, 2# loaf, light crust.

As soon as it comes out of the oven, wrap in a plastic bag until cool to keep the crust soft, then slice and enjoy. I store in the fridge. Good sandwich quality and bendable for at least 2 days, sometimes longer depending on the weather. 
i have frozen it and thawed to same consistency.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Recipe from TammysRecipes and link below.....

BooBoo---This is excellent whole wheat,I grind mine very fine for this,it tastes much like Wonderbread its so soft and fluffy....It really turned my bread from homebuilding quality bricks to excellent.Its my 'go to' bread recipe now.

I mix mine in bread machine,into baking pans and let rise and into oven.No first rise,punch down and second rise,just the one.

Grind wheat in machine,mix dough in bread machine,this is really easy to make.THAT surprised me too,thought it would be very time consuming,it isnt.And yes,I plan on my own homemade power to continue this when grid goes down,Im into being 'Electro-Amish' with solar.Can even cook it in my solar oven.

Hamburger Buns I made,bread is same recipe just loaves,
Click to enlarge


Cut for Double Decker Burgers



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Link with full story,I use the last recipe.
http://www.tammysrecipes.com/homemade_wheat_bread

1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons oil or softened butter
2 tablespoons honey
a sprinkle of ground ginger
a pinch of citric acid (can use ascorbic acid instead)
2 teaspoons granulated lecithin
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) vital wheat gluten/gluten flour (75% protein)
3 cups whole wheat flour (I use Prairie Gold hard white wheat; any whole wheat bread flour would work.)
2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

I put the ingredients in my bread machine in the order listed above, and run the dough cycle. When dough cycle is complete, gently deflate dough, shape into a loaf, and place in a greased loaf pan. Grease the top of the loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size. Bake in a pre-heated 350-375*F oven for 30 minutes. (Tent loosely with foil after 20-25 minutes if loaf is browning too quickly.) When bread is done, remove from pan, place on a cooling rack, and cover until cool. Seal in a bag or container after cooled.

My new Zojirushi bread machine is making great loaves of 100% whole wheat bread here in the Seattle area, using this recipe.
Preparation Time: 

30 minutes + rising time
Cooking Time: 

30-35 minutes


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Are you letting it sit before kneading? It takes a little bit for the flour to absorb the moisture from the liquid ingredients. Mix them together until just combined and then let the bowl sit before you proceed to kneading it -- 10, 15, even 20 minutes. Also try to stick to a wetter consistency dough. If it doesn't stick a bit to your kneading surface it's probably too dry.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

hintonlady said:


> I&#8217;ve made whole wheat bread by standard bread recipes and just substituted fresh ground for white flour, turned into a brick.


That was my exact experience too.Found out WW is a completely different critter than white flour and recipes far different.Surprised to learn that.

Got gluten at Honeyville in #10 can,got lecithin and vit.c powder at local health food store.


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## bourbonred (Feb 27, 2008)

I'm still learning the art myself. DH eats sandwiches on toasted bread daily and though he liked the taste of my ww bread, it just didn't toast and travel well so (by suggestion of a thread on HT) I've started making kaiser rolls for his lunches. Works well for us.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

If you use sprouted grain, you'll have a heavier loaf unless you add white flour.

Get a fine sieve and sift out the bran after you grind the wheat. You'll have a lighter loaf. Use the bran in hot cereal or feed it to the chickens.

For sprouted grains, let the sprout get just about 1/8 inch long. Chew it, and you'll see a difference in the sweetness. You can dry and grind it for a malt sweetener. 

You can also make Essene Bread. Put some of the wet sprouted wheat into a food processor with some dried fruit like raisins and apples. You can add nuts if you like. Quantities aren't critical. Grind it until it makes a good sticky ball. I like to add a little salt to improve flavor. Shape into cookies and bake in a slow oven till hard and dry and just ever so slightly brown. It keeps well and makes a great trail food or "stuck in the car in traffic and I'm hungry" snack.


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## au natural (Mar 8, 2004)

Have you tried using hard white wheat instead of Turkey red? It makes a HUGE difference in texture as well as taste.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

We grow soft red, supposedly used in pastries. I dunno? I'm limited to what we have on hand. :shrug: DH doesn't understand the subtle nuances of flour and is even less appreciative of prepping. If I don't get it off the combine I don't get it...

Maybe the berry is my issue. Duh, should have figured. :happy0035:


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Yes, the wheat type is your biggest problem. More suited for quick breads than yeast breads.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

You don't have to make bread with straight whole wheat flour. There are lots of other grains that you can grind at home to mix in there to lighten the flour up a bit.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

I have one I'll try to post it later on! Mine's easy lol.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Yes, switch wheat - you need winter wheat for making bread.
take a regular old bread recipe. Double the yeast. Give it 20 minutes to start working even if using the quick-rise stuff. Then proceed as normal. Do not add flour until it's no longer sticky. The gluten will develop as it is kneaded and it will get less sticky. I use spray oil on my hands to help. I also might let it rise one extra time to develop a better texture. AND..I always use vital wheat gluten 1/2 cup for 3 loaves of whole wheat only bread.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Charly said:


> Sorry to appear to monopolize the thread. Just thought I would post our favorite whole wheat recipes. Again, I apologize for so many.


Monopolize my foot!

I copied to comp and made a printed copy.

Thank YOU for posting,I need some WW recipes as this is all new to me,I see PANCAKES!!!


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

mightybooboo said:


> Monopolize my foot!
> 
> I copied to comp and made a printed copy.


Me too! Thanks Charly!  Thanks HL, for starting this thread!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Another thank you to Charly! The recipes sound really good, and I'm printing them out, too.


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## Sarabeth (Sep 14, 2008)

Yes, another thank you. I will be printing this out!


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

I have a complete tutorial with pictures on making a 100% whole wheat bread on my blog.

http://www.createdbycj.com/recipes/2010/7/28/fresh-ground-100-percent-whole-wheat-bread.html

It's as light as Wonder Bread.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Lady, if what you have is soft red, then you might want to work on some quick bread recipes that use baking powder instead of yeast. One thing I've done is to go ahead and make a sponge with yeast in it, but also use baking powder added just before baking. You won't be kneading the dough, but mixing it rather wet. Should be about as thick as for something like banana bread or pumpkin bread.

I've made sandwiches with pancakes. They actually can make rather nice sandwiches. Hold together well and aren't crumbly.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Baking powder isn't as prep-ish to me in a long term sense as is the ability to capture a wild yeast strain and make a sourdough... I suppose that in the event of long term shtf that my people will be glad to eat "hard tacks", lol.

Just thinking that baking powder is something that would be in short supply if there were ever a shortage of food or rationing or... In the here and now quick breads sound good but they don't fit my prep ideal which would be to use the bare bones minimum and only things that are readily available. 

I welcome WW quick bread recipes. Curious about baking powder and yeast combinations and what results you have experienced. I tend to kill yeast when I add extra stuff so would be interested in more specific steps of how others have done it. (I'm wondering how well the powder mixes in to an already semi risen yeast dough/batter...doesn't it lose some rise?)

In a shtf situation I'll be left to wild yeast sourdough bread made from just WW, water, wild yeast and maybe salt if I'm lucky. It will be a brick indeed but when everyone else is stuck clueless with just hand harvested whole berries...roasted, boiled etc. from a lack of experience, I'll still be able to barter my bakery wares. (horrible texture and all, lol) A bread brick beats crunchy gruel anyday.

Leads me to conclude that there are different types of prepping even within one preppers plans. (short term disruption vs. major catastrophic event survival)

Now, if I could just get my adobe oven started in my back yard this summer I'll be set.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Oh yeah,

CJ and mightybooboo-that is great crumb, nice job!

Charly- awesome recipes, woohoo!

Lonelyfarmgirl- a little of this a little of that is totally how I give out recipes, lol.

cyngbaeld- essene bread, interesting...

callie- I wish I could switch wheat. I may be able to for everyday cooking but for preps I am stuck with what we grow. Kind of a bummer though.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

CJ and Booboo both, that is definitely some good-looking bread! 

CJ, on your old blog, you had a tutorial for an artisan bread that you did in a cast iron pot. I could have sworn I saved a copy of it, but for the life of me I can't find it. Do you still have that or would it be a pain to repost it? I checked your site, but didn't see the one I remembered.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

I have to agree with CJ,grind it absolutely as fine as possible.I cant wait to try your recipe CJ,that looks really nice.

Im using 'Hard Red Wheat' is all the bag says,it sure worked OK for me.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Anyone have the cliffs notes version on the differences of the wheats? I'd ask my DH but he would go on for days...


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

I use Montana Gold (white wheat) hard spring berries. Awesome stuff! I like the flavor better than red wheat. I'm not sure what the difference is between spring and winter berries though. I've alway used spring wheat.

Callie, here's the recipe for the artisan bread:

3 cups unbleached all purpose white four (I use King Arthur, the protein amount of it is higher, if using a store brand like Gold Medal, use bread flour)
1-1/2 cups tepid water
1/4 teaspoon instant acting yeast
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Mix the dry ingredients together, and lightly stir in the water. I use a dough whisk, you just need to stir it enough to incorporate it all, no need to knead the dough. 

Cover and let rise about 2 hours, then refrigerate over night.

In the morning, carefully shape the dough into a ball. Try not to knock out the gas bubbles. It's a very wet dough, so flour your hands well.

Let it rise for about 2 hours. Preheat a dutch oven (either clay or cast iron, both work well) in the oven at 500 degrees. When the oven is up to temp, remove the dutch oven and careful turn the dough ball into it. You want the flour side up (the part that was resting on the counter to rise).

Cover and put back into the oven, reduce heat to 450 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.

This also makes wonderful pizza dough and focaccia.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

That's it! I knew it was simple, but made a fantastic-looking bread. I'm definitely saving this right now as a Word file, pics and all (along with all the other recipes on this page). Thank you so much!


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Just got through this!! Absolutely love this thread!! Now for the next question...

What type of wheat do y'all recommend for a whole wheat bread? I'm hearing a hard red winter wheat. Is that right? The reason I'm asking is that I might have convinced DH to grow some as we have a few acres that could be planted in either wheat or oats.

While I'm asking, does anyone here do anything with raw oats? If so, please share and let me know what kind of oats!! We'd love to be able to supply organically grown wheat and oats to the public as well as for our own use. And we have a local Dutch Windmill that will grind it into flour. Yup! The kind you see on the dikes in Holland!


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## Durandal (Aug 19, 2007)

Callieslamb said:


> Yes, switch wheat - you need winter wheat for making bread.


Technically any wheat can make a bread. Around here the only thing that will grow is a soft red winter wheat and spelt (which rocks if you have never tried it).

There are soft and hard winter wheats. The hard varieties are usually much higher in protein and form the base of your all purpose bread flours.

It all depends on what you want to bake. You can do flatbreads with almost any mix of flour and cornmeal and are just as tasty.

Right now we have been focusing on soft reds and cornmeal because its what we can grow in our high moisture region.

You can also substitute amounts of GP flour and "bread" flour with any variety or mix of flours including rye (there are several different varieties of rye, wheats..including spelt, and buckwheat, which is not a cereal crop but a plant seed).

Just some more info to throw into the discussion. We just got done building a wood fired oven, mainly for pizzas and flat breads, so consider how you make your breads in your preps ideas as well. A wood burning stone/brick oven is the most efficient way to go I think and most reliable when it comes to sustainable....we almost all can get wood to burn.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

Durandal - would love to see a pic of your brick oven! and how the process may differ. How do you monitor, distance from fire/coals, etc.


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

A lot of these recipes have wheat gluten included, and say to NOT leave it out. I can only get it online - and when the SHTF, even all of my preps may not be enough to last...I just found this thread today and was wondering - the recipes here that don't include the gluten, are they as soft and usable as sandwhich bread as the gluten-containing ones? Assume that gluten is NOT an option.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

The recipe I posted does not use gluten. Flour, yogurt, egg, oil, honey, water, yeast and salt. For the most part all things that are sustainable.
I am sure sourdough could be subbed for yeast and an alternate sweetener for honey.
I dont have time for other additions and I dont much have time or patience for precise measuring. 
The bread is soft and will fold for 2-4 days, depending on your individual environment and weather. The crust is soft and the bread is soft. I dont do hard crumbly bread. Yuk!


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

Thanks! I'll give it a try this weekend! Honey is not an issue - DH is a beekeeper!  The yeast will eventually run out but I can do the sourdough thing with no problem.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

I have never really tried sourdough. I would like too, but I just havent. I mean I have eaten it, not tried to keep a starter and cook with it.


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