Wild Rice Bread w/Sunflower Seeds Thanks Amy

[Guest guest]

Thank Amy, this does sound wonderful. I will try this. I have everything but the milk on hand. Hugs, Donna Amy <sandpiperhiker wrote:

I can share one of my favorite bread recipes that I've been asked forenough that it's actually on my computer... it has some additionalnotes at the end 'cause one of my friends ahdn't ever made bread, andI just copied/pasted my whole file.Wild Rice Bread with Sunflower SeedsMakes 3 large round loaves2 c water1 c wild rice (uncooked)1 c warm milk (105* to 115*F)1 1/2 tbsp (1 1/2 pkgs) active dry yeastpinch of sugar2 c warm water (105* to 115*F)1 c quick-cooking oatmeal3/4 c light molasses1/4 c sunflower oil, plus oil for brushing1 tbsp salt7 to 7 1/2 c bread flour1 1/4 c raw sunflower seeds, divided1 egg, beaten, for glaze1. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a rolling boil. Add therice, return to a boil, reduce the hear to the lowest setting, cover,and cook until tender and fluffy

and all the liquid has been absorbed,30 - 35 minutes for hand-harvested rice and 50 - 55 minutes forpaddy-grown rice. The rice should be slightly underdone. You shouldhave 1 1/2 cups. Spread on a baking sheet and set aside to cool.2. Pour the warm milk into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast and sugarover the milk. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10minutes.3. In a large bowl using a whisk or in the bowl of a heavy-dutyelectric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the water,oatmeal, molasses, 1/4 c oil, and wild rice. Add the salt and 2 cupsof the bread flour. Add the yeast mixture and 3/4 cup of the sunflowerseeds; beat hard until smooth, about 1 minute. Continue to add thebread dlour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed until a softdough forms, switching to a wooden spoon when necessary if making my hand.4. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and kneaduntilk dense,

yet still quite soft and springy, 1 to 2 minutes for amachine mixed dough and 3 to 4 minutes for a hand-mixed dough, dustingwith flour only 1 tablespoon ata time, just enough as needed toprevent sticking. Place in a lightly greased deep container, turn onceto coat the top, and cover with plastic wrap. {{my note - it needs tobe big - at least 8 qts!}} Let rise at room temperature until doublein bulk, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. DO not worry if rising takes a bit longer.{{my note - pay attention though - if it's warm in your house it couldgo faster! :-)}}5. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Turn the doughout onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 3 equalportions. {{my note - I get portions anywhere from 26 to 30 oz. each,depending how much flour I've needed}} Form each portion into a roundloaf and place on the prepared sheet. Brush the tops with sunflowerseed oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let

rise until double inbulk, about 1 hour.6. About 20 minutes before baking, preheat an oven to 350*F andposition a rack in the center of the oven. {{my note - I use 2 pans,so 2 racks evenly spaced}}7. Brush {{delicately!}} the tops of the loaves with the beaten eggand sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup sunflower seeds. Bake for 40to 45 minutes, or until the loaves are browned and sound hollow whentapped with a finger. Remove from the sheet to cool on a rack."The Pleasure of Whole-Grain Breads" by Beth HenspergerNotes:I don't know if you've made bread before, so here are some notes...I usually make them a loaf shape, rather than the round (boule), butit doesn't affect anything, so make 'em the shape you like! Makesgreat dinner rolls too. I sometimes will use half white flour, halfwhole wheat.You may need more or less flour than called for. Do you have a standmixer, or will you make it by

hand? In any case, you want to end upwith a dough that is slightly tacky - sticks to your hand a little,but doesn't leave anything on you when you take your hand away afteryou've pushed on the knead.Speaking of kneading - take off any rings that have stones or sharperedges. According to the baker I worked with, some doughs can suck astone right out, particularly if the setting was loose, but in case,when you're kneading they will certainly cut the dough, which youdon't want. Plus, they get all dirty...I know in step 3 it says to add the flour half a cup at a time.... butit still works perfectly fine if you add the flour in about 3 portions(rather than the 10 or 11 you be doing if you added only 1/2 c at a time!)I usually try to make the liquids about 110*F, as that's what we usedin the bakery when I worked there, and it never killed the yeast.If you can find "instant yeast" (say, Sam's club? They come

invacuum-pack blocks like coffee? - You can get a pound or twoinexpensively, and keep it in the freezer. It will last a very longtime (ie, I made yesterday's bread from yeast the supposedly expiredin 2003.) Also, with instant yeast, you can skip the proofing step(the adding yeast to liquid and watching it foam) - instead you needto add it directly to the flour, not the liquid. Make sure you addwhatever liquid was needed for the proofing in with the other liquids.If you measure out the oil first, then use the same cup for themolasses, it will slide right out. I use about 1/4 c of the molasses,as I only have blackstrap (high in calcium & iron!), not light.I always end up with more rice than it says, even though I use 1 c asspecified. I put 2 cups into the dough, and the rest is great mixedwith green peas and a nice vinaigrette, served cold for lunch... :-)Regular rolled oats are fine too, if you don't have

quick.About half the time I forget to do the egg glaze/seeds on top. Don'tworry about it if you forget too. It still tastes yummy and looksgood, even without the seeds on top! :-)You can halve this recipe if you want 2 small loaves, or just make thewhole thing, and when they are half-baked, leave one in the oven tofinish baking, take 2 out and cool them, then double wrap and freeze.After you finish the first loaf, take one out of the freezer andfinish baking it (from frozen, not thawed) til the color is good andit sounds hollow when you thump the bottom, about 20 minutes??... ifyou're not sure about it, you can stick a metal thermometer in thebottom (so the mark doesn't show), and the internal temp should beabout 190*F when it's done."In the present position of the planets, it's impossible to say;Just when I'll find my course again, with the boulders in my way.I should be rolling down the skyway on my cosmic wheels;Instead of stumbling down this highway on my boots of steel"Source: Cosmic Wheels by Donovan

[Guest guest]

> Thank Amy, this does sound wonderful. I will try this. I have

> everything but the milk on hand. Hugs, Donna

 

This is my favorite loaf. One word of warning however: as is, the

recipe makes 3 large loaves, so be prepared for that. I remember one

time I made it, was the same day after my twin sister and I did our

first triathlon (last year). She came to FL and we did the tri, and

we were planning the next day to go to NY to visit family, and Ihad

promised this bread. I started the dough when we got home from the

tri, set a timer for the rising, and took a nap (we all did).

Needless to say I was so exhausted I didn't hear the timer... the

dough rose & rose and exploded out of the bucket (I use a container

with a lid, rather than using plastic wrap and having to throw it out

after one use)!