by James Beard
¾ cup warm milk (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar, more or less to taste
2¼ cups boiling water
2 cups quick-cooking oats
3½ cups whole-wheat flour, either 100% whole-wheat graham or hand-milled whole wheat
¾ cup dark molasses
1½ tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon salt
3½ cups all-purpose flour
Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and add the sugar. Let the yeast proof. In a large mixing bowl pour boiling water over the oatmeal and whole wheat (only if you are using home-ground whole-wheat flour; if using commercially ground, add it later, with the all-purpose flour), and stir well. Allow to cool to about 98°. Warm the molasses, butter, and salt together in a saucepan, and add to the grain mixture. Then add the milk-yeast mixture, and stir with a heavy spoon or wooden spatula. Gradually add the all-purpose flour, reserving 1 cup for kneading, and if you have not used home-ground whole wheat, also add the whole-wheat flour. Mix this in very, very well with your hands because it is going to be a heavy dough. Cover with a cloth, place in a warm, draft-free spot or over hot water, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk. Remove to a floured board and knead lightly, using additional flour if the dough seems sticky. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 to 12 minutes. Divide into two pieces, form two loaves, and place in 9 × 5 × 3-inch buttered pans. Again let dough rise in a warm spot, until doubled in bulk. Bake in a 350° oven for 1 hour. Remove the loaves from the pans and place them back in the oven to dry out slightly. Then cool on racks.
VARIATION
2 packages active dry yeast
1⅛ cups warm milk (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1⅞ cups boiling water
4 cups quick-cooking oats
5 cups whole-wheat flour, either home ground or the commercial 100%
¾ cup dark molasses
1½ tablespoons butter or margarine
2¼ teaspoons to 1 tablespoon salt
Proceed exactly as directed in the master recipe. The kneading will be more difficult, and the bread will not be quite as smooth. However, it is an interesting, pleasant-tasting loaf.
Norwegian Whole-Wheat Bread
Taught in the Norwegian Government School for Domestic Science Teachers in Oslo, this recipe makes a very dense, coarse bread full of honest flavor, and it slices nicely. The dough will be stiff and difficult to knead, but I am sure you will find the results worth your labors.
[2 free-form loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
4 cups warm milk (100° to 115°, approximately)
8 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups fine rye flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-2 tablespoons salt
Cornmeal
In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in ½ cup of the warm milk. Allow to proof. Add the remaining milk, and gradually beat or stir in the three flours and the salt to make a firm dough. Remove the dough to a well-floured board and knead 10 to 12 minutes. (It is going to be hard to work, as I have warned.) When you have a satiny, elastic dough, form it into a ball. Place in a well-buttered bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down, turn out on a floured board, and knead again for 2 or 3 minutes. Cut into two equal pieces. Sprinkle one very large baking sheet or two small ones with a bit of cornmeal. Shape the dough into round loaves, and place them on the baking sheet or sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, which will take as long as 2 hours, because this is a firm-textured bread. (I like to slash a cross in the loaves before baking, which allows them to rise more freely and gives them a handsome look.) Bake in a preheated oven at 375° degrees for about an hour, or until the loaves sound hollow when you tap them with your knuckles. Cool thoroughly before slicing. This bread cuts beautifully and will remain fresh for quite a while if wrapped in a towel or placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Whole-Meal Bread with Potatoes
Well worth recording here, this is another of the recipes provided by the Norwegian Government School for Domestic Science Teachers. The potatoes help the bread to rise and give it a wonderful, moist texture. It’s an altogether marvelous loaf.
[2 round loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 pound potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and grated
3 cups buttermilk
1-2 tablespoons salt
6 cups whole-meal whole-wheat flour
4 cups all-purpose flour
Cornmeal (optional)
Proof the yeast in the warm water. Heat the potatoes in a heavy saucepan, with a small amount of the buttermilk, till lukewarm, then add to the yeast mixture. Then add the salt and the remainder of the buttermilk, which should also be heated until a little more than lukewarm. With your hand or a wooden spoon stir in the 10 cups of flour, a cup at a time, until you have a very firm dough. Knead until elastic and shiny, about 10 to 12 minutes, then place in a well-buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface with the butter. Cover, set in a warm, draft-free spot, and let rise until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down and knead again for 3 or 4 minutes. Shape into two round, cottage-type loaves, and place on baking sheets that have been buttered or sprinkled with a little cornmeal. Let them rise until doubled in bulk, then bake in a preheated oven at 375° for at least 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when rapped on top and bottom. Cool on racks before slicing.
Cracked-Wheat Bread
This is an interesting, crunchy, rather solid bread. It has a good moist crumb and keeps well. I particularly like it toasted and well buttered, and I find it pleasing for certain sandwiches.
[2 loaves]
½ cup fine cracked wheat
1½ cups boiling water
1 package active dry yeast
⅓ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
¼ cup softened butter or shortening
1½ tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup milk
1 cup whole-wheat flour
4 cups all-purpose flour
Cook the cracked wheat in the boiling water about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until all the water is absorbed. Dissolve the yeast in the ⅓ cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl and let proof. Stir the butter, salt, molasses, honey, and milk into the cooked cracked wheat. Cool to lukewarm, then add to the yeast mixture. With a large spoon or with one hand, start stirring in the flours, 1 cup at a time. When the dough is stiff enough to work, turn out on a floured board and knead a good 10 to 12 minutes, working in a little of the remaining flour as necessary. (The dough will retain a slightly tacky but not sticky texture.) When smooth and elastic, shape into a ball and put in a buttered bowl, turning to coat with butter. Cover, place in a warm, draft-free spot, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours. Punch down and shape into two loaves. Put in well-buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pans, cover, and let rise again until doubled in bulk, or until the dough reaches the tops of the pans. Bake in a preheated 375° oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on top and bottom. Cool on racks.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ovenstad’s Bread
I learned to make this bread in Norway, at Mrs. Ovenstad’s farm near Oslo. She bakes it twice a week, and though she resorts to heating the dough over steam for the second rising, it comes out beautifully. She is also a deft pastry cook and gardener, and loves to eat.
[2 large loaves]
2 cups boiling water
⅔ cup whole-wheat kernels (available in health food stores)
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ cup warm water (100° to 1
15°, approximately)
½ cup rye flour
½ cup whole-meal whole-wheat flour
8 cups all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups milk and water, mixed approximately half and half
Pour the boiling water over the whole-wheat kernels and let stand for an hour or two to soften. Proof the yeast and sugar together in the warm water. Combine the rye, whole-wheat, and white flours with the salt and blend well. Add the yeast mixture, the drained whole-wheat kernels, and the milk-water; knead well for 10 to 15 minutes. (Or use the electric mixer, if you have a heavy-duty model with a dough hook, and blend thoroughly.) Form the dough into a ball, and place in a well-buttered bowl, turning the dough to coat all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour. When it has risen to almost double its bulk, punch down and remove to a floured board. Knead about 10 minutes, then cut into two equal pieces. Knead each piece lightly, and form into a loaf to fit a 10 × 5 × 3-inch bread pan; or form loaves about 16 inches long and 4 inches wide and fit side by side in a pan about an inch deep. Cover and allow the dough to rise again until almost doubled in bulk, then brush with butter or water and slash each loaf two or three times with a very sharp knife or a razor blade. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for approximately 1 hour, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on top and bottom. (This bread should have a good crunchy crust, so a few moments extra cooking will not hurt it.) Remove to a rack and allow to cool before cutting.
NOTES
1. If whole-wheat kernels are not available, you can substitute ⅔ cup of Ralston or other whole-wheat cereal.
2. If you want to do the second rising quickly, as Mrs. Ovenstad did, place the pan of dough over a steaming pot of water. It will not harm the dough in any way or affect its final texture.
Graham Bread
An old recipe that I have used for many years, this makes a very nicely textured, flavorful, and interesting bread. Good baked either in loaf tins or in a free-form oval loaf, slashed with a sharp knife before baking, it is an excellent sandwich bread and a good toaster. This is a large recipe, but the bread lasts exceedingly well (and of course can be frozen); the recipe can be cut in half successfully.
[2 or 3 loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 thirteen-ounce can evaporated milk
¼ cup melted butter
2 tablespoons salt
3 cups graham flour
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in ½ cup of water in a large bowl and let proof for about 5 minutes. Combine the evaporated milk and the remaining 1½ cups water, and heat to warm. Remove from the heat and add butter and salt. Add this mixture to the yeast mixture, and blend well with a wooden spoon. Add the 3 cups of graham flour to the liquids and beat hard with the spoon or with your hand. Stir in about 3 cups of the all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, and beat well. (The dough will become sticky and the flour will be hard to incorporate.) Add enough of the remaining flour to make a firm dough, and beat until it comes away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out on a lightly floured board, and knead, using the remaining flour, until it is smooth and elastic, which will take a good 7 to 10 minutes. Shape into a ball, put into a buttered bowl, and turn to coat with butter on all sides. Cover and allow to rest in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down and divide into three pieces. Thoroughly butter three 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf tins, or two 10 × 5 × 3-inch tins. Shape the dough into loaves, arrange in the tins, cover, and let rise again until doubled in bulk. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350° and continue baking 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when removed from the pans and tapped on top and bottom with the knuckles. Cool completely on racks before slicing.
Sourdough Rye
This sourdough rye appeared in the columns of The New York Times several years ago. I tried it, made some changes in it, and discovered that it was one of the best recipes I have ever used. The bread has a nice crumb, slices well, and keeps extremely well. I enjoy it for sandwiches and find that, thinly sliced and well buttered, it’s delicious served with smoked fish and oysters or other shellfish. The recipe is large, but in this instance I find it works better with the larger amounts, particularly since you have to prepare a starter beforehand. And, of course, if the bread is too much for your larder you can freeze some of it.
[2 free-form loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
3¼ cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
6 cups all-purpose flour, approximately
2 cups rye flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1½ teaspoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Cornmeal
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Four days ahead of breadmaking, prepare the “starter.” Combine 1 package of the yeast, 2 cups warm water, and 2 cups all-purpose flour in a plastic bowl or container. Cover tightly and let stand at room temperature for 2 days. Then refrigerate for at least another day (see note below).
The day before preparing the dough, combine 1 cup of starter, the rye flour, and 1 cup warm water in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight. The next day stir down the dough and add the second package of yeast, dissolved in ¼ cup warm water, salt, caraway seeds, poppy seeds, butter, and sugar. Then add up to 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, to make a stiff but workable dough. Knead for 10 to 12 minutes, then shape into a ball. Place in a buttered bowl, turning to coat the dough with the butter. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
Punch down and divide the dough in half. Shape into two round loaves and place on buttered baking sheets generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Brush with the egg wash, and bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and the loaves sound hollow when rapped with the knuckles. Cool, covered with towels to prevent the crust from hardening.
NOTE
This will provide more starter than you need for this recipe. To keep it going, replenish with equal parts of warm water and flour, let stand again at room temperature, and then refrigerate. Continue the process each time you use some of it.
Rye Bread
A pleasant rye bread of good texture and interesting flavor. It is rather difficult to make but worth the trouble. This recipe makes two loaves in 8½ x 4½ × 2½-inch pans; or if the dough seems firm enough, it can be baked in one or two free-form loaves, in which case I would suggest letting the formed loaves rise and then very carefully inverting them (right onto hot tiles, if you have them) just before they are baked. This gives a better finished loaf.
[2 free-form or regular loaves]
1 package active dry yeast
3 tablespoons honey
¼ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 cup warm milk combined with ½ cup hot water
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 heaping tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2½ cups rye flour
3 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
¼ cup cornmeal
1 egg white, beaten lightly with 2 tablespoons water
Dissolve the yeast and honey in the warm water, and allow the mixture to proof for 4 or 5 minutes. Combine the warm milk and hot water with the softened butter and add to the yeast mixture along with the salt and caraway seeds. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When you have added about 4½ cups the dough will become difficult to stir and will be quite sticky, but continue to add the remaining flour a tablesp
oon at a time. Scrape out the dough onto a floured board, and using a baker’s scraper or a large metal spatula, scrape under the dough and flour and fold the dough over. Continue to lift and fold, and with your free hand start pressing down and away from you on these folded areas, adding more flour as needed to dust your hands and to sprinkle the board. After 2 or 3 minutes of this procedure you can eliminate the scraper. Flour both hands and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is soft, velvety, and elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a well-buttered bowl, turning to coat with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area to double in bulk, which will take from 1 to 2 hours. Punch down, turn out on a lightly floured board, and divide into two equal pieces. Let the dough rest 2 or 3 minutes, and then shape into two loaves, either free form or for well-buttered 8 × 4 × 2-inch loaf pans. If you are making free-form loaves allow them to rise, covered, on a buttered baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal until almost doubled in size, and then quickly invert them and brush with the egg white and water mixture. Otherwise, let the loaves rise, covered, in their pans until they have doubled in bulk and then brush the tops with the egg white and water mixture. Bake at 400° from 45 to 50 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped with the knuckles. Cool thoroughly on racks before slicing.
Finnish Sour Rye Bread
I find this fine-grained, well-flavored rye bread a pleasant change from other breads in its category. I enjoy it sliced paper-thin for sandwiches, such as cheese or smoked meats and fish, and I find it a delicious bread for toast. It is an excellent accompaniment to meals planned with Scandinavian overtones.
[2 free-form loaves]
3½ cups rye flour