My Favorite Whole Grain Bread

In the past, I've been pretty content just having a decent whole wheat bread recipe and my trusty white roll recipe. But lately I've felt a little more adventurous and have been kneading up different recipes by hand instead of with my mixer--feeling the therapeutic power of kneading. I also bought some rye, ground it up and added that to a country loaf I learned at Heidi's neighborhood bread class. So, though I still like my recipe binders relatively simple, I keep finding bread recipes I want to try--and I'm learning a few tricks and getting a better feel for how much flour and kneading the dough needs. For instance, did you know that it's okay to put less yeast in your bread and let it just rise for a longer time--then you get less yeast taste and a different texture? And bread still rises in the fridge--just at a slower rate.

At the bread class, we did the country loaf I mentioned (and I don't think she has it on her site, so I will post a simplified version here after making it on my own one more time) and this whole grain sandwich bread. When I brought home the whole grain bread I tried a slice, liked the flavor a lot, and then forgot about it in my fridge for a day or two (because we enjoyed the country loaf that night with dinner). When I remembered the whole grain bread I got it out and it was still moist and dense and yum (this is a big deal for homemade wheat bread!). So, I've found a favorite whole grain bread, though it isn't 100% whole wheat.

Try it out. I let it raise a little longer in the pans and my cooking time is a little less than she states. You can find molasses at a whole foods store for less than at the grocery store.

Here are some others I want to try. It looks like this would be another great alternative (like the popovers) when you don't have a lot of time to spare before dinnertime: skillet bread. And I'll have to try this sometime because I've loved a similar rosemary foccacia at my favorite Italian restaurant. Heidi also has tons of sweet breads that look heavenly. Her orange rolls are next on my list to try.