For Healthy Loaves of Bread, Here's the Perfect Recipe

July 14, 2005

By Avi Green

For another food recipe that I occasionally like to publish, I've got one for baking health bread. So here's a good one for some healthy loaves.

2 cups milk, scalded
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons dry active yeast
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy oil
4 teaspoons sea salt
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon bone meal (optional)
1 tablespoon potato flour (optional)
1 tablespoon non-fat dry milk solids (optional)
1 tablespoon lecithin (optional)
4 1/2 cups unbleached white flour, approximately

Next up, here's how to mix it all in:

1. Combine the milk and cold water. Measure one half of the liquid mixture into a small bowl and add the sugar and ginger. stir well. Add the yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. To the balance of the milk mixture, add the molasses, oil and salt. Beat a few seconds and then add to the yeast mixture.
3. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, bone meal, potato flour, dry milk and lecithin.
4. Combine the yeast mixture and the whole wheat flour mixture and beat throughly by hand for four minutes or with an electric mixer at medium speed. (This is instead of kneading.)
5. Work in enough of the unbleached flour so that the dough leaves the sides of the bowl clean. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
6. Punch down. Divide the dough into three pieces. Shape each piece into a loaf and fit into an oiled 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to about 400 degrees.
8. Bake loaves for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees and bake 35 to 45 minutes longer or until done. When it's done, the loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Yields three loaves.

So there's the recipe for health bread loaves, and I certainly hope you'll enjoy them, everybody. Good summer to all.

Copyright 2005 Avi Green. All rights reserved.

Home FAQ Columns Reviews Links Favorite Characters Special Features Politics Blog Comics Blog Food Blog