Mom’s Big Bread Round-up

You know it is spring, because the blog has stood still for a long while now. The slow lead up is actually full of the planting and preparing before things begin to come forth. Then, as the temperatures rise, so do the tasks. Did I mention I already have tomatoes setting fruit? Yep, it has been one of those warm, wet springs. 

The longer I cook, the more evident that seasons become. I’m not sure that I intentionally cook for specific seasons, but the choices and the modes of cooking are so evident with the changing of the months. With winter, dinners were prepped in the morning and slow roasted, paired with loaves of bread. Already, I am flipping back in my planner and journal trying to remember my “quick dinner” options. Already, we are dreading the return back into the house at sunset, hoping for an hour more. Spring and summer are grilled, with bread. 

Bread is the common denominator. Especially if you are in the toddler stage of inconsistent eating, it is bread and milk before bed, just in case. I’ve been making bread for ten years now (and it’s humorous to me that I am old enough to say phrases like this), and have settled on a handful of family favorites. Different seasons have created different rhythms and needs, but sourdough has melded into all of them thus far. Consistently, we eat a bread product (bagel, English muffin, toast, etc.) for breakfast, many sandwiches for lunch and potentially bread for dinner. Mom feels much better about carbs and gut health when she gets the chance to long ferment the dough and/or grind whole wheat berries. She’s also grateful for the miracle of active dry yeast. All in all, what comes from your wooden spoons is best.

So let’s talk it all: our favorite, constantly repeated recipes, my starter method, how loaves are shaped, and some Q+A in between!

Our Favorite, Most Tried and True Recipes:

FOR ARTISAN LOAVES (makes 2 loaves)

Clever Carrot

300g water

50g starter

500g all purpose

10g salt

1.  Begin by mixing together water and starter. 
2. Add flour and salt and knead until combined and shaggy. Allow to rest for 30 mins. 
3. Stretch and fold until the dough appears smooth. Allow to rest for 8-12 hours at room temperature or 12-24 in a fridge. 
4. Preheat a dutch oven in a 450F oven. Shape your dough. 
5. Bake for 25 mins with lid on, remove lid and allow to bake 20-25 additional minutes. 

FOR FRESH GROUND FLOUR

The Seasonal Homestead

700g water

200g starter

600g fresh ground flour (like spelt or hard white)

400g all purpose

70g water + 30g salt

1. Begin by mixing together water and starter. 

2. Add in flours and combine. Allow to rest for 1 hour. 

3. Combine 70g of water with 30g salt and add to dough mixture. Allow to rest for 2 hours. 

4. Stretch and fold, and allow to rest for 2 hours. 

5. Stretch and fold, and allow to rest for 2 hours.  

6. Divide into 2 loaves and place in the fridge for 12-18 hours. I combine 1 TB of flour with 1TB of rice flour and dust a dish towel that lines a basket or banneton for each loaf. 

7. At this point, decide how you will bake: 

Artisan loaf: 30 min at 450F

Sandwich loaf: 45 min at 350F

FOR SANDWICH LOAVES

Venison for Dinner

1 ¼ c water

½ c sourdough starter

2 TB honey

2 TB oil (we use olive oil!)

1 ½ tsp salt

3 ½ c all purpose flour

1. Begin by combining water with starter. 
2. Add the honey and oil and combine. 
3. Add the flour and salt, and knead for 5 mins in a stand mixture with a dough hook or 10 mins by hand. 
4. Allow to rise for 12 hours at room temperature or 18-24 in the fridge.
5. Shape the dough and place in loaf pan. Allow to rise for 1 hour. 
6. Bake for 25 mins at 450F, turn and allow to bake for 20 more mins.

FOR INSTANT YEAST (makes 2 loaves)

The Prairie Homestead 

1c rolled oats

½ c maple syrup

1/4 c unsalted butter

1TB honey

2 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2c boiling water

1 TB active dry yeast

5 ½ c all-purpose flour

1. Begin by combining oats, syrup, butter (cubed), honey, salt and cinnamon. 
2. Add the boiling water and let sit for 15 mins. 
3. Add the yeast and flour, kneading for 5 min with a stand mixer dough hook or 10 min by hand. 
4. Let rise for 1 hour at room temperature. 
5. Divide into two loaves, shape and place into a greased loaf pan. Allow to rest for 1 hour. 
6. Bake for 40 mins at 350F, then turn and bake 15 mins more. 

How to make starter:

You can always start sourdough with a starter passed along from a friend. This is how I started, but the starter is long dead by now. And, starting a new starter wasn’t as hard as I thought it might be! You can begin by weighing out (see below) 60g of water with 60g of flour. Combine thoroughly and allow to sit for 24 hours. The next day, remove about half of the mixture and re-add an additional 60g of water and 60g of flour. Allow to sit for 24 hours a second time. Day three, you ‘should’ see a few small bubbles. You may need to continue this process twice more, but if you see bubbles, switch to 100g water and 100g of flour. After day 4, your starter should be ready to use!

Day 1: 60g water + 60g flour

Day 2: Remove ½ of mixture, add 60g water + 60g flour

Day 3: Remove ½ of mixture, add 60g water + 60g flour

Day 4: Check for bubbles, feed 100g water + 100g flour. (If no bubbles, continue 60/60 for 2 more days)

Day 5: Bake!

How to shape your loaves: 

I typically only shape my bread into sandwich loaves or rounds. 

For sandwich, flour a countertop and slightly stretch dough into a rectangle. Fold the top edge down to the middle, fold left to middle, right to middle and bottom up over the top. Place the loaf in seam side down. 

For artisan, follow the same steps. Place the seam on the counter with very little flour, and place your cupped hands on the far side of the dough. Pull towards you, and around to the right. Repeat about 5-6 times until the dough feels taught to the touch. Place seam sides up in floured baskets for final rise!

Q+A on Bread and Beyond: 

Where do we buy our wheat berries?

Hard white and hard red wheat: Grains from the Plains, CO

Einkorn: Azure Standard, or Thrive Market via Jovial Foods

Things you need and things you don’t:

Things you need: 

1. Scale
2. Bread basket
3. Tea towel
4. High quality salt
5. Dutch oven 

Things you don’t: 

1. Bread whisk
2. Bannetons

If you need something sweet to top your bread with, check out our quick strawberry jam recipe! Need something savory, try spring favorite garlic scape pesto. 

Which recipe is your favorite? Feel free to let us know!