It's the bread-

So- we talked about bread and I hope you all start making some.
But- I wanted to tell you about what I did with more whole wheat and Rye.
I do like a good stout bread. It runs in the family. My father hated- pasty white loaf bread. He thought of it as the down fall of civilization as we know it. He referred to it as " library paste."
With that in mind... I like the base recipe but I like a good stout bread- yes, I said it again!
So here is what I did-
I had only 3 1/2 cups of bread flour left in the house.
So I did the water, yeast, salt per the recipe below and then added one package or organic instant oats. and the bread flour.
I then used equal parts of wheat and rye until I had the Constancy of the sticky dough - per the recipe below.
I have to tell you again I don't measure exactly by the recipe.
Well- I do and then I add a Tbs. at a time if I think it needs more dry-.
I go by feel and how it pulls away from the bowl.
I then set the dough to rise on the counter and proceeded as the recipe below- I baked loaf one after 3 days and the next two about day five.
Because of the wheat and rye I thought day 3 the best for baking- day five the loaves split a bit around the edges. And- note it takes at least 10 minutes longer to bake.
Now taste- it was wonderful- I really liked this bread and so did my mother and my sister Lee.
So there!
Mark, he likes them all and is happy to have the bread to eat!

Bread

It's time to talk about bread.
My first loaf of bread could have saved the world- that's a big statement- but- it was dense and "hard as a brick".
My sweet husband let me know if a war broke out we could lob the bread at the enemy and win the war.
Well- I am always up for a challenge and this sounded like one to me.
It was 1974ish when I started looking for good bread recipes and what made good bread.

First off I had to discover good flours and second off we did not yet live in the age of "yeast" as we know it now. It needed to be "pampered"- Proofed to make sure you did not make a fully packed- uneatable brick.
I worked on and learned to make bread- I scaled the milk, proofed the yeast, had a sourdough and learned about sponge. I made all the family bread for years. My kids knew other kids ate bread from a loaf, but that was rare in this house.
Meanwhile I also raised goats, pigs and rabbits.
Then there was pottery- which took over our lives and soon I was not making bread but pots- I was given a bread machine. I tried it and thought the bread a bit "unexciting".

I used it to make the dough and did the final rise in the pan and baked in the oven.
Then- my son grew up and started making his own bread.
But- Mom all I use is water, four, salt and yeast.


It was falling on deaf ears- Yea, yea yea----
Mom I want you to "watch" me bake bread- okay, I said- humor the boy.
Well I did and it was simple and good!


Then within weeks Tom Gray hand deliver a loaf of his bread.
And it was GOOD as well- better then most of the breads I had slaved away on.


One afternoon at his kitchen table- a borrow book and I was on my own.
That was early January. I have not looked back.
Since then all the bread is coming from the kitchen.


Here is the base:
3 cups of water room temp
1 and 1/2 TBS. yeast
1 TBS. salt
1 cup whole wheat or 1 cup rye
5 and 1/2 cups good bread or all purpose flour

the down and dirty on mixing- I use my Kitchen aid mixer.
Throw in water- yeast salt and 1 cup flour- add 1 cup at a time holding back on adding too much. If you are truly into it you can weigh out the measurements. I gave this up for look and touch.
The dough is damp and sticky.


Place it all in a 14-16 cup container and leave it on the counter to rise for at least 2-3 hours. Burp a corner of the lid and leave it not on tight!
After the rise knock down the sides and place in the refrigerator.
Leave it for about 3 days if you can. The dough will still rise but start to go dormant.
Pull your container out- place some flour on the counter and flour up your hands. Take out one third .

Now I am handing you over to a site which explains it all!
I just found this one:
Cheap like me

Follow their instructions on baking day

Now- I don't use the dutch oven- I use the broiler pan in the bottom of the oven with a cast iron griddle, which I love and bought just to bake the bread and it was worth every penny I paid for it.

I let the dough rise- preheat to 450 degrees- throw in 1 cup water and bake 25-30 minutes.
I take the temperature of the bread the last 2 minutes and take the bread to 205 inside-.
Cool before slicing - do this!
this bread is better if you cool it.

Next I am going to tell you how I am beefing up this recipe adding more grain and oats- but not today I have to go make pots!

Granola

Granola is one of those things I make off and on- when I remember, when I am in the mood- when Mark reminds me I know how.
This is one of those things which is worth the effort after it is all over.
Especially if you go price this stuff in the store.
Here is the whole recipe - but you can throw in anything you want just remember 6 cups dry to 1 cup wet.
My old tried and true Recipe:
Mix all the dry in a big pottery bowl-
Chop up in a variety of forms:
1 cup walnuts
1 cup cashews
1/3 cup almonds
add:
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup coconut
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3-4 cups oats

mix all the wet in a big measuring cup
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

add wet to dry with a big spoon and mix well.
Dump onto a cookie sheet- or two if you need the room and bake at 250- for 30 minutes.
Stir after 15- keep a close eye after 25-
add dried fruit of your choice in the last 2 minutes- just to warm it and blend in.
BECAUSE you do not want to burn the dried fruit- trust me.