Whole grain bread

Fresh baked bread. Yummy! My brother shared this recipe with me. It's very adaptable depending on the ingredients that the baker has on hand. My favorite commercial bread that we buy includes sprouted grains. I didn't have the patience to wait and let them soak a few days, but I decided to try adding cooked wheat berries and purple barley.

As it finished baking, I was just keeping my fingers crossed that it would taste okay, because the house had that wonderful fresh bread smell.

The bread had a really nice flavor and texture except that the barley was a little too chewy (even crunchy for those kernels on the outside). I would experiment again with the cooked grains, but probably soak them longer next time.

Sam's better bread

Part I

2 1/2 c scalded milk

1/4 c oil

6 T molasses (or other sweetening honey, brown sugar)

1/4 c warm water

1 T yeast

3/4 c rye flour (from Open Oak CSA)

2 c Red Fife wheat flour (from Lonesome Whistle CSA)

1 c white flour

Scald milk, then let it cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add molasses and oil to cooling milk. When milk cooled, add in yeast mixture. Stir in flour until thick. Mix on medium/high in mixer for 10 minutes. Let rise 50-60 minutes.

Part II

2 T salt

1/4 c dry purple barley cooked (1/2 c cooked) (from Lonesome Whistle CSA)

1/4 c dry wheat berries cooked (1/2 c cooked) (from Open Oak CSA)

2 c Red Fife wheat flour (from Lonesome Whistle CSA)

2 c white flour

Cook purple barley and wheat berries together on stove top with 3:1 water ratio until soft and water is absorbed. Switch mixer to dough hook. Fold in salt. Fold in flour and mix until dough comes away from the bowl. Transfer to oiled bowl. Let rise 50-60 minutes.

Punch down. Divide into two, shape, and transfer to prepared bread pans. Let rise 50-60 minutes.

Bake 350F for 50-60 minutes.