9.19.2010

Whole Wheat Sesame Oat Bread


Dang.. I haven't pulled out the ol' Great Bread button in way too long!  I enjoy making bread, and it doesn't even bother me when it takes a long time or lots of kneading.  That being said, it's always nice to find a recipe with little effort involved, too.


Most everyone has heard of the infamous no-knead bread, yes?  It swept the nation last year (ish?) and everyone sings its praises.  I tried it ages ago, but ended up scorching one of my cast iron pots and hadn't repeated the recipe since.  Recently, as I was searching for inspiration on Tastespotting, I ended up at Kiss My Spatula, where I was reminded of the no-knead bread and decided to have another go at it.


The thing that really convinced me to try the bread again was the tip she offered- slip parchment paper under your loaf!  I was dumbfounded, and sad that I hadn't thought of it originally.  Let that be a lesson to you- use parchment!


My version is slightly altered from G's, but not too much.  I just switched it up to add a little personal flair.  Hers isn't far off from the original no-knead, so neither of us can take credit for this magical stuff.  I really like the mix of sesame seeds and steel-cut oats.  I wasn't sure if they would blend well, but the texture is excellent, and I'm sure I'll be making it again.  Husbands everywhere (definitely here) love crusty bread.  It's just science.

This isn't 100% whole wheat, but I wasn't in the mood to fiddle with the vital wheat gluten.  100% whole wheat baking is a story for another day, and we'll get to it, I promise.


And for some extra inspiration, check out these bread recipes from F&W..
Get baking!

Whole Wheat Sesame Oat Bread
(Based on Kiss My Spatula's changes to the original No-Knead Bread recipe by Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, NY Times Article, and revised articles by Cooks Illustrated and Breadtopia)

Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup steel cut oats
  • 4 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 1/4 cups bread flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp table salt or 3/4 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon wheat germ
  • 1 tablespoon wheat bran (you can use one or the other, I just had both on hand so I used the combo)
Method
Whisk flour, steel cut oats, sesame seeds, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy, sticky ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Lay 12X18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.

About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6-8 quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2 inch-deep slit along top of dough.  Sprinkle with wheat bran and wheat germ.

Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature before slicing.
 

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This post is part of a series featuring recipes from the FOOD & WINE archive.  As a FOOD & WINE Blogger Correspondent, I was chosen to do four recipes a week from FOOD & WINE.  I received a subscription to FOOD & WINE for my participation.

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