This adaptable recipe is made with very long rising times to develop the flavor of the yeast and the wheat. It's chewy, dense, and really delicious.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
- 2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. wheat germ
- 1/2 tsp. dry yeast
- 1-1/2 cups warm milk
Preparation:
Mix the dry ingredients, except for the yeast, in a large bowl. Mix together the yeast with the warm water or milk. Add to the dry ingredients, mix well, then knead the dough for 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Roll the dough in flour, put it in a warm bowl and leave at room temperature 3-4 hours - and go about your business.
Whenever you happen to get home, punch down the dough, knead it again, roll in flour and let rise again until it's convenient - another 2-3 hours.
Sometime later, punch the dough down, give it a final kneading, shape into a baguette bread shape, slash the top with a sharp knife, brush with some water and let rise another 30-50 minutes. Bake it at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until brown and the bread loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Makes 1 loaf
