Do You Have a Bread Machine?

Mike and I have been trying to eat a lot healthier these days.  That's one of the purposes of this blog...  I've been searching for a healthy whole wheat recipe for my bread machine and I think I've finally found one.  We still buy "store" bread, but whenever possible, I whip up a batch of this and slice it with my electric knife, and we are set for a week of delectable bread eating.

The original recipe, which I will also share, came from kingarthourflour.com.  I've added my changes in red.

100% Whole Wheat Bread for the Bread Machine

The following recipe is one we worked out for the Zojirushi.  It makes a firm, sweet loaf of golden bread.  It shouldn't be hard adapting it to your own machine; all you need to know is what proportion of flour/liquid/yeast your machine functions best with.  Take a look a the dough after it's kneaded for about 10 to 12 minutes or so; it should be smooth, not sticky (too little flour) or lumpy (too little liquid), forming a nice ball.  If the dough looks good at this point, you're probably all set.

For a 1/12 pound bread machine:

1 1/4 cups water (1 bottle of beer)
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
3 to 3 1/2 cups King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat or Traditional Whole Wheat flour
1/4 cup sunflower, sesame, or flax seeds, or a combination (I mix it up.  Sometimes I use flax seed, sometimes 10 grain cereal, sometime both.  Yesterday I added wheat germ.  And I use more than 1/4 cup.)
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use just a dash, but don't skip completely.  Bread machines need the salt for leavening purposes.)
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Put all of the ingredients into the bread pan in the order listed.  Program for basic bread and press start.

A whole loaf of bread from the bread machine.

This recipe CAN be made by hand.  So if you're adventurous, here are the steps you need to follow:

Mix the water, oil and sweetener in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, seeds, gluten, salt, and yeast; add to the liquids gradually, stirring until the dough holds together.  Knead on a floured surface until smooth and just slightly tacky--about 8 to 10 minutes.  Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1/12 hours.  Punch down the dough and shape it to fit a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan.  Let it rise until double , about 1 to 1/12 hours.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes, or until a digital thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 190 degrees fahrenheit.   Remove the bread from the oven, remove it from the pan, and cool on a rack.

Well, so much work! I don't think I'd be game for that any more.

Bread sliced with an electric knife.

The electric knife that Mike got me for Christmas in our early marriage, sat unused and forlorn for many years.  One day when I was cleaning the cupboard I spied the box and took a look.  The original packaging showed someone slicing bread with the knife.  Whoever would have thought? It's been an indispensable item  ever since.  It slices clean and true and the slices look like store-bought.

Some Amazing Recipes

Some time off from work and a visit from our daughter requires some cooking.  So for a late birthday celebration, I made my favorite cake (a vegan number ).  I first found this recipe when Carrie was doing vegan some years ago.  And yes, it's my favorite cake.  Rich, dark chocolate, with lots of flavor.  It's moist and you wouldn't know it doesn't have eggs unless you see the recipe.

Our beautiful daughter with her "late" birthday cake.

I found this recipe on the ppk.com.  It's a vegan recipe database.  It was submitted by Isa.  Who I presume to be Isa Chandra Moskowitz--a very prominent vegan cookbook author.

Give this a try before you poo poo it.  I make this regularly for birthday celebrations.  Enjoy.

Rich Chocolate Cake

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  Recipe says 25 minutes.  I have to bake at least 40 minutes to get a toothpick to come out clean.
Makes: 12 slices

From author:  Well the name says it all.  This is the richest chocolate cake around.  To make it a two layer cake, multiply the ingredients by one half and divide into two separate springform pans.  If you don't have springform pans, cover the bottom of cake pan in parchment paper or it will stick.

Equipment:
springform pan, two good sized bowls, a whisk, a saucepan

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain soy milk
1/2 cup oil (I used grape seed)
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Sift together flours and baking powder and baking soda.
• In a saucepan heat the soy milk on low-medium heat.  When it's slightly bubbling, add the cocoa powder and whisk well until it is dissolved.  Removed from heat.
• Combine the other liquid ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.  Add the cocoa mixture and combine.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool completely and frost with your favorite frosting.

Vegan Chocolate Frosting

(Which also happens to be my favorite.)

This came from wegweb.com.  Author is Wally.

For ingredients use vegan versions or whatever you have on hand.  It will not be vegan if ingredients are not vegan.

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

4 tablespoons soy milk

1/2 cup cocoa powder

dash of salt

Directions:

Margarine should be at room temperature when being placed in mixing bowl.  (I used my stand mixer.) Blend margarine until a little mushy, and then add powered sugar, salt, vanilla, chocolate, and soy milk. You can add more soy milk (gradually) if you like a smoother icing.  (I use four tablespoons and that seems to be about perfect.)  Beat with mixer until a very creamy consistency.

Spread on cake and enjoy.  This makes a huge amount of frosting, so you can save for frosting cookings or brownies.

This has just the right amount of sweetness.  Not so sweet that you can't stand it.