No-Knead Multigrain Whole Wheat Bread

Behold!  This is one scrumptious loaf of goodness.

Here's what a slice of this
yummy bread looks like.

Recipe from Artisan Bread with Steve 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 1 Loaf

I’m thinking this is my favorite no-knead bread.  Because it’s no-knead, it’s a cinch to make.  Though this bread is VERY easy to make, you must plan to begin the day before serving.

16 oz. cool water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon yeast (Instant Yeast or Active Dry Yeast)
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (I use a mix of sesame seeds and black sesame seeds.)
1 Tablespoon flax meal (or flax seeds)
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups bread flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup old fashioned oats (I’ve also made this using quick-cooking oats.)
¼ cup old fashioned oats for the second rise
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (optional for second rise)

Place the water, salt, yeast, sesame seeds, flax meal into a large bowl and give it a quick stir.  Add the 2 cups bread flour, the 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour and then the ½ cup oats on top of the flour.  Stir until the dough forms a shaggy ball scraping the sides of the bowl as you stir.  Stir until the flour is absorbed and scraping the sides of the bowl as you stir.
Cover with plastic wrap (I like to use a shower cap for this.) and allow to sit on the counter for 8-24 hours. (I think it’s best to allow the dough to sit for the full 24 hours.)
Remove the plastic wrap.  Spray an 8 ½” X 4 ½” loaf pan*** with cooking spray.  
Stir the dough to deflate.  Scrape the sides of the bowl clean.  Sprinkle the dough the ¼ cup old fashioned oats and the sesame seeds, if using. Stir so that the dough ball is covered with the extra oats and sesame seeds. Roll the dough into the loaf pan.  
Cover with another loaf pan turned upside down onto the loaf pan with the dough.  Use binder clips to clip the loaf pans together creating a “poor man’s Dutch oven.”  
Allow the dough to rise again for 30-60 minutes.  (If your home is cool, like it might be in the winter, it may take a full 60 minutes for it to rise.  If your home is warm, like it might be in summer, the dough may only take 30 minutes or so.)
As the dough is rising, move the oven rack to the lower third of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  
Bake for 40 minutes with the top on and 3-15 minutes with the top off to finish (browning) the crust.  
The bread is done when the internal temperature is 190F.  Remove the bread from the pan onto a cooling rack.  Cool completely before slicing.  (If you slice it too soon, the bread will be gummy and doughy inside.)

***Because I was baking more than one loaf of bread, I placed the dough into an 8” diameter springform pan.  Then, I covered it with an upside down 8” cake pan for the “poor man’s Dutch oven.”  I didn’t use any clips.  I just rested the upside down cake pan on top. The loaf turned out beautifully and it was round!

No-Knead Honey (or Maple) Oatmeal Bread

Recipe from Artisan Bread with Steve 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 1 Loaf

This bread is just fantastic.  It not only tastes great, but it has a nice chew, perfect for a sandwich or to serve along side a hot bowl of soup or stew.  It is the easiest bread in the world to make, so it's ideal for beginner bakers.  

16 oz. cool water

1 ½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon yeast (Instant Yeast or Active Dry Yeast)

1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup (Using maple syrup will make this loaf vegan.)

3 ½ cups bread flour

1 cup Old fashioned oats 

¼ cup old fashioned oats for the second rise

3 Tablespoons bread flour for the second rise

Place all ingredients in a large bowl except the additional ¼ cup oats.  Stir until the flour is absorbed and scraping the sides of the bowl as you stir.

Cover with plastic wrap (I like to use a shower cap for this.) and allow to sit on the counter for 8-24 hours. (I think it’s best for flavor to allow the dough to sit for the 24 hours.)

Remove the plastic wrap.  Spray an 8 ½” X 4 ½”loaf pan*** with cooking spray.  

Stir the dough to deflate.  Scrape the sides of the bowl clean.  Sprinkle the dough the ¼ cup old fashioned oats. Stir so that the dough ball is covered with the extra oats. Sprinkle the dough with the 3 Tablespoons of bread flour and stir until the sides of the bowl are clean.  Dump the dough into the loaf pan.  

Cover with another loaf pan turned upside down onto the loaf pan with the dough.  Use binder clips to clip the loaf pans together creating a “poor man’s Dutch oven.”  

Allow the dough to rise again for 30-60 minutes.  As the dough is rising, move the oven rack to the lower third of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  

Bake for 35-40 minutes with the top on and 3-15 minutes with the top off to finish (browning) the crust.  

The bread is done when the internal temperature is 190F.  Remove the bread from the pan onto a cooling rack.  Cool completely before slicing.  (If you slice it too soon, the bread will be doughy inside.)

***Because I was baking more than one loaf of bread, I placed the dough into an 8” diameter springform pan.  Then, I covered it with an upside down 8” cake pan for the “poor man’s Dutch oven.”  I didn’t use any clips.  I just rested the upside down cake pan on top. The loaf turned out beautifully and it was round!

Bulgur Wheat Loaf

Recipe from Pillsbury Soups, Stews and Oven Lovin’ Breads

Makes 1 large loaf (17 slices)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This loaf has the soft texture of a white bread, but it has whole-wheat and bulgur wheat in the mix, so it’s a bit more healthful.  It’s perfect with a bowl of hot soup or as toast for breakfast or as a sandwich bread for your lunch box.

¾ cup water

½ cup bulgur wheat

2¼ to 2½ cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons brown sugar or Sucanat

1 to 1½ teaspoons Kosher salt

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup water heated to 120-130F

¼ cup oil (I used canola.)

1 cup whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons water

1 egg or 1 egg white

1 teaspoon bulgur wheat

Bring ¾ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from heat and add ½ cup bulgur.  Let stand 25 minutes. Drain off any water.  Keep covered and set aside. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.  In a large bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, yeast, 1 cup hot water (120-130F) and oil; beat at low speed until moistened.  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.   By hand, stir in bulgur mixture, whole-wheat flour, and additional 1 cup all-purpose flour to form a stiff dough.  On a floured surface, knead in ¼ - ½ cup all-purpose flour until the dough is elastic, about 5 minutes. (You can also do the kneading using a mixer with a dough hook.) Place in a greased bowl; turn greased side up.  Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and cloth towel.  Let rise in warm place (80-85F) until light and doubled in size, about 45 minutes.  Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles.  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.  Heat oven to 375F.  Uncover dough.  With a very sharp knife, cut a ½ inch slash across the top of the loaf.  In a small bowl, whisk egg (or egg white) with 2 teaspoons water.  Brush over the top of the loaf; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon bulgur, if desired.  Bake at 375F for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped.  Remove from the cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutritional Info:  (per 1 of 17 slices) 150 calories; 4 g protein; 24 g carbohydrates; 2.3 grams fiber; 4 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 130 mg sodium; 75 mg potassium

Maple Oatmeal Bread

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 1 (9” x 5”) Loaf

This bread makes delicious toast.  We loved the texture and the slightly sweet flavor from the bit of maple syrup and honey. 

1¼ cups boiling water

¼ cup rolled oats

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

2 Tablespoons maple syrup or molasses

2 Tablespoons honey

2¼ teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast

3 to 3¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup dry milk

¾ cup almond flour

In a large mixing bowl, pour the boiling water over the oats, butter, salt, maple syrup (or molasses) and honey.  Let the mixture cool to lukewarm (90°F to 100°F).

Add the yeast, 3 cups of the flour, the dry milk and the almond flour and mix until a soft dough forms.

Knead the dough, adding the remaining ¼ cup flour if needed, until smooth and elastic, 8 minutes or so.  Cover and let rise for 1 hour, until puffy.

Deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased 9” x 5” loaf pan.  Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes or until it’s crowned about 1 inch above the rim of the pan.

Halfway through the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

When the bread has risen, sprinkle the top with flour or oats and slash in a decorative pattern.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the center reads 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before tilting out of the pan and returning to the rack to finish cooling completely.

Store, covered for up to 5 days at room temperature.  Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutritional Info: (1 or 16 slices) 145 calories; 4 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 0 g trans fats; 4 mg cholesterol; 184 mg sodium; 24 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 4 g sugars; 4 g protein