Brown BreadBread is definitely the staple of medieval life. The bread of yesteryear was not the same as the fluffy confectionery we have today, however. Their bread did not include, could not have included, the soft white flour we know of as bread flour. Bread flour, as we purchase at the grocery store, is a thoroughly modern invention. Still, it makes for a delicious loaf that everyone will love! Done right, this will create a loaf that is edible and light, but has a lovely rustic look to it, suitable for all but the most historically accurate tables.
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Ingredients:
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In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the water, yeast, sugar, olive oil, salt, and the 2 cups of bread flour. Use a whisk to mix together well. The water should be slightly warmer than skin temperature, but not hot. Allow the batter to sit until slightly bubbly (about 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the temperature and moisture of the room).
Using either a stand mixer with a bread hook, or a wooden spoon, add in the remaining four cups of flour (2 cups whole wheat and 2 cups all purpose). The last cup or so should be added in very slowly, and you may not use all of it. Mix with your wooden spoon until you just can't anymore, and then knead by hand. If you're using the stand mixer and bread hook, add in a quarter cup of flour at a time until the dough forms into a tight ball.
Your finished dough will take anywhere from 5 minutes (with the stand mixer) to 20 minutes (by hand) to form up. The finished dough should have a slightly tacky feel to it, and if you grasp it or stick a finger gently into the mass, it should spring back almost immediately. Place the finished dough back into a lightly oiled bowl (you can use the mixing bowl if you like, provided there isn't a lot of loose flour in it). Let the dough rise until doubled in size, anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours.
If your house is very cold (like mine!), use a big box over the top of your bowl. I have a plant mat (a low heat mat that is meant to encourage root growth in seedlings) that I place under a cooling rack, and then I put my bowl of dough on top of that. I cover the dough bowl with a plastic grocery bag, but you can also use saran wrap, wax paper, tin foil, or any number of other coverings. The optimal temperature for rising this kind of dough is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the dough has risen, uncover it and punch it down. Pull it free of the sides of the bowl and place it on a clean, flat surface. Formica countertops work wonderfully, or a warmed granite board will also work. Knead the dough for a few seconds, and then cut it in half. Set half aside, covered.
Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough until it is about a quarter to half inch thick, even, and about the width of the loaf pan you'll be baking in. Fold over the edge nearest you to provide a straight line across, roll the dough a little to make sure it's got no major bubbles, and then begin to roll the dough toward you, from the top edge. Press gently with fingers and palms as you roll, so that you don't leave any air bubbles inside between the layers. Once you have the roll complete, pinch the seam (which should be fairly straight, thanks to the fold you did earlier) to seal it shut. Seal shut the ends of the roll as well, firmly. Place the loaf into a greased loaf pan and cover. Repeat with the second loaf.
I prefer to bake these loaves in ceramic or stone containers, as I think it makes for a better crust. However, you can use regular loaf pans, or even form rounds and bake them in cast iron pots. For rounds, simply make a ball out of the dough by scooping under it with the sides of your hands, and turning it. Make sure to pinch together the bottom, so that it doesn't come apart when rising the second time. Place rounds onto parchment paper inside the container you'll be cooking them in, and cover.
Allow the loaves to rise until about doubled in size, which will be about the same amount of time it took to double the first time. You can cover them with a box again if your home is cold.
When the loaves are the right size, preheat your oven to 375F. Have a small metal bowl in the bottom of the oven, preheating along with the oven. When it's at temperature, bring your loaves to the oven.
Each loaf should be scored, or cut, before baking. This prevents it from ripping during the rising process. Rounds generally get three or five slashes from the center outward, but you can be as creative as you like. Loaves get scored down the length or across the width, depending on your preference. Use a very sharp razor blade on the dough, after dusting the top of it liberally with semolina flour (this lets the knife cut the dough more smoothly, making it much prettier). The semolina flour can be brushed off after baking!
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, give or take (check after 25 minutes, and then at five minute intervals after). The loaf should sound hollow when tapped, and the color should be brown or golden.
Allow to cool on racks for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Bread continues to bake after coming out of the oven!
Using either a stand mixer with a bread hook, or a wooden spoon, add in the remaining four cups of flour (2 cups whole wheat and 2 cups all purpose). The last cup or so should be added in very slowly, and you may not use all of it. Mix with your wooden spoon until you just can't anymore, and then knead by hand. If you're using the stand mixer and bread hook, add in a quarter cup of flour at a time until the dough forms into a tight ball.
Your finished dough will take anywhere from 5 minutes (with the stand mixer) to 20 minutes (by hand) to form up. The finished dough should have a slightly tacky feel to it, and if you grasp it or stick a finger gently into the mass, it should spring back almost immediately. Place the finished dough back into a lightly oiled bowl (you can use the mixing bowl if you like, provided there isn't a lot of loose flour in it). Let the dough rise until doubled in size, anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours.
If your house is very cold (like mine!), use a big box over the top of your bowl. I have a plant mat (a low heat mat that is meant to encourage root growth in seedlings) that I place under a cooling rack, and then I put my bowl of dough on top of that. I cover the dough bowl with a plastic grocery bag, but you can also use saran wrap, wax paper, tin foil, or any number of other coverings. The optimal temperature for rising this kind of dough is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the dough has risen, uncover it and punch it down. Pull it free of the sides of the bowl and place it on a clean, flat surface. Formica countertops work wonderfully, or a warmed granite board will also work. Knead the dough for a few seconds, and then cut it in half. Set half aside, covered.
Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough until it is about a quarter to half inch thick, even, and about the width of the loaf pan you'll be baking in. Fold over the edge nearest you to provide a straight line across, roll the dough a little to make sure it's got no major bubbles, and then begin to roll the dough toward you, from the top edge. Press gently with fingers and palms as you roll, so that you don't leave any air bubbles inside between the layers. Once you have the roll complete, pinch the seam (which should be fairly straight, thanks to the fold you did earlier) to seal it shut. Seal shut the ends of the roll as well, firmly. Place the loaf into a greased loaf pan and cover. Repeat with the second loaf.
I prefer to bake these loaves in ceramic or stone containers, as I think it makes for a better crust. However, you can use regular loaf pans, or even form rounds and bake them in cast iron pots. For rounds, simply make a ball out of the dough by scooping under it with the sides of your hands, and turning it. Make sure to pinch together the bottom, so that it doesn't come apart when rising the second time. Place rounds onto parchment paper inside the container you'll be cooking them in, and cover.
Allow the loaves to rise until about doubled in size, which will be about the same amount of time it took to double the first time. You can cover them with a box again if your home is cold.
When the loaves are the right size, preheat your oven to 375F. Have a small metal bowl in the bottom of the oven, preheating along with the oven. When it's at temperature, bring your loaves to the oven.
Each loaf should be scored, or cut, before baking. This prevents it from ripping during the rising process. Rounds generally get three or five slashes from the center outward, but you can be as creative as you like. Loaves get scored down the length or across the width, depending on your preference. Use a very sharp razor blade on the dough, after dusting the top of it liberally with semolina flour (this lets the knife cut the dough more smoothly, making it much prettier). The semolina flour can be brushed off after baking!
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, give or take (check after 25 minutes, and then at five minute intervals after). The loaf should sound hollow when tapped, and the color should be brown or golden.
Allow to cool on racks for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Bread continues to bake after coming out of the oven!