Blackstrap Bread

 

This is my go-to whole wheat bread recipe, which I bake 2-3 times a week.  It makes great sandwiches, and the molasses adds a wonderful flavor.

I make it partly by hand and partly in the bread machine.  But you can use whatever method you like best.

BLACKSTRAP BREAD

1-1/8 cup water
1-1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses or maple syrup*(1)
1/4 cup olive oil
3-1/2 cups whole wheat flour*(2)
1 Tbsp active dry yeast

Stir together water, salt, and molasses until dissolved.  Add oil.  Pour into bread-machine pan or mixing bowl.

Add flour on top of liquid.  Make an indentation in flour and add yeast. Let sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Mix ingredients and knead (bread machine can do both).  Let dough rest for about 5 minutes or until it can pass the windowpane test.*(3)

Form dough into a ball, removing bread machine paddle if using.  With 1 Tbsp olive oil in bottom of a medium-sized mixing bowl, roll dough around until coated with oil.  Cover bowl with a layer of waxed paper and then a dish towel.

Let sit for 30-45 minutes in a warm place, until dough has risen above the top of the bowl.

Gently punch down the top of the dough to get rid of big bubbles.  Turn it out onto a floured board and form it into a loaf.*(4)

Place loaf in pan, seam-side-down, cover with waxed paper and dish towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 20-30 minutes, or until it's approximately 1" taller.

Bake at 350 deg. F for 40 minutes (bread machine can do this too).

Remove from pan and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Notes

*1. Blackstrap molasses is my favorite sweetener, but an equal amount of maple syrup works just as well.  If you want to use granulated raw sugar, use 1/4 cup sugar and add 1/8 cup water to the recipe.

*2. This amount of flour is just about right if you fluff it with a wire whisk before measuring.  Try not to compact it into the measuring cup.

*3. For the windowpane test, get a ping-pong ball-sized piece of dough and pull it into a thin disc.  Hold it up to the light.  If you can see light through it, the dough has passed the test.  If not, let it rest more.

*4. To form bread dough into a loaf, roll or pat it into a 1-1/2"-thick oval.  Roll it up like a jellyroll, sealing the front of the roll onto the surface of the unrolled dough with every turn--about 4 times.  Roll the remaining flap of unrolled dough up onto the rest, pinching it onto the body of the roll. Turn the roll seam-side-down, pull the ends under, and pinch them together underneath.  Securely pinch all seams, folds, and gaps.

Greek Yogurt

Once every week or two, I make Greek yogurt. We keep it in little covered bowls in the 'fridge, for a healthy snack or breakfast. My husband came up with the idea of flavoring it with frozen fruit juice concentrate, which gives it an intense flavor without adding a bunch of sugar. I like to add blackstrap molasses for an unusual flavor and some great nutrients.

GREEK YOGURT 32 oz. plain yogurt 1/2 cup frozen juice concentrate     (optional flavoring)     OR 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses ----------- Set a large strainer on top of a large bowl. Rinse a clean dishcloth well, and wring it out. Lay it in the strainer. Place yogurt in the cloth-lined strainer. Cover and refrigerate for 6-24 hours. Save the drained liquid whey in your refrigerator for other uses, or discard.

If you're adding ingredients, place the remaining yogurt (about 2 cups) back in the emptied bowl, and stir in the juice concentrate or molasses.  Put 1/3 cup yogurt in each serving container, such as a small jar or bowl with an airtight lid.

Cover and store in refrigerator.

Makes six to seven 1/3-cup flavored servings.

Notes

1. Apple juice-based fruit juice concentrates tend to make the yogurt a bit lumpy but it still tastes good. Citrus, pineapple, etc. work better.

2. To prevent drips in the refrigerator, lay the dishcloth corners up on top of the lid or plate covering the yogurt.

3. The longer you drain, the thicker it will be.  24 hours gives a nice, thick yogurt even after adding flavoring.  It also removes more whey, which some people have a sensitivity to.

4. The left-over whey can be used in place of milk for baking, as a starter for lacto-fermenting pickles or making vinegar, or you can water plants with it to add nutrients. My friend Absinthia, who bakes a lot of bread, says that she uses whey successfully in place of milk... but when I have tried it, the bread didn't turn out well--no idea why.

You can find more information here.