Majida Rashid
...Two loaves alone to thee are left
Sell one ...
And with the dole
Buy hyacinths to
Feed they soul
– Saadi Shirazi,
Persian poet
Alas I could never fully adhere to Saadi’s advice regarding selling the bread, for freshly bread is so irresistible!
A Yugoslavian neighbor in Uganda taught me to bake, exactly two loaves of, French Baguette style bread without an electric mixer.
The beauty of baking bread at home is that we can use any ingredients. Here is something to warm our palettes and hearts this winter season. I’m always reminded of Michigan whenever I bake this bread.
I used to buy grains or seeds bread from Whole Foods located on Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor. One wintery day as I returned amid a lot of snow with some bread, my brother called. I raved about the bread and he said, “What happened to making your own bread?”
“Oh, yeah.” I said, remembering that I used to love making bread.
The quality of a bread depends on the type of flour you use. I don’t buy flour from regular stores because it’s too processed. I get whole wheat flour either from Middle Eastern or Indian/Pakistani stores because it doesn’t contain preservatives or additives. These Hearty Loaves are made with stone ground Emmet wheat. They taste so different even from the expensive ones sold in any store. To make bread fluffier, commercial bakers invariably mix nutrient-free all-purpose, bleached or bread flour with the whole wheat flour. I prefer the dense texture of healthy whole wheat bread. Soaking the seeds prevents them from burning during baking.
The beauty of these Hearty Loaves is that they can be served with the main meal or eaten as a delicious snack with a hint of sweetness. Spread some butter or cream cheese and top it with diced dried apricots, pumpkin seeds or mulberries. For a savory snack, sprinkle with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, mint, diced tomatoes and a dash of black pepper.
Hearty Loaves
Ingredients
(6 servings)
For the seeds
1 cup water, microwaved for 10 seconds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons each sunflower seeds and dried mulberries
3 tablespoons oats
For the yeast
1 1/4 cups water, microwaved for 15 seconds
1/4 oz sachet of instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
A pinch of salt
For the dough
6 cups stone-ground whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups warm water
Directions
Line two flat spring roll baking trays with parchment paper and leave aside.
Soak the seeds and mulberries in warm water and leave aside for an hour.
In a bowl, mix together 1 1/4 cups of warm water, the yeast, sugar and salt.
Leave aside for 10-15 minutes or until it has risen. The time depends on the room temperature.
I usually use a steel bowl and keep it in the oven, away from any drafts.
For the dough
Reserve one cup of flour.
Mix the remaining 5 cups with salt in a big bowl.
Make a well in the center and stir in the yeast mixture.
Drain water from the seeds and mulberries and add half of them in the flour.
Pour in about 1-1/3 cups of water and mix.
Slowly add some more of the remaining water until the flour is well incorporated.
Dust the counter with the reserved flour, a little at a time, and place the dough on it.
Knead the dough for 15 minutes, adding flour as needed. The reserved flour should finish.
Oil a bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Keep it in a warm place for 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer it onto a slightly floured surface.
Make a sphere of dough and cut it into two pieces.
Using your hands, spread each piece into a rectangle.
Fold a little bit of the narrow sides.
Then roll the dough, lengthwise, towards the middle to make a loaf shape.
Place the remaining seeds mixture and oats on a tray.
Gently roll each loaf on the seed mixture until it’s covered with seeds and oats.
Cover with a tea towel and leave aside for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 340ºF.
Place the loaves on trays lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
Cut into thin slices and serve with a meal of coffee.
—————
Foodie Majida Rashid lives in Texas. Food and cooking are her passion. Her presentation about her love of food can be viewed on USA Today’s network: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=l0xi566VSPo – We Spread Love Through Food @Frontiers_Of_Flavor Her philosophical writing can be read at apakistaniwomansjourney.word press.com.
Sell one ...
And with the dole
Buy hyacinths to
Feed they soul
– Saadi Shirazi,
Persian poet
Alas I could never fully adhere to Saadi’s advice regarding selling the bread, for freshly bread is so irresistible!
A Yugoslavian neighbor in Uganda taught me to bake, exactly two loaves of, French Baguette style bread without an electric mixer.
The beauty of baking bread at home is that we can use any ingredients. Here is something to warm our palettes and hearts this winter season. I’m always reminded of Michigan whenever I bake this bread.
I used to buy grains or seeds bread from Whole Foods located on Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor. One wintery day as I returned amid a lot of snow with some bread, my brother called. I raved about the bread and he said, “What happened to making your own bread?”
“Oh, yeah.” I said, remembering that I used to love making bread.
The quality of a bread depends on the type of flour you use. I don’t buy flour from regular stores because it’s too processed. I get whole wheat flour either from Middle Eastern or Indian/Pakistani stores because it doesn’t contain preservatives or additives. These Hearty Loaves are made with stone ground Emmet wheat. They taste so different even from the expensive ones sold in any store. To make bread fluffier, commercial bakers invariably mix nutrient-free all-purpose, bleached or bread flour with the whole wheat flour. I prefer the dense texture of healthy whole wheat bread. Soaking the seeds prevents them from burning during baking.
The beauty of these Hearty Loaves is that they can be served with the main meal or eaten as a delicious snack with a hint of sweetness. Spread some butter or cream cheese and top it with diced dried apricots, pumpkin seeds or mulberries. For a savory snack, sprinkle with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, mint, diced tomatoes and a dash of black pepper.
Hearty Loaves
Ingredients
(6 servings)
For the seeds
1 cup water, microwaved for 10 seconds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons each sunflower seeds and dried mulberries
3 tablespoons oats
For the yeast
1 1/4 cups water, microwaved for 15 seconds
1/4 oz sachet of instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
A pinch of salt
For the dough
6 cups stone-ground whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups warm water
Directions
Line two flat spring roll baking trays with parchment paper and leave aside.
Soak the seeds and mulberries in warm water and leave aside for an hour.
In a bowl, mix together 1 1/4 cups of warm water, the yeast, sugar and salt.
Leave aside for 10-15 minutes or until it has risen. The time depends on the room temperature.
I usually use a steel bowl and keep it in the oven, away from any drafts.
For the dough
Reserve one cup of flour.
Mix the remaining 5 cups with salt in a big bowl.
Make a well in the center and stir in the yeast mixture.
Drain water from the seeds and mulberries and add half of them in the flour.
Pour in about 1-1/3 cups of water and mix.
Slowly add some more of the remaining water until the flour is well incorporated.
Dust the counter with the reserved flour, a little at a time, and place the dough on it.
Knead the dough for 15 minutes, adding flour as needed. The reserved flour should finish.
Oil a bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Keep it in a warm place for 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer it onto a slightly floured surface.
Make a sphere of dough and cut it into two pieces.
Using your hands, spread each piece into a rectangle.
Fold a little bit of the narrow sides.
Then roll the dough, lengthwise, towards the middle to make a loaf shape.
Place the remaining seeds mixture and oats on a tray.
Gently roll each loaf on the seed mixture until it’s covered with seeds and oats.
Cover with a tea towel and leave aside for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 340ºF.
Place the loaves on trays lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
Cut into thin slices and serve with a meal of coffee.
—————
Foodie Majida Rashid lives in Texas. Food and cooking are her passion. Her presentation about her love of food can be viewed on USA Today’s network: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=l0xi566VSPo – We Spread Love Through Food @Frontiers_Of_Flavor Her philosophical writing can be read at apakistaniwomansjourney.word press.com.
