Average user rating:   | Level of Difficulty: | Easy |  | | Vegetarian: | Yes | | Servings: | 6 | | Prep Time: | 180 minutes | | Cooking Time: | 50 minutes |
- 1 envelope Yeast
- 1/4 cup Lukewarm water
- 2 or 3 tbls Brown sugar or honey
- 1 cup Boiling water
- 3 tbls Sweet butter
- 1 tbls Salt
- 3 1/2 cups Unsifted whole wheat flour from the mill at historic Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow, NY
- 1/2 tsp Mace (optional)
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Put the yeast, lukewarm water and sweetening in a small bowl until it becomes frothy. Add the hot water to the butter and salt, and when it becomes lukewarm combine it with the yeast mixture. If the flour has been refrigerated, put it in a large mixing bowl, with the spice if used, and set in a dishpan of hot water to bring it to room temperature. Pour the water-yeast mixture into the flour and beat it very hard. As flours differ, a little more lukewarm water can be added to make a not-too-soft, resilient dough. Only experience gives one the "feel" of the way it should be - so the bread won't dip in the center when baked (too much liquid) or won't be too dense (too much flour). Beat the dough 2 or 3 minutes. A hard rubber spatula is very good for this. Set the bowl in a dishpan of quite hot water, cover with a tea towel, and in an hour the dough will rise almost double and be light. Even after this rising, if the dough seems very hard to beat, 2 tablespoons of warm water may bring it to a light and spongy consistency. Beat it 3 minutes and put it in an oiled regulation 3 x 5 1/14 x 9 1/4-inch bread pan. Set it in a pan of warm water, cover with a towel and let the dough rise for 45 minutes. The second rising takes less time. The dough should be rounding over the pan. Put it in a cold oven. Set the oven at 400 degrees F. to complete the rising. Bake 15 minutes and then turn the heat to 325 degrees F. and bake 35 minutes more. Turn the bread out onto a breadboard and cover loosely to cool. | | The mace gives a nice fragrance, as does anise. Raisins may be added to the flour before it is mixed, if desired. Milk gives a blander flavor; water does not take anything away from the flavor of the whole grain wheat. |
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