Tasty

A couple of years ago I put whole grains in my diet and took processed flour out. I tried baking with whole grains but the stuff I made was awful. I bought cookbooks and searched the web for recipes but I was still unhappy with the results. So I stopped baking… it made me sad.

Then King Arthur Flour came out with a whole grain cookbook that produced baked goods that I actually wanted to eat. I started baking again and now the great smells of baking bread and cookies fill the house. I am happy. The recipe for focaccia is worth the price of the cookbook.

My success led me to try and convert a recipe for English Muffin bread from white flour to whole grain. I had been making English Muffin bread for years from a 1970’s Fleishman Yeast recipe. After a few tries of turning out muffin bricks I think I have a good recipe. This is a mix it up, spoon it into a pan, proof it, and bake recipe. So easy even a knitter could do it.

This bread tastes like an English muffin. When sliced, it has nooks and crannies and is delicious toasted.

Stir together in a large bowl:
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour (6 oz)
2 cups oat flour (6 ½ oz)
1 TBS sugar or Splenda
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
4 ½ tsp dry yeast

Heat until very warm (120-130 degrees):
2 cups skim milk
3 TBS orange juice & water to make 2/3 cup (5 ¼ oz)

Add liquids to dry ingredients and beat well to make a smooth batter.

Stir in until well blended to make a stiff batter:
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour (10 oz)

Spoon evenly into two 5”x8” bread pans that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Lightly sprinkle top of batter with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool on a rack. Because this bread has no fat, it should be used in a day or two. It freezes very well and can be put in the toaster without thawing.