5 minute wholemeal bread

You all seem to be such proficient chefs. Well here is a place to share some of that cooking knowledge. Or do you have a cooking problem? Ask away. Jams and chutneys go here too.
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Green Aura
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5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 151163Post Green Aura »

First of all - thanks Uller. In another post I read about the 5 minute loaf. I looked it up and bought the book - Iknow it's another thing I should not have bought new, but it was actually cheaper new than 2nd hand!

Anyway, they said you can't use 100% wholewheat flour to make their 5 minute loaf and the loaf they offer in the book has far too many ingredients in - I wanted the basic recipe but in wholewheat.

So I added 1/4 cup of vital wheat gluten to the recipe

So, my recipe is

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp sea salt (less if using table salt)
1 1/2 tbsp dried yeast
6 cups wholewheat flour
1/2 cup vgw
6 1/2 cups

Mix it all in a big container that has a lid - no kneading, just stir til mixed. You may need a little more or less water to make a very sticky dough - I thought I'd overdone it but it baked beautifully.
Let it sit for 2 hours minimum
Then sprinkle it liberally with flour - so you can handle it - it really is that wet. Cut off a quarter of it and handling it very gently, form into a round loaf shape. Bung it on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with flour or polenta, to stop it sticking and bake at 200oC, 400oF, Gas mark 6 for about half an hour.

Put the container with the rest of the dough in the fridge, covered but not airtight - it apparently improves with age and keeps for several days. It also gets dryer and easier to handle after it's been in the fridge.

Like Uller's, I think my breadmaker may be on its way out! :lol:
Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 151304Post Green Aura »

Day 2 of the 5 minute wholemeal experiment.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26726673@N04/3462588139/

I didn't bother shaping it just spread it on the tray with the remnants of yesterdays greek salad (minus the cucumber!).

I baked it on a higher setting, but I think that was a mistake.


The only problem now is that OH wants a cake every day - purely in the interests of filling the oven of course :lol:
Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 151452Post Green Aura »

Day 3. Desperately trying to get the shop ready for opening tomorrow so fried egg butties for lunch.

Baked batch 3 but didn't steam bake it (roasting tin with boiling water in the bottom of the oven) like I did on day 1.

It's even tastier today, getting more like sourdough, but the crust didn't crisp up so well - presumably because of no steam.

I'm so impressed though - we've had fresh-baked bread every day, it's not only gorgeous but also improves day by day.

And it really does only take five minutes to weigh and mix the original batch, and then less than five minutes to cut and shape the dough each time.

The only downside is having to heat the oven - if I can work out other things to put in it each time, I've cracked it.! :lol:
Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 151483Post Claripup »

I tried the 'White' version but have never steamed baked them... they always turn out yummy - I did try baking two at a time (to fill the oven up) and I tried doing some cakes as well but my oven seems to only cook properly on one shelf so it meant the oven was on for longer as I had to keep swapping them between shelves... :scratch:

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 151560Post Thomzo »

Sorry, I'm having a really thick day. What's VGW?
And 6.5 cups of what at the end?

Cheers
Zoe

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 151562Post Green Aura »

Vital wheat gluten - if you read any of the threads on seitan it's the stuff you make it from.

6.5 cups of nothing at the end - hadn't spotted that :oops:

Day 4 (last day of this batch) was phenomenal - it looked just like ciabatta, but wholemeal - full of lovely even-sized holes, and the sourdough taste was even more prominent. It's absolutely fabulous - next batch going in this evening.

The best news is - you don't even have to wash the container - just scrape any bits into the new batch and you get the sourdough taste from the first loaf. :shock:

No washing up - I think I've died and gone to heaven :lol:

Anyway I've finished my four day experiment so I'll stop boring you all with my bread saga - but what a result. Even OH - breadmaker meister - is totally sold on it.

Still have the niggle about the oven but I'll get round it somehow!
Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 151866Post HennyPenny »

I am having a go at this today, my dough has nearly done 2 hours rising is is full of bubbles!

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 152280Post Green Aura »

How did you get on Henny Penny - good?
Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 153976Post Uller »

Maggie

Glad you like the idea - and even more glad that you have fixed the wholemeal thing - I also thought there were too many ingredients, but I'll try your version. I presume I can get vwg from a healthfood store?

One question - you say that you added 1/4 cup to the recipe but then list 1/2 cup in the ingredients - can you confirm which it is?
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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 153986Post SarahJane »

Green Aura wrote:Day 2 of the 5 minute wholemeal experiment.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26726673@N04/3462588139/

I didn't bother shaping it just spread it on the tray with the remnants of yesterdays greek salad (minus the cucumber!).

I baked it on a higher setting, but I think that was a mistake.


The only problem now is that OH wants a cake every day - purely in the interests of filling the oven of course :lol:


It looks great Maggie, I am going to have to have a go at this. :flower:

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 154024Post Green Aura »

I've finally "perfected" the recipe - it seems to work brilliantly every time now.

3.125 cups tepid water (3 and 1/8th)
1.5 tbsp dried yeast
1.5 tbsp salt - this is sea salt, if using ordinary salt reduce to 1 tbsp
6 cups wholemeal flour
0.5 cup VWG

I have to buy VWG online - any high protein-type diet place sells it. I've never seen it in health food shops, but I don't get in them very often :lol:

You must try it Sarah Jane, it's amazing - wait til you can chew though :wink:

Thanks again Uller - this is the best discovery we've made in years!
Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 154189Post CyberPaddy66 »

I don't mean to sound confrontational about this as I love home made bread but what part of '5 minute bread' am I missing, seeing as it takes 2 hours to rise and 30 minutes to cook :scratch:
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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 154227Post Green Aura »

Unless you feel the need to nurse it through both of those stages Paddy, the 5 minutes is your involvement with making it :lol:

It takes about 5 minutes to measure out all the ingredients and mix them together and that's the longest part of the process. It takes much less than 5 minutes to stick the oven on, cut a piece of dough and shape it and bung it in the oven!
Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin

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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 154259Post CyberPaddy66 »

Ah I understand now :lol:

We use our bread machine lots and lots to make the dough and remove it, put it in bread pans and allow it to rise for 1 hour before baking it in the oven, I guess that's pretty much a 5 minute loaf right there :mrgreen:

Never use VWG though :?
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Re: 5 minute wholemeal bread

Post: # 154293Post SarahJane »

I wish I had room for a bread maker :(

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