For the past few months I have been going to cooking classes at the local Bosch store. They have been life changing (well, sort of). They have all kinds of guest chefs as well as local cooks.
I just eat it up (literally).
My favorite class so far was on rustic bread making. Rustic bread making is a more traditional form of baking that allows the dough to sit for 24 hours before baking.
According to Nourishing Traditions, the way we prepare food today is very different from how it was prepared in the past. Grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds were soaked to remove phytic acid and make them more digestible. You can read more about phytic acid here.
I found this especially interesting because of the fact that Aaron has pancreatitis. His pancreas decided to "start eating itself"--as Aaron would say--when he was a freshman in high school. It now has a hard time producing digestive enzymes on its own, so he takes pills at every meal to aid in food digestion.
My hope is that by soaking most of our beans, rice, grains, and nuts it will make it easier for his body to get the most out of his food.
Anyway...
I found this especially interesting because of the fact that Aaron has pancreatitis. His pancreas decided to "start eating itself"--as Aaron would say--when he was a freshman in high school. It now has a hard time producing digestive enzymes on its own, so he takes pills at every meal to aid in food digestion.
My hope is that by soaking most of our beans, rice, grains, and nuts it will make it easier for his body to get the most out of his food.
Anyway...
My main point: this rustic bread is soaked for 24 hours in which time the enzyme inhibitors are broken down making the bread easier to digest. Also, the 24 hour wait time gives the gluten time to develop, making the bread soft and chewy (I love chewy bread).
This is now my favorite bread; not only because it's easier to digest, but because the taste and texture are identical to the round, rustic loaves you can buy at a bakery.
Rustic Bread
3 cups flour*
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 tsp red wine vinegar (optional)
4-8 quart metal pot (with lid) or dutch oven
Stir together flour, yeast, salt in large mixing bowl. In separate bowl, add water and vinegar. Slowly add water mixture to flour mixture and mix with a butter knife. Mix until incorporated; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Make sure all the flour has been mixed together (you don't want dry spots).
This is now my favorite bread; not only because it's easier to digest, but because the taste and texture are identical to the round, rustic loaves you can buy at a bakery.
Rustic Bread
3 cups flour*
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 tsp red wine vinegar (optional)
4-8 quart metal pot (with lid) or dutch oven
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in cool place for 24 hours.
After 24 hour rest, place dough on well floured surface (I use a plastic spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl). Sprinkle the dough with a light dusting of flour, kneading 7-8 times, and then folding to create surface tension. It helps to imagine folding a letter in thirds--make sense?
Spray a large bowl (including sides) with non-stick spray and transfer dough seam side down. Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 435 degrees and place pot in oven. Let dough rise for another 30 minutes while oven is preheating.
Remove pot and spray with non-stick spray. Gently turn dough over into pot and cover with lid. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove lid and bake for another 6-10 minutes or until browned. Cool on wire rack before cutting. Enjoy!
This sounds complicated, but it's really not. I make this bread a couple times a week, and the total amount of hands on time is only about 15 minutes.
*I like to use 2 cups whole wheat and 1 cup all-purpose flour, but you can make it 100% whole wheat or 100% all-purpose.
This sounds complicated, but it's really not. I make this bread a couple times a week, and the total amount of hands on time is only about 15 minutes.
*I like to use 2 cups whole wheat and 1 cup all-purpose flour, but you can make it 100% whole wheat or 100% all-purpose.
YOU POSTED IT!!!! It looks divine!!! YOU could teach the class now, sounds like ;)
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