Three Seed Crown Loaf Food

THREE SEED BREAD

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in bread machine and set on whole wheat cycle.

THREE-SEED CROWN LOAF

Steps:

• Measure the water and honey in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast on the top. Let the yeast sit for a couple of minutes to activate it. Add 2 cups of the flour, salt, gluten, dough enhancer, and 4 tablespoons of the sunflower oil to the yeast mixture and mix well. Slowly add the rest of the flour (approximately 6 cups) to the mixture until a soft, moist dough is formed and the dough no longer clings to the outside of the bowl. You may need a little more or less flour. Knead the dough until gluten is formed (it is critical that the gluten be formed or you will get a heavy bread). The dough should be smooth and spring back when pressed, about 8 to 10 minutes. You can also check to see if gluten is formed by doing the "window test". The window test is when the dough can be stretched and it doesn't break, but will stretch and create a translucent membrane or window.
• Rub 1 teaspoon of sunflower oil around a large bowl. Turn the dough in the oil, then cover the bowl and let dough stand until double, about 1 hour.
• While dough is rising, lightly grease a 12-inch deep Dutch Oven. When dough has doubled, turn out dough and shape it into a round even ball. Cut the ball into 8 equal wedges. Combine 2 of the wedges into a ball and place in the middle of the Dutch oven for the larger middle ball of the crown. Form the remaining 6 wedges into individual balls. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl to make the egg glaze. Brush each of the balls in egg glaze and then dip 2 balls in poppy seeds, 2 balls in sesame seeds, and 2 balls in sunflower seeds. Place each set of balls on the opposite side of the middle ball so that you have the different balls alternating around the outside of the middle ball or Dutch oven (eg. Going around the circle, it may go poppy, sesame, sunflower, poppy, sesame, and sunflower.) Let the dough rise until just about double again inside the Dutch oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes to 1 hour.
• Notes: To get lighter dough you can substitute about 1/2 of your whole-wheat flour with white flour. However, you can still get remarkably light dough using all whole-wheat flour if you add the dough enhancer and gluten and make sure your gluten is properly formed during the kneading process. Adding the enhancer and gluten were tricks learned from my mother who raised us on home made whole-wheat bread. I have yet to find a better way to get whole-wheat bread as light and fluffy as this.

BREAKFAST LOAF WITH SESAME SEEDS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Make and ferment the poolish: Combine the water and yeast in a medium bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then stir with a wooden spoon until yeast is dissolved. Add flours and stir until the consistency of a thick batter. Continue stirring for about 100 strokes or until the strands of gluten come off the spoon when you press the back of the spoon against the bowl. There will be lively bubbles on the surface. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm, draft-free place until it is bubbly and has increased in volume.
• Prepare the sesame seeds: Place the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer immediately to a plate, place in the refrigerator, and cool completely.
• Mix and knead the final dough: Measure the remaining ingredients. Bring the bowl with the poolish to your work space. The poolish should be soupy, bubbly and puffy and it should have a wheaty aroma. Scrape the poolish into a 6-quart bowl. Add the water and yeast. Break the poolish up well with a wooden spoon and stir until it loosens and the mixture foams slightly. Add the whole wheat flour and cooled sesame seeds; stir until well combined. Add the salt and enough bran flour to make a thick mass that is difficult to stir. Turn out onto a well-floured surface. Knead, adding more flour as needed, for 10 minutes. Gradually knead in the raisins and continue kneading until the dough is soft and smooth, 15 to 17 minutes total. The dough is ready when a little dough pulled from the mass springs back quickly.
• Ferment the dough: Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest on a lightly floured surface while you scrape, clean, and lightly oil the large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Take the dough's temperature: the ideal is 78 degrees. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degrees) draft-free place until doubled in volume. The dough has risen enough when a finger poked 1/2-inch into the dough leaves an indentation.
• Divide and shape the dough: Deflate the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Cut into 2 equal pieces. Flatten each with the heel of your hand using firm, direct strokes. Shape each piece into a 9-inch-long log, sealing firmly and pinching closed.
• Proof the loaves: Place the loaves seam side down in lightly buttered 9 by 5 by 3-inch baking pans. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm draft-free place until dough rises just to the rim of the pan.
• Bake the loaves: 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking, preheat the oven and homemade hearth or baking stone on the center rack of the oven to 450 degrees. The oven rack must be in the center of the oven. Gently roll the loaf onto a lightly floured peel, seam side down. Score the loaf with a sharp razor blade or serrated knife making quick shallow cuts. Place the pans on the hearth and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake until loaves are a rich caramel color and the crusts are firm, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• To test the loaves for doneness, remove from the pans and hold them upside down. Strike the bottom firmly with your finger. If the sound is hollow, the breads are done. If not, bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely on a wire rack.

EASY SEED & GRAIN LOAF

Steps:

• Tip the flour, seeds, yeast and salt into a large bowl. Mix the water, oil and honey in a jug, then pour into the dry mix, stirring all the time to make a soft dough. If it feels sticky, sprinkle in a little more flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins, until the dough no longer feels sticky, sprinkling with a little more flour as you need it.
• Oil a 1.2-litre loaf tin and put the dough in the tin, pressing it in evenly. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hr, until it springs back when you press it with your finger. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• Make eight slashes across the top of the loaf, brush with water and sprinkle alternately with poppy and sesame seeds. Bake for 30-35 mins until the loaf is risen and brown. Tip it out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool.

THREE-SEED BREAD

Steps:

• In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).