Spelt and Oatmeal Bread Stars

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Poolish sponge is a type of French starter made from the same amount, in weight, of flour and water with a very small amount of yeast, and left to ripe for a long time. This allows bread to develop its characteristic flavours and texture.

You can make the poolish anywhere between 8 and 16 hours before you start mixing the final dough. Poolish should be a wet mixture, very much like a thick pancake batter and when the surface is covered in tiny bubbles, it’s ready to use. Bread made with preferment also tends to keep better, compared to bread made from straight dough.

Spelt and Oatmeal Bread Stars

adapted from Ploetzblog

Poolish Sponge	Dough
150 g Wholegrain spelt, ground 150 g Water, lukewarm 1 g Fresh yeast	170 g Water, lukewarm 315 g Bread flour 75 g Oatmeal 9 g Fresh yeast 9 g Sea salt 10 g Liquid malt extract Poppy and flax seeds for coating

1. Combine all the poolish ingredients in the mixing bowl and leave it, covered, at room temperature for 10-12 hours. If you want to use dry yeast, then 0.4 grams, about 1/8 teaspoon, would be enough.
   
2. Add in the rest of ingredients and stir at slow speed for 6 minutes, then increase the speed and continue to mix for 8 more minutes until it comes together and pulls away from sides of bowl.
   
3. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Gently knead the dough a few times and shape into a round. Cover and rest for 40 minutes.
   
4. Divide the dough into 10-12 portions and shape each into a round. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
   
5. On a lightly floured work surface, gently flatten a dough ball. Cut 3 times on the center all the way to the bottom in a crisscross style, leaving about 2-cm edges intact. Now turn each triangle outside to create a 6-point star.
   
6. Dip the star into water, then coat with a mix of seeds. Place them in baking trays lined with parchment paper. Cover and proof 90 minutes.
   
7. Place a roasting tray at the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 240C/460F. Place the bread stars on the upper rack of the hot oven. Pour a cup of boiling water into the roasting tray. Bake for 20 minutes until they are nicely golden brown.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Dark Rye Bread with Oats and Longans

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

The earthy flavour of dark rye, nuttiness of rolled oats, offsetting sweetness of dried longan flesh combine to make a dark brown bread that has rich hearty flavour and a dense chewy texture. Serve, lightly buttered, as a breakfast or as after-school snack.

Dried longans (“dragon eyes”) are high in iron, fiber, and considered to help with insomnia, stomach ache and to improve memory. Many Chinese believe longans can be used as an antidote for poison, and as a blood tonic, to nurture the heart and to add luster and beauty to the skin. You can purchase dried longans in most Asian supermarkets.

Dark Rye Bread with Oats and Longans

adapted from Brot backen - Köstliche Rezepte aus der guten alten Zeit

500 g Dark rye flour (German #1150) 40 g Fresh yeast 1/2 tsp Sugar 500 ml Water, lukewarm 1 tbsp Sea salt 350 g Dried longan flesh 250 g Rolled oats

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

1. Place dark rye flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Crumble the fresh yeast and place them in a bowl together with sugar. Dissolve with 100 ml lukewarm water.
   Now put the yeast mixture into the flour well. Mix in some flour until it resembles thick porridge. Cover this starter and leave it aside for 30 minutes.
   
2. Add in sea salt and the rest of the water. Stir until a pliable dough forms. Turn it out onto a floured work surface. Knead firmly, with floured hands, for 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, covered, and proof at room temperature for about 60 minutes.
   
3. Knead the dried longan flesh and rolled oats into the dough. Divide the dough into two portions. Shape them into a baton and boule. Place them on the baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover and proof for 30 minutes at room temperature.
   
4. Place a tray of water at the bottom of oven. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Bake the bread for 1 hour at the lower rack. Cool the bread on a rack.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Cranberry Oat Bread

Ok, I must admit that I am a true bread lover. I could have bread for breakfast I, for breakfast II (yes, I need two breakfasts a day :-) ) bread lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. My husband finds it amusing one who grew up eating rice adores bread so much.

There is a great choice of bread for all the tastes and costs available in Germany. But not many things beat a homemade artisan bread and don't you love the smell of fresh bread right out of your oven?

I first discovered this bread in Heavenly Housewife at From Donuts to Delirium and I was immediately intrigued. You can also find the original recipe from Dan Lepard's cranberry oat bread recipe at Guardian

75 g Instant oats ©angiesrecipes, plus extra for the crust 175 g Dried cranberries©angiesrecipes 375 ml Boiling water 450 g Spelt #630　flour©angiesrecipes 7 g Salt

3 g Cinnamon Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 50 g Unsalted butter 6 g Instant dry yeast Olive oil, for kneading

1. Put the oats and cranberries in a bowl and add the boiling water. Leave for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture is warm. Spoon the spelt flour, salt, cinnamon and zest into another bowl, rub in the butter, toss the yeast through, then add the oats and berries, and mix well. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
   
   
2. Oil your hands and a 30cm patch of worktop, knead the dough on it for 10 seconds, then leave for 10 minutes. Repeat this knead-and-rest sequence twice more at 10-minute intervals, then cover the dough and leave for 30 minutes.
   
   
3. Pat the dough into a rectangle, roll up tightly and squeeze, seam-side down, into a large, deep, 19cm-long loaf tin. Or use any loaf pan you have. Leave for an hour until risen by half. Heat the oven to 210C/420F. Brush the top of the loaf with water, press on a handful of oats, cut a gash down the middle and bake for 50 minutes. It will scorch on top, but that's typical for fruit bread.

THANK YOU!

Elin at Elinluv's Tidbits Corner	Jay at Tasty Appetite

Cranberry Oat Bread

Sour 100% Rye Bread

Adapted from Dan Lepard: The Handmade Loaf (Mitchell Beazley Food)

Gelatinized Rye Mix	Dough
240 g Boiling water 60 g #1150 Rye flour ©angiesrecipes	200 g Rye leaven at 21C/70F 50 g Water at 19C/35F 200 g #1150 Rye flour ©angiesrecipes 100 g #997 Light rye flour ©angiesrecipes 1 tsp Sea salt

1. Cool the boiling water until it reaches 90C/194F. Quickly whisk in the rye flour trying to avoid too many lumps forming. Cover the bowl and leave for 1 hour (or up to 24 hours). This gelatinized mixture will give the crumb of the loaf some elasticity.
   
   
2. Whisk the rye leaven into the cold water, then whisk in the gelatinized rye mix (saving 1 tablespoon to brush over the loaf). Stir this with the dry ingredients until you have a soft sticky paste. Tip this dough out on to a lightly oiled work surface and knead gently into a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
   
3. Shape the dough into a baton or a ball. Place the loaf seam-side-up on a floured cloth or baking paper, pulling the cloth up around the dough to hold its shape or proof it on a basket. Leave to rise at room temperature for 5 hours or until the loaf has almost doubled in size.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 210C/410F. Carefully upturn the loaf on to a tray and brush with the gelatinized rye mix. Spray the loaf lightly with water, and bake for 50 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack. When cold, wrap tightly in baking parchment, and leave for a day before slicing. Spread the bread slices with desired toppings.

Sour 100% Rye Bread

Sourdough Demi Baguette

Sponge	Dough
80 g Wild Grape Sourdough Starter 110 g Water, lukewarm 110 g All-purpose flour	All the sponge above 190 g Water, lukewarm 470 g All-purpose flour 60 g Rye flour 12 g Salt

1. Combine the sponge ingredients and allow the mixture to rest for 12 to 18 hours at room temperature until it�s fully activated. Combine all of the dough ingredients, but salt, and mix on low speed for 2 minutes, till they are well-blended. Allow the mixture rest for 30 minutes, allowing the flour to absorb the water. Add in salt and knead the dough till it's firm and elastic.
   
2. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap for 50 minutes in a warm place. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly-floured surface, gently pat down flat and fold like an envelope, all four sides being brought over the center of the dough. Return the dough into the bowl, cover and let ferment for another 50 minutes. Pat down, fold and round up. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and let ferment until about doubled. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions and shape each into a sandwich loaf, namely demi baguette. Proof the demi baguettes, covered, in the folds of a linen or baking paper. Dust them with flour, cover, then refrigerate overnight. Next morning, remove the loaves from the fridge, and let them sit, still covered, for about 30 minutes at room temperature.
   
   
3. Place a shallow pan in the bottom of the oven and start preheating to 250C/500F. Use tiles or stones on the oven rack. Slash with a razor knife across top of loaves and slide the loaves onto the heated baking stone. Pour a cup of very hot water into the water pan. Close the door and bake for 12 minutes. Lower the temperature to 200CT/400F and continue baking the loaves until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Cool them on a rack.

I like to thank Anncoo@Anncoo's Hoobby, Elin@Elinluv Tidbits Corner, and Arlette@Phoenician Gourmet sharing their awards with me!



Sourdough Demi Baguette

100% Whole Wheat Bread Rolls

This simple whole wheat bread has proved that the wholemeal bread really doesn't have to be dense and dry. They taste great with homemade jam, mango chutney, herbal butter or cheese.

• 250 g Wholemeal
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Salt
  
  
• 20 g Fresh yeast
  
  
• 175 ml Lukewarm water

1. Mix together the wholemeal and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Dissolve the fresh yeast in 175ml water. Add into the flour mixture. Knead at the low speed until the dough forms and become smooth and elastic.
   
   
2. Cover with a damp towel and let ferment at room temperature for about 40 minutes until the dough has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F with a bowl of boiled water.
   
   
3. Punch down the dough and form into a roll, then divide into 8 portions. Round up and flatten each dough with your palm. Place them on a baking tray lined with a baking paper. Slash or cross-hatch the bread with a sharp knife. Spread some kernels on it. Allow them to rest for 30 minutes until about doubled.
   
   
4. Bake the bread rolls in the middle of preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Remove and cool the bread rolls on a wire rack.