Here is a great recipe for a delicious bread. Takes the effort of finding
the weat berries, but worth the effort. I get mine from King Arthur Flour
Company.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ovenstad's Bread
2 cups boiling water,
1/2 cup whole-wheat kernels, or wheat berries,
1/2 cup warm water,
1/2 TBSP sugar,
2 packages (TBSP) active dry yeast,
1/3 cup rye flour,
1/3 cup whole-meal, whole-wheat flour,
6 to 7 cups white flour,
1 TBSP salt,
1 cup of warm milk, (or milk substitute)
1 cup of warm water.
2 cups boiling water poured over:
1/2 cup whole-wheat kernels, or wheat berries, (available in health
food stores)
Allow to stand for two hours to soften the berries. Proof the yeast as
follows:
1/2 cup warm water,
1 TBSP sugar,
2 packages (TBSP) active dry yeast.
While the yeast is proofing, combine in a bowl:
1/3 cup rye flour,
1/3 cup whole-meal, whole-wheat flour,
3 cups white flour,
the drained wheat berries, and
1 TBSP salt.
Add:
the proofed yeast mixture from above, 1 cup of warm milk, and 1 cup of warm water.
(Note that you may use the water that was used to soak the wheat berries.)
Knead well for aabout 10 minutes, adding additional: white flour about 1/2 cup at a time. You may need to add 3 more cups, give or take a bit.
Form into a ball, place in greased bowl covered. Rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch down and knead 10 minutes, then cut in two, form loaves, and allow to rise again.
You may elect to allow the bread to rise a second time in the bowl. If so, James feels that the bread may need some help in the second rising, in the form of a bit of heat.
As to baking, this bread requires about 1 hour in a 400 F. oven.
This bread should have a good crunchy crust.
I have made this loaf without the wheat berries, as the crust and bread is
delightful without the berries, and some members of the family refer to soft
berries as "erasers" and hard berries as "rocks" - refusing to eat bread
with either. However, with a bit of practice, you will be able to use the
wheat berries at the right point so they will be neither "rocks" or
"erasers".