>From: "G.T. \"Chuck\" Chuljian" <gtc@olympus.net>
>Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2004 21:08:31 -0700
>
>I'm writing to ask if anyone has had experience with a good barley bread
>recipe. Most have little barley flour and are mostly white or bread flour
>recipes with just a little barley added. Recent research indicates barley
>may have lipid lowering qualities as well as being nutritious.
And my father swears it improves his blood pressure and blood sugars when
he has rolled barley in his hot cereal for breakfast, but YMMV on that!
I love this recipe from Flatbreads and Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi
Diguid. The toasted barley is not only delicious, but gives the kitchen a
terrific smell while you're toasting it...
Tibetan Barley Skillet Bread
3 C barley flour
1 3/4 C unbleached bread flour
1 C whole wheat bread flour
2 t salt
4 T unsalted butter
1 C cold buttermilk
1 C boiling water
1/4 C brown sugar
2 t dry yeast
1/2 C water (warm for the yeast)
Toast the flour in a heavy skillet over medium low heat, stirring
constantly, until the flour is slightly darker in color (about 10 minutes)
[your nose is also a good guide--you want it to smell toasty and nutty but
stop just before it smells bitter and scorched]. Transfer to a large bowl
and let cool.
Add the flours and salt and stir well. Cut in the butter (should be like a
coarse cornmeal).
Combine the buttermilk, boiling water, and brown sugar, stir to dissolve
the sugar, and let cool until lukewarm.
Dissolve the yeast in the water, mix into the liquid, then add into the dry
ingredients and knead with more unbleached flour if needed. Dough should
be moderately soft. Let rise in oiled bowl, covered, until doubled (about
1 1/2 hrs).
Punch down and knead lightly before shaping into a 10 inch round. Place in
a buttered ovenproof heavy 10-inch skillet and let rise again, covered,
until doubled in bulk (about 30 minutes). While rising, preheat oven to 350 F.
Slash the top and bake in the center of the oven until the top is brown and
bread sounds hollow when tapped (about 50 minutes). Cool on a rack.
The loaf should be about 2 inches high and 10 inches in diameter, and
wedges go well with soup or split and drizzled with butter and honey.
I usually modify the base recipe by starting with unhulled barley (which
has more bran left on than pearled barley, but is husked) and toasting
that. I feel like I have a little better control when toasting the flour,
but if you don't have a mill for the toasted grain, using the flour is
fine. And I use all whole wheat for the rest of the flour portion, using
either hard white wheat flour or durum wheat flour.
Mmm....find myself craving this now....with some nice cheese for lunch.....
Diane Brown in St. Louis