I have been taking yeast bread for Communion. I haven't been very scientific about it; I just bring whatever bread I was making, which means that it was different each week. It was also very crumbly.
On Saturday, I set out to make a better bread, one that held together better. Two things I think helped with the success of Saturday's loaf: I added extra butter, and I didn't try to incorporate all the scraps into the dough as I kneaded it.
I thought about following a recipe, but I'd already gotten started. Still, Saturday's loaf was based on this recipe for Vermont Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread that I found on the King Arthur Baking Company website. But since I made key changes, I want to record them here.
In a big bowl, I put 4 tsps. of yeast in about a cup of warm water, with 2 teaspoons of white sugar. In a pan, I put 2 C. of water, 1 C. of rolled oats (but quick would work too), 1 stick of butter (8 T., which is a half cup), 1/2 C. of brown sugar, 4 Tablespoons of honey, 2 T. of salt (to be honest, a few grinds of the salt grinder, which I'm estimating to be 2 T.). I let that cool, while to the bowl of yeast, I added 2 whole eggs, plus most of a third egg (I set a bit of the beaten egg aside for an egg wash). I whisked them all together. When the oatmeal mixture cooled, I added it to the big bowl.
I added 1/2 C. of whole wheat flour, and then I added about 5-6 C. of white flour. This part is very inexact, but I know how the dough should feel. I let the bread rise once and shaped it into loaves. I let it rise again, and then I baked the loaves for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
The bread was delicious warm and delicious yesterday morning during communion. I stashed three loaves in the freezer, and if it defrosts and is not crumbly, this is my recipe ongoing.
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