EASY "Artisan" Wheat Bread

By tjanddj

Nutrient dense

Here's a simple (small) no frills whole wheat bread. (it'll take you longer to read this recipe than time and effort making the bread. )

* this makes a very small hard crust artisan loaf, perfect for 4 people to eat a slice with dinner- no leftovers... if you are wishing for more... or to serve as sandwich bread... double the recipe.

Found on Dr. Fuhrman site

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water ( 100 degrees )
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt ( omit for ETL )
• options: thyme, rosemary, dried cranberries, walnuts...

Preparation

Step 1

Pour water into large bowl
Turn on oven to 350 degrees, turn off in 30 seconds... This will create a nice warm environment for your yeast to grow
Add yeast
Sift 1/2 cup flour into bowl ( put the whole wheat flour through a fine strainer - adds lightness to the bread, if you dont have a strainer... no worries - just pour it in )
Whisk together until all flour is combined with no lumps
Put towel over the bowl, place into the oven (oven is OFF at this point)
wait an hour or two...

Sift the remaining flour in 2 batches, add any optional ingredients to the first batch, salt rosemary, etc... stir the flour with a spatula in each batch completely.
This will create a fairly wet somewhat loose dough (the looser, the lighter the bread will be, you can experiment with the amount of flour)
Make the dough into a floured ball, place back into the bowl, towel on, back into the oven, (you can 30-sec reheat oven again if it has cooled).
wait 2 hours or so...

pull the wettish dough out of the bowl... form into a floured ball
Now... choose your pan... cast iron is my favorite for baking
Sandwiches? double to recipe and put batter into a small loaf pan or a small cast iron round pan
Artisan loaf to serve with dinner... cast iron griddle (smooth side up), if you don't have a flat griddle, a cast-iron frypan will do just as well. (no wooden handled pans go in the oven)
Aluminum cookie sheet - use parchment paper
Preheat to 500 degrees.

cooking with castiron: 18-20 minutes, until you push on the top of the bread, it is solid and it doesnt give way

Aluminum baking sheet: probably at least 30 minutes... test the bread the same way...

* Cool the bread wrapped in a towel on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.