Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Rustic Cranberry Bread



Here is something just a little healthier to offset all the sugary baking I normally do. I bought a 10kg bag of whole wheat flour then realized afterwards that ww flour has a shorter shelf life than all-purpose. I suppose you can expect to see more whole wheat baking from me soon! Does anyone have any good recipes that use up a lot of ww flour? I have heard that you can substitute half the flour in a recipe with whole wheat but whenever I do this the thing comes out tasting too 'healthy'. lol. My belief is, if you're gonna splurge, then SPLURGE!

I have a friend who is a crazy healthy eater. When he was getting tested to get into the police force the doctor tested his cholesterol and said it was the lowest he'd ever seen. Now whenever I make something 'healthy' he gets to be my taste tester. I made this bread for him and he just adored it toasted with cream cheese.

Rustic Whole Wheat Cranberry Bread
1 large boule or 4 smaller rolls

1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1.In stand mixer bowl dissolve honey in warm water. Add yeast and let stand for a few minutes, until foamy then stir in melted butter.

2. Combine all dry ingredients except for 1 cup bread flour, in a separate bowl. Using the dough hook, Gradually add dry mixture to the yeast mixture. Add in the last cup of flour gradually, just enough for the dough to come together and be only slightly sticky.

3. Cover and let rise for 1-1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
Gently deflate dough and shape into a round ball or smaller rolls. Cover and let rise for another 30-45 minutes until doubled.

4. Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 30-45 minutes or until instant read thermometer reads 190 degrees F. I like to bake these directly on a pizza stone, but you could use a baking sheet instead.

4 comments:

Julia @Mélanger said...

Yes, looks a lot healthier than normally sugar laden foods - though they are delicious! I should start baking more bread. This one looks delicious. Perfect for this time of year!

Cathy said...

That looks delicious! Would work great with a turkey sandwich!

Paula said...

Just went through all your yeast breads. I have a similar addiction and was QUITE impressed with your collection. You are so creative. Love it. I'll be back.

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