After making the hazelnut and grain loaves recently, I was left with a large quantity of cooked grains in the fridge…
I was loathe to waste these, so I made up two more recipes from Dan Lepard’s The Handmade Loaf.
The first was a variation of his Ale Bread with Wheat Grains – an attractive loaf, although the soaked grains in both cases made the dough very wet. I was concerned it would stick like glue to the banneton, hence the crazy amount of rye flour on the loaf above.
The finished loaf had a soft crumb and pleasant taste, although I think my decision to replace the ale in the recipe with apple cider might have been a bit rash…
. . . . .
The second recipe was an adaptation of Dan’s Alsace Loaf with Rye.
Despite the finished loaves looking like kindling (according to Pete), the bread had a deliciously sweet flavour, a tender but elastic crumb, and a lovely crunchy crust. It was so good in fact that we struggled to put anything on it – and settled for simply eating it plain.
Here’s my take on Dan’s recipe:
- 300g soaked mixed grains, well drained (see instructions here)
- 550g bakers/bread flour
- 320g water
- ¾ teaspoon dried yeast
- 25g honey
- 150g sourdough starter at 80% hydration (ie. fed at a ratio of 100g flour to 80g water)
- 1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 25g grapeseed oil
Cooking and soaking grains before adding them to a dough is an old-fashioned breadbaking technique, and one that’s rarely employed by modern day bakeries.
If you’re baking at home though, do give this a go – the grains soften up, and the resultant loaves are delicious, keep well, and don’t destroy your fillings when you bite into them!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Such great breads, are your neighbours queuing up patiently outside? I would be :D
I particularly like the very last photo, I just want to reach in and grab that piece of bread – you are such a fantastic baker Celia, mmm mmmm.
I can’t remember if I have tried this one exactly, I know they have inspired many loaves here. I am revisting the 100% sour rye – it’s sitting in the oven at 30 C trying to rise, I’m willing it to rise, nothing so far…..
Thank you dear friend, you know what baking is like, we all sort of muddle along.. :)
That rye is a trickster – I was sure it would just sit like a lump of clay, but as you said, it suddenly does its thing after several hours of just thinking about it! :)
They look really delicious Celia. I know I said this about your last grain loaves, but I really, really must try cooking with grains!
Thanks C! These ones are better for you personally – no nuts! :)
I like the idea of the softened grains, some of those bought loaves can be rock hard.
Deb, a miller friend once told me that they occasionally get complaints because someone’s cracked a tooth on a hard bit of grain – never happened in the old days, because they used to soak the grains before putting them into the bread.
Great stuff Celia, the bannetons are getting a real workout it seems!
Davey, you and I have to go shopping when you’re in town. Bring money. :)
Celia, you really are a great baker. These loaves look so good! I’m sure I’d be the size of a house if I had this much good bread around, because it is always sooo much nicer with a good smear of butter ….
Amanda, we didn’t get this size breathing…hahahaha…
Seriously though, the boys eat so much bread, especially Small Man. He will demolish a small ciabatta loaf a day, on top of his regular meals!
I’m thinking of making your adaptation with the cider instead of ale.
AND Joanna is right- that last shot is totally tempting!
I want the heel of that bread with a cup of tea on the side!
Heidi, I think you’ll love these loaves, but I’m still not convinced about the cider instead of ale. I think I would have preferred the first loaf a little more hoppy in flavour! The second one though, was an absolute winner – and the soaked grains added a wonderful subtle sweetness to the sticks.
Well you’ve been busy haven’t you! The first loaf is just picture perfect :D
Thanks love! :)
Very impressive looking loaves as usual. I wouldn’t have wanted to waste the grains either. Boys are terrible aren’t they? I get similar (although loving) comments about some of the things I make too.
Hehehe…boys aren’t too bad, but dry-humoured husbands can be a little brutal. ;-) He’s right though – they did look like kindling, especially when I tried to arrange them so the sticks were crossing each other – it looked like I was setting up for a campfire! :)
I love “porridge” breads, love the look of those. I’m cooking a mixture of a handful of each of whole wheat, millet, quinoa, and oat grits for my bread at the moment (adding them in that order, giving each a couple of minutes before adding the next). Loving the complex flavours of lots of grains, and feeling really virtuously nourished! I’m also finding with the long, slow proving of sourdough, the grains are partially digested – they get sweeter and softer. Only trouble is, now we’re eating too much bread for our waistlines!
Linda, we could never get anyone to eat grain loaves until I started soaking them. I’m actually not convinced that eating all the hard seeds are good for us, but like you, I find the cooked grain loaves very satisfying. Try macerating the cooked grains in a dry white wine – it adds an amazing dimension to the bread! :)
Celia, inspired by you, I sent away to Bakery Bits in the UK for a couple of bannetons (couldn’t find anywhere to get them in WA). They arrived this morning in perfect condition in spite of being opened by Customs. Now I can’t wait to use them!
Ann, that’s fantastic! I haven’t ordered from BB before, but my friend Joanna is a big fan, and the man who runs it, Patrick, is very nice. Hope you have great fun with them! The big tip I got from everyone I know is this – don’t ever flour them with regular wheat flour, always use either rye or rice flour. The wheat flour will make the dough stick badly!
Hi Celia,
They look beautiful. As well as the depth of flavour and texture that the grains offer I think it also feels more whole to have such bread as it is resourceful, rather than wasteful. That’s another thing I love about your blog – how so much is a reflection of being effortlessly (‘naturally’ might be a better term) resourceful.
Craig
Aaaah, praise from the breadmeister, thank you! :) And thank you for your kind words, I hope we can try to be resourceful rather than wasteful. We’re not brilliant at it yet, but hopefully all the little things add up to make a difference… x
As always Celia, success from your kitchen. Kindling, oh dear, my Pete would love that – any excuse to start a file for a braai (barbecue).
The way you describe the second loaf is how a perfect slice of bread should be and it really is great to enjoy bread with nothing other than a spread of butter.
:-) Mandy
Thanks Mandy – your Pete and his barbeques! :) The loaf really was very moreish!
Thanks for the flouring tip Celia. I only hope my loaves turn out half as well as your beautiful ones!
That’s very kind of you Ann – I’m sure they will be magnificent! If they come out of the banneton cleanly, most of the work is done! :)
Kindling never tastes as good as those lovely loaves! What grain mix are you using? I usually use Ben Furney’s 7 grain mix–a mix of mostly cracked grains that comes up with just a boiling water soak. I soak a double or triple amount and just freeze the extra in small containers.
Liz, I found it in the fridge – it originally came from my friend Kevin Sherrie’s mill, and contains Kibble Wheat, Mung Bean, Maize, Rye, Triticale, Soya Beans, Linseed, Barley and White Sorghum. It’s an intriguing mix, and really only needs a soaking, I think, the cooking is probably surplus, but it was nice to get such soft grains! :)
Your bread looks bakery made. Its so perfect and airy :) I can never get bread like that. Def more damper. Maybe I’ll do a course lol
Thanks Nic! Apparently Brasserie Bread do some fantastic breadmaking courses!
What a coincidence – I was just reading Dan’s section on using up cooked grains this week, very funny. This really appeals to me, and your loaf is very inspiring.
Chris, Dan’s book is just wonderful for leftovers. I was looking at a bowl of beef dripping leftover from last night’s roast, and wondering if Dan had a recipe to use it up. Pete’s a little grossed out by the idea.. ;-)
Oh wow, your bread looks amazing! If only I could eat it ;-)
Emm, thank you! I wish you could eat it too! Have you ever tried Dan Lepard’s gluten-free loaf recipe? It’s really very good… https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/05/22/best-gluten-free-bread-ever/
Loaves look wonderful Celia!! I’ll have to try grains again in bread. I tried once and the grains weren’t cooked (recipe didn’t say to) so there were quite a bit of crunchies in the bread and I did not like it. I do love cooked rice in my bread though.
Melanie, thank you – my boys won’t eat a standard grain loaf, but they liked these ones very much.
Softening the grains that way….., nice little trick. This loaf looks wonderful Celia….., I can almost taste it.
Thanks Anna. Once again, I wish you lived close enough for me to run a loaf over to you! :)
I can almost smell those through the screen. Gorgeous!
Rufus, thank you! :)
I’d love to come and have a bread baking lesson in your kitchen.
Sally, I’ve read your blog, you hardly need breadmaking lessons from me! But the company would be grand.. :)
How did it go with the cider vinegar? Was it sour or did it mellow out with the cooking?
Becca, it wasn’t cider vinegar, it was alcoholic apple cider in place of the water in the recipe! The flavour wasn’t quite right for my tastes, I should have listened to what Dan recommended, but you know me, I can’t help myself sometimes. Big Boy quite liked it though (then again, he’s a big cider fan!). :)
That makes so much more sense! I must have read it wrong, DOH!
I would be standing outside your door for a handout….
There’s always plenty to go around! I have neighbours ring occasionally and say, “hey…do you have a spare loaf in the freezer I could have?”. I love it! :)