Give us this day...

...tons and tons and tons of bread!  We baked bread all week.  Today we made a display with it and then took it home. 

7 Grain Bread
3 tablespoons raw brown rice

2 tablespoons raw millet

2 tablespoons barley

Put these three grains together in one saucepan and cover with water.  Cook until they are softened.  Bite one to check.  The barley seemed to get done last so bite that.  When they are done, spread them out on a sheetpan to cool.

Make a sponge with

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup cracked oats

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon honey

Mix the sponge and then let it rest for 10-15 minutes (while your grains cool).

Add the remaining ingredients and knead until elastic.

Add the cooked grains and knead until they are mixed in well.

Place in an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled (in a proofer if you have one--otherwise in a warm place somewhere).

I shaped my loaves with brotforms (or "proofing baskets"),  If you are using them, flour them.  Make sure flour is in all of the little nooks and crannies so your bread comes out easily.

Divide the dough into two even loaves and shape them how you want them.  A loaf pan is good.

I pressed them into the brotforms just a little.

 

Let them rise. This is them in the proofer (a cabinet that is temperature- and humidity-controlled to create the perfect environment for fermenting or rising).  Remove them from brotforms if you used them!  Brush the loose flour off.  Then bake the loaves at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until they are done.

Of course, I didn't take a picture of the finished loaves!  I will in a little while.  Tameka's round ones are in the picture of our bread display way down below.

We also made beignets.  Apparently, they can be used as currency--much like cigarettes in prison--because I traded mine for a plate of food from the International class ;) .  They did Spain today.  YUM!

Beignets
1/4 ounce dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups of hot milk (105-110 degrees Fahrenheit)
1 egg, beaten
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
to taste salt
powdered sugar, optional

With a dough hook, mix yeast, sugar, shortening, and milk.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add most of the flour and salt.  Beat at low speed until all of the flour is incorporated--about one minute.  Beat on medium speed until the dough forms a ball and climbs the dough hook.  Place in an oiled bowl and turn to cover the dough with the oil.  Cover with plastic and ferment (proof) until it has doubled in size (this will vary depending on the temperature in the kitchen).

Preheat your fryer to 360 degrees.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle about an inch thick.

Cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch squares.

Fry beignets until they are brown and crispy on all sides--about 3-5 minutes.  Remove and place on paper towels.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.  Find someone in another class who has good savory food and a sweet tooth.

We are in our third phase and just finished up the first five weeks which were Purchasing and Food Cost stuff.  Now we are baking again.  It's so good to be back in the lab!  This was Bread Week.  We baked bread every day and today we got to bring it all home but first we made a display.  I took a picture (the last one below) but we filled it out more after I did so it looked much better than this and I was too busy to take another.

On Monday we made Sardinian parchment bread, ciabatta, and a preferment for Filone.  On Tuesday we baked the filone, made a preferment for sourdough, and focaccia.  On Wednesday we made pizza and preferments for rye and pumpernickle breads.  Today we baked the rye and pumpernickle, made 7 Grain bread, and beignets.  Seems like I missed something.

We got pretty creative with our rye and pumpernickle.  I think we marbled all of it some way or another.  Braids were popular.  I twisted mine instead.  Joyce made a long twist that she coiled into a brotform that looked very cool.  It was fun.