Thoroughly Thoreau

The inspiration for this bread came from this quote by Thoreau :

"he who distinguishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not can never be otherwise."
Our culture has become so removed from our food that I think many of us have lost the ability to truly 'savor' it. How can you really enjoy a piece of processed turkey on a store bought loaf of preservative laden bread? Just my thought of the day.
Anyway, that prompted me to make my own bread, which was generally successful. Although a little dense. Next time I'll reduce the oats a bit.

As I was baking, it occured to me that it's not entirely 'normal' that my recipe inspiration is -more often than not- literary. I like to think that it's the natural progression of an English major turned foodie; the perfect culmination of the mental craft of great writing, and the physical craft of great cooking.

Either way, it's been going on too long to chang it now. Until the authors start talking to me, I think I'm safe.
Here's the recipe:

The finished product.

Thoroughly Thoreau Bread

Equipment: An oven (duh), a really big mixing bowl, a cloth or some saran wrap, a spoon, a pizza stone, and a baking pan or something that holds water and can go into the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 C. bread flour
• 1 1/2 C. white wheat flour (just like regular wheat, but better. Available in most stores)
• 1 C. oats of some kind- not quick cooking. I used Bob's Red Mill 5 grain, plus a little regular old oatmeal, cuz I ran out.
• 1 package of yeast
• A little over 1/2 Tbsp Kosher Salt (incidentally, I took the time to measure my salt -instead of just   throwing in a dash-- and realized that what I think 1/2 a Tbsp is, and what it actually measures out to be are two very different things. Who knew?)
• 2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten (sold in supermarkets)
• 1/4 C sunflower seeds (no shells, please, unless you really don't like your teeth)
• 1 1/2 cups warm water, + 1/4 C to proof yeast in
• Some seeds for sprinkling on top. I like poppy, seasame and sunflower, with a few oats mixed in. You could also use flax or whatever.
• 1 tsp sugar (or honey) for the yeast

-This should make two small loaves. It's easy to double, but I wouldn't recommend halving it.

Assemble all your ingredients. Don't they look wholesome and natural? Thoreau would be proud. I think.

Start by proofing your yeast. Basically, you're just making sure the yeast works, and activating it.
Fill a glass measuring cup to the 1/4 line with warm water. I like to use a one cup measurer (sp) with markings all the way up, because it's frustrating to tell if the yeast has doubled.
Now, stir in the yeast. Nothing cool happens, it's very dissapointing.
Stir in 1 tsp sugar. Nothing cool happens again, also dissapointing.
Ignore the yeast for at least five mintues- it's the best way to make it learn. And also it's really boring to watch yeast.

While your yeast is growing big and strong, measure our your flours, oats, salt and the 1/4 C. sunflower seeds into the big bowl. Mix it together. If you feel the need to experiment, this is the time to add things. Garlic, rosemary, whatever.
Go back to the yeast. Has it doubled (roughly)? Take a moment to be grossed out by the fact that yeast is alive. Also, it was kinda cool how it got all big and frothy, right?
If that didn't happen, stop everythign and try another yeast packet. You have dead yeast. RIP.

Pour the yeast/water into the bowl the the flour and stuff. Add the rest of the water slowly-- if it looks like the dough is drowning, stop adding water.
Stir this beautiful mixture with a spoon (you can also use a mixer, if you want to cop-out) it shouldn't take long. Basically you're just looking to get it all mixed together-- no clumps. Don't knead the bread! This is very self sufficent dough..it doesn't KNEAD you to smother it. Hah..haha.
After you deem the bread mixed, make sure it's kind of in the center of the bowl and cover it. I just use a pastry cloth.

Now here's the really annoying part: find a warm place to leave the bowl (I set it on top of my over, with the door cracked a bit) and leave it for like 1  1/2- 3 hours until the dough has risen and 'fallen'. Like the roman empire. If your dough doesn't rise it could be because 1) you have it in a cold place 2) your yeast is dead 3) something else has happened that a professional baker could probably explain.
A trick my mother taught me, is to stick a finger in the dough. If the hole fills back in, it still needs time, if it stays hollow your dough is good to go. I have no idea about the science behind this, but it sounds good.

The two hour wait for the dough to rise and collapse is a perfect time to meander through the beautiful prose of Walden. Right? Well for me it is.


Once the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 470, you'll want it soon.

Flour hands (and have more flour on standby) and divide dough in half. Using your hands (and flour!) form it into two balls. The dough will be sticky when you start, but by the time it's in a ball it should be pretty 'smooth'. Form the balls into two oval ish shapes.
Cover your pizza stone with parchment paper, and put the bread on it. Then, cover the bread (loosely) again and leave it alone for 30 minutes.

In the meantime: get that extra baking tray (I use a square cake tin) and stick it in the bottom of the oven. Make sure the rack for the bread is in the middle, while you're at it. Oh, and get about a cup of hot tap water ready.

Okay, now go back to the bread. Brush a little butter on the top (or water, or egg wash) and score several times  along the top with a knife. Sprinkle the seeds on top and stick in the oven.
Then (quickly) pour the cup of water into the baking tray below the bread.

This creates steam which helps give the bread a yummy crust.

Cook for 10 minutes at 470, then turn the heat down to 450 and remove the water tray. Cook for another 20ish minutes, or until brown and firm.

Remove from oven. Cool. Slice. Enjoy.