Damn Good Sprouted Wheat Bread


I'm not a big boaster, honest.
I typically don't go on and on about how good one of my baked goods is.
But I just cannot hold back. I make a damn good loaf of sprouted wheat bread! I almost forgot, it's made with my darling sourdough, too. This sourdough mama is at a great point. It's healthy, it's mature, and it's able to be used in breads that do not have to taste "sour". This bread, for example, is sweet, not sour, as far as breads go. It's the perfect sandwich or toast bread. Truly.
Not kidding. I'm sitting here, after a long day, eating a toasted slice of sprouted wheat bread, slathered with cream cheese, topped with dried cranberries. The bread has the perfect crumb. It's chewy but not too chewy. It was baked for the perfect amount of time. And it's sweet, but not too sweet. The crust is good crust, too. Sheesh, it's just freakin amazing, what can I say???
And what's more is it's pretty easy to make.
This recipe will give you four mini loaves or one normal typical** size loaf. I made the minis because it's hard for me to finish a whole loaf of bread before it grows mold. So I eat one, then slice and wrap the remaining ones in plastic, then put in plastic bags, and stick in the freezer. It keeps pretty well in there, and then you take out a slice when you want and put it in the toaster.
Enough chatter, though, here's there recipe:

2 c wheat berry sprouts, ground in food processor
12 oz firm starter (see http://bit.ly/9lafSE)
2-3 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c milk
1/2 c water
2 T agave
1/2 T salt
Put all ingredients in a standing mixer OR in bowl if you are mixing my hand.
Mix on speed 2 or 3 (or by hand, and knead for at least 15 min) for 10 minutes. Add flour as needed (this dough tended to be a bit wet; it should be lightly sticky, not like glob onto your hands way sticky). Let dough rest for 5 minutes after mixing for 10 minutes (or kneading for 15), and then continue to mix (or knead) for another 10 minutes. Dough should pass the "window pane test", but if it doesn't, just mix a bit longer and stop. In my experience, it doesn't really matter! Just keep baking and you'll get to know your dough. I promise.
OK. Ball up the dough, and put in lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic and rest and rise 2 hours.
Punch down, and shape, and place into loaf pans. Let rise another hour and a half.
Preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven. Cool in pan 10 min, then on rack until completely cooled.

**(I say typical instead of normal as a silly joke...ha ha. In my field we don't call kids normal, we call them typical, which is really the same thing, but for some reason they think typical sounds more PC? who knows...enjoy the bread!)

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