Summer Bread

As with so many other things, I always plan on baking bread much more often than I actually do, but at least always end up making a loaf around the beginning of August in honor of the ancient Gaelic first harvest festival of Lughnasadh. The Carrot Herb Bread recipe was looking mighty delicious in my favorite bread book; Uprisings: The Whole Grain Baker’s Book, so we gave it a go. My partner and I have this great arrangement worked out where I make the dough and he kneads it. I had a habit of making very dense, possibly under-kneaded bread loaves in the past, and since we worked this system out, we have nothing short of fluffy bread wonderfulness.

I liked this bread in particular because of all the different herbs and spices mixed in, not to mention the fresh carrot and chives (those were my own addition to the recipe.) 

Here’s to the abundance in our gardens. And the recipe below:

Carrot Herb Bread

1 2/3 cup warm water

1/3 cup barley malt syrup

1 Tbsp. yeast

2 1/2 cups hard whole wheat

Mix sponge and let rise double (about 15 min.)

Add:

1 cup shredded carrot

2/3 cup chopped scallions or chives

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sage

2 tsp. dill weed

2 tsp basil

2 tsp thyme

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1/4 cup oil

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 cups hard whole wheat flour (I used some white as part of it)

Mix and knead well. Let rise covered until double. Punch down and shape into loaves. let rise again. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.