And try this recipe for a really outstanding loaf. REC: Wild Rice and Onion Bread
Wild Rice and Onion Bread
Makes 2 large loaves or many rolls. After struan, wild rice and onion bread was the most popular bread at Brother Juniper’s Bakery, a version of the recipe appears in Brother Juniper’s Bread Book. The recipe calls for wild rice but it can also be made with brown or any other cooked grain. It only takes about ¼ cup of uncooked wild rice to make 1 cup (6 oz, by weight) of cooked wild rice.
6 cups UNBLEACHED BREAD FLOUR
3 ½ tsp COARSE KOSHER SALT
2 Tbsp INSTANT YEAST
1 cup COOKED WILD RICE or another cooked grain
¼ cup BROWN SUGAR
1 ½ cups lukewarm WATER (about 95°F)
½ cup lukewarm BUTTERMILK (about 95°F)
2 cups diced fresh ONION (about 1 large onion)
1 EGG WHITE, for egg wash
1 Tbsp WATER, for egg wash
Combine all ingredients, except egg wash, in a mixing bowl. Use a paddle attachment and mix on low for 1 minute. The dough should be sticky, coarse, and shaggy. Let rest for 5 minutes. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low for 4 minutes, adjusting with flour or water as needed to keep the dough ball together. The dough should be soft, supple, and slightly sticky.
Knead dough 2-3 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. The dough will still be soft and slightly sticky but will hold together to form a soft, supple ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days
On Baking Day remove dough from the fridge 2 hours before baking. Shape dough and put into 4 ½ by 8” loaf; into freestanding loaves of any size, which you can shape as bâtards baguettes or rolls (using 2 ounces of dough per roll.) When shaping, use only as much flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. For sandwich loaves, proof the dough in greased loaf pans. For freestanding loaves and rolls, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and proof the dough on the pan.
Mist top of the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature 1½-2 hours, until increased to about 1 ½ times its original size. In loaf pans, the dough should dome at least 1” above the rim. Brush the tops with the egg wash just before they’re ready to bake.
About 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F (300°F for a convection oven. ) Bake the loaves for 10 to 15 minutes, then rotate the pan; The total baking time is 45 to 55 minutes. The bread is done when it has a rich golden color, the loaf sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, and the internal temperature is above 185°F in the center.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
