Baking with "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day"

[TeakettleSlim]

Just wondering if anyone else has been baking from this book, the sequel to "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day". I got mine this fall, have made a few things from it but after reading the thread on the first book, am ready to dig in even more enthusiastically. So far I've made the olive oil bread and the flax baguettes, and just started the dough for the 100% plain and simple whole wheat bread today. I'm intrigued by the whole wheat brioche dough, may have to try that next.

[cookingofjoy]

I love the pumpkin brioche! It's great for french bread, and it's my favorite for the crescent roll recipe, too. I like the master, and my husband likes the flax. And not that I've done a lot of gluten-free baking, but of the maybe four loaves of gf bread I tried making, their gf olive oil bread was by far the best.

[flourgirl]

I don't know anything aout either book. What accounts for this book being healthy as compared to the first book?

[hsm]

More recipes that use whole grains, fruits, vegetables and some that are gluten-free. Having great success with the first book, I got some vital wheat gluten, more ww flour and started in on the new book. I think I need more practice, as I'm not getting the rise on the ww breads I've tried so far (understanding they don't behave like their more white-flour brethren). Next up, getting some flaxseed for the ww and flaxseed recipe.

And since I've been making more middle eastern dishes, I've got a bookmark on the tabbouleh bread with parsley, garlic and bulgar.

[flourgirl]

Thanks hsm! I'm into health. I love flax. Should I start with book 2?

I have never baked any bread before. I buy Dave's Killer Bread and am hoping I can replace it with my own loaves.

Doing some browsing I notice I need a special container, peel and baking stone. Are they must-haves right from the start?

[lesliec]

Hi flourgirl. Welcome to breadmaking.

Special container? No - any suitably-sized, clean plastic or glass (or stainless steel, I suppose) bowl or bucket will be just fine. If your container doesn't have a lid, use plastic wrap (it doesn't need a tight seal in the fridge, but you don't want it too loose either - I find my dough can get a crust on top which affects the texture a bit).

Peel? Not really. I use a thin sheet of aluminium which as a baking tray in a past life.

Stone? Useful, but not essential (and an advantage of NOT using one is you don't have to preheat the oven for as long before you put the loaf in).

Just dive in. I've found the basic recipe from the first book is about as forgiving as it gets. I don't own book 2, but doing healthy variants of book 1's basic dough is a piece of cake (to coin a phrase ...).

Let's see your results.

[flourgirl]

Thank you lesliec !! Your advice is much appreciated. From doing searches on Amazon and King Arthur Flour I thought i needed to buy a whole new set of bread-making gear. Whew!! That's a relief.

I will definitely post pictures after I make my first loaf

Thanks again

[hsm]

Flourgirl, I got a stone and peel at BB&B for under $20. I also use parchment paper, but that's all to make this pretty foolproof (important for me!). Whatever you choose to use, I second lesliec's suggestion to start with the forgiving basic recipe (available online) or the light whole wheat (uses one cup of ww flour + 5 1/2 cups of regular).

I once made 3 loaves in different styles from that one recipe and brought them to a dinner at friends. Two people asked if I had a bread oven! (I have a old electric GE I will be replacing soon, but I fear the newer oven won't get me the same results!)

[flourgirl]

That's a very nice compliment they gave you!

I like your idea about trying the online recipe. Is it on the book's website? I have white whole wheat flour in the house so it would work out perfectly. I usually dive right into things, buy everything imaginable even before I know if it will work for me. This will be the wiser thing to do.

I know how you feel about your oven. I feel the same exact way about mine. When I bake at my sons's house, the attachment to my own oven grows even stronger. He has a major oven and I don't like how it bakes. I like my ordinary Whirlpool.