KS Quotient
Easy: All ingredients added before the first rise. Simple hand-shaping required.
I love this bread. (Others partial to the pungent appeal of molasses invariably like it, too.) I created it years ago in desperation, after the Alexandria, Virginia, bakery that had satisfied my hankering whenever I was willing to make the trip from my Maryland home to buy it suddenly went out of business. Guided by the ingredient label on a loaf I found buried in the freezer, I was eventually able to approximate the compact, but not dense, texture and hearty, addictive flavor.
The ample amount of molasses, in concert with the whole wheat, wheat germ and bran, rye, and small amount of oats, gives the large loaf a robust yet sweet taste and aroma vaguely reminiscent of good, "bran-y" bran muffins or perhaps dark Boston brown bread. The crumb is medium-fine and the crust springy. Smoothed with a little butter or a mild cheese, served warm or at room temperature, this bread is heaven. I also like it with seafood salad.
Yield: 1 very large round loaf, 14 to 16 slices
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour or unbleached white bread flour
1 1/3 cups (6.66 ounces) whole wheat flour, plus more as needed
1 cup (5 ounces) medium or dark rye flour
1 cup 100 percent bran cereal, finely crushed (in a small baggie) after measuring
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup wheat germ
2¼ teaspoons table salt
1¼ teaspoons instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
½ cup light or dark molasses (not blackstrap)
2 tablespoon corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus extra for coating dough top and pie plate
2 1/3 cups ice water, plus more if needed
First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the white flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, bran cereal, oats, wheat germ, salt, and yeast. In another bowl, thoroughly whisk the molasses and oil into the water. Thoroughly stir the mixture into the bowl with the flours, scraping down the sides and mixing just until well blended. If too dry to mix together, add just enough more water to facilitate mixing; don't over-moisten, as the dough should be stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more whole wheat flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours. Then set aside at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. Stir once partway through the rise, if convenient.
Second Rise Vigorously stir the dough, adding more whole wheat flour if needed to yield a very stiff consistency; then scrape down the sides. Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center, working all the way around the bowl. Oil a 9- to 9½-inch deep-sided pie plate or similar round 2- to 3-inch-deep pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour in the plate, then tip back and forth to spread the flour on the bottom and sides. Invert the dough out into the plate. Sprinkle with more whole wheat flour. Pat and press it into the dough with your fingertips, shaping the dough into a ball as you work. Then press and firmly tuck the sides of the loaf underneath all the way around so it forms a smooth, round, high-domed loaf, about 6 inches in diameter; add more flour as needed to reduce stickiness. Evenly garnish with 1 more tablespoon whole wheat flour. Using well-oiled kitchen shears or a serrated knife, cut a ½-inch-deep, 3-inch square in the center top. Tent the top with nonstick spray— coated foil.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods For a 1½- to 3-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 48 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough doubles from its deflated size, removing the plastic wrap as the dough nears it.
Baking Preliminaries 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F. Place a broiler pan on the oven bottom.
Baking Add a cup of ice water to the broiler pan, being careful of spattering and steam. Bake on the lower rack for 40 to 50 minutes until the top is nicely browned, then cover with foil as needed to prevent over-browning. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few moist particles clinging to the bottom portion (or until the center registers 208° to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 to 10 minutes more to ensure the center is done. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Slide the loaf onto the rack; cool thoroughly before storing.
Serving and StoringServe warm, or cool, or toasted; the bread slices best when cool. Cool thoroughly before storing in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days. May be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.