A New Bread Adventure (Recipe Included!)

It's been just a year since our son, John, gave us the bread machine. In that time, we've bought only one loaf of bread at the store. However, today was the first time I ventured beyond a simple pound and a half loaf with no attempt at using the programmable features of the machine.

Except for my first disaster when I misread tsp. for Tbs. and seriously 'over yeasted' the loaf, every loaf has turned out fine. John gave his mother, the Cuter & Shorter Half, some kefir starter when she was visiting the kids earlier this month (I was home dog sitting the Household Canine) and she's been making it ever since she got home.

I found a recipe for bread using kefir as the liquid. It worked fine on the smaller loaf, so today I decided to go where I'd not gone before and play with the program menu.

My recipe was for a two pound, 100% whole wheat loaf, so I learned to set the menu a) for whole wheat, b) for a two pound loaf, and c) for a 'medium' crust. Here's the finished product.

I think next time I'll use the darker crust setting, tho'.

Here's the recipe, if any of my readers want to try it. And, if you don't have a bread machine, hit your local thrift shop! They're usually around $5.00.

Whole Wheat Sour Kefir Bread

From Our Live Active Culture

1lb loaf:

• 1 Cup dairy kefir
• 1/4 Cup water
• 1 tablespoon sucanat other natural sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil- I like Safflower oil, but sunflower would be good.  Olive oil's OK.  Butter works, but makes it dense
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 2  Cup whole wheat bread flour
• 1 1/4 Cup unbleached white flour 

                      OR

• 3 1/4 Cups Whole Wheat Bread flour 
• 1 tablespoon Gluten
• 1 teaspoon rapid-rise active dry yeast

2lb loaf:

• 1 1/2 cups kefir
• 1/2 Cup water
• 2 tablespoons sucanat (I used maple syrup)
• 2 tablespoons oil (I used olive oil)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 Cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1 1/2 Cups unbleached white bread flour

               OR

• Scant 6 Cups whole wheat bread flour 
• 2 teaspoons rapid rise active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons Gluten

Add ingredients to your bread maker's pan in order listed here.  Make a little Volcano hole in the flour to set your yeast in on top to make sure it doesn't get in contact with your wet ingredients until the right time.  Otherwise, follow your bread maker's directions, and make sure you run it on the whole wheat cycle.  The longer the cycle, the better, because whole wheat flour needs a lot more time to soak up the wet ingredients.