Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1½tablespoons dry yeast (2 packages)
- 3cups lukewarm water (85 to 105 degrees)
- ¼cup honey, molasses or brown sugar
- 1cup dry milk
- 7 to 8cups whole-wheat flour
- 4teaspoons salt
- ⅓cup oil or butter
- 1egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water, for egg wash
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
336 calories; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 321 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in water and stir in the honey and dry milk. Stir in 4 cups of the flour to form a thick batter and beat 100 strokes with a spoon. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes, then add the salt and oil and an additional 3 cups of the flour and knead until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
- Step 2
Knead on a floured board, using about 1 cup more flour if needed to keep the dough from sticking, for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Let it rise for 50 to 60 minutes, until it is doubled in size. Punch down and let it rise again for 40 to 50 minutes, until doubled in size.
- Step 3
Shape into two round loaves and place them on a baking sheet. Let them rise for 20 to 25 minutes. Coat the top of each loaf with egg wash. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour or until golden brown.
Private Notes
Comments
Yes, I too have been baking this bread since the 1970s having seen the recipe in the Tassajara Bread Book. I too just use this basic recipe and add different ingredients depending on my cupboard contents adding sunflower and/or flax seeds, buckwheat flour, and more unbleached white flour and omiting the dry milk. This recipe creates a bread that is almost cake like because of the triple rising and waiting to add the oil and salt.
This is my favorite bread recipe and I've been making it regularly for the past few years. Hearty and healthy. I skip the following: dry milk, third rise. Add oats to replace 1/4 of the flour. Add whatever seeds I have on hand. Bake in a parchment-lined Dutch oven. Delicious!
Been making this on and off for years. It is a highly forgiving recipe. Lately I have been using a cup of buttermilk and 2 cups of water. Makes it extra smooth and has a wee tang.
I started making this recipe when I was a teenager, in the 1970s and kept making it through the 80s and 90s, raising my son on it. I always made 4 loaves at a time, since I come from a large family, but even when I moved out on my own, I kept making 4 loaves so I could freeze some and give some away. Homemade bread begs to be shared. My friend Tibby gave me the recipe calling it a “failure-proof recipe, one you just can’t [foul] up.” After I made my first batch, I was a devotee. I bought the Tassajara Bread book. I always tossed in different things – seeds and nuts, and loads of different flour combinations – to experiment with flavors and especially textures. I started every loaf with oatmeal and discovered the more things I added in the better I liked the bread, especially toasted wheat germ, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, poppy, and sesame) and finely chopped walnuts. I always baked in loaf pans to facilitate toasting nice thick slices for breakfast and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. And I always used the egg wash so I could top the loaves with sesame and poppy seeds, which makes them beautiful and extra delicious. I began making Tassajara bread again about a year ago, and have tried baking it on flat trays and in Dutch ovens, and I plan to try using the dough to make rolls. Tibby was right. As long as your yeast is good – always check the date – there is no way you can go wrong with this recipe. It’s unbelievably good!
Richard, the recipe in the original Tassajara Bread Book actually calls for bread pans. Ed Brown (author) has even included detailed instructions on how he greases the bread pans. The truth is, this recipe is quite flexible - yesterday I made one loaf in a dutch oven and divided the other loaf into 12 rolls. You can do braided loaves, hearty croissants, garlic & pesto knots - I could go on! Happy Baking!
I think the original recipe uses a combination of unbleached and whole wheat flour. I have made these breads for years always with satisfying results. There is nothing quite like kneading bread.