Sprouted Wheat Bread

I don't typically post recipes involving oddball ingredients, but this is an exception. I'm posting it more for myself, than readers as I will likely want to prepare it again. If you happen to have wheat sprouts, and kefir on hand-this really is a lovely bread, but I wouldn't go out of my way to sprout wheatberries and make kefir just for the sake of a loaf of bread. This bread proved quite popular, as half the loaf is already gone, and I only baked it this morning!




You Will Need:

1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 1/4 teaspoons granulated dry (not instant) yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup kefir at room temperature
4 tablespoons margarine, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup sprouted wheatberries
3 cups strong flour

Proof yeast in warm water with the granulated sugar. Let stand 15 minutes, or until foamy. Stir in kefir, margarine, salt, honey and wholemeal flour. Mix well. Add the wheat berries, and mix well. Add the strong flour slowly-about 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is soft, but not so sticky that you can't handle it. Cover bowl and let rest 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, begin to knead, adding only as much flour as absolutely necessary to keep it from being a sticky mess. The dough will be quite soft. Place in a buttered bowl, and let rise an hour, folding twice in that time. After the final fold, let dough rise until doubled.

Gently de-gas the dough and shape into a large loaf, or two smaller loaves. Place in well-buttered tins. Cover lightly with a towel, and let rise in a warm spot-top of the oven is fine) until nearly doubled-about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

I brushed mine with beaten egg white beacause I had it, but anything you like would be fine-an egg yolk wash would be attractive as well.

Bake 20 minutes, then rotate pan and bake another 20-30 minutes, or until bread reaches an internal temperature of 200-205 degrees F. Cool on rack.