STRATEGY SESSION: The brain behind this recipe belongs to Georgie Fear. Since whole grain flour is higher in fiber and lower in glycemic index than white flour, it’s Georgie’s choice for this recipe; but she increases these comparative  differences by adding cooked barley to the bread.  Its high protein content, beta-glucans, and low glycemic index make a nice contribution to the end-product. She also limits fat content by using skim milk instead of whole.

 

Shortly after Georgie and I decided to collaborate, I sent her a couple of bags of hulless barley just for fun. She immediately (and probably literally) tore into them and came up with this hearty, crusty bread: “I wanted to keep the actual recipe simple, since bread baking is intimidating enough for people, but there’s some little tricks to getting very nice crust on the bread. (And for me its all about crust.)…With the bread, it works fine to halve the recipe and make 12 rolls too, so there’s less temptation for bread overconsumption. My rule that works for me, I eat 1 roll when they’re hot out of the oven, and then the rest is for Val (my husband) to eat). And if they’re preportioned in rolls he’ll take 1 or 2 per day, but if its one big loaf it somehow disappears much much faster. European men seem to think 1 baguette = 1 serving.” Here’s a photo of her lovely rolls.

 

Note: Georgie says, “You can use honey, for a lighter color and a bit more sweetness, or molasses for a darker color and stronger flavor.” Georgie’s additional cook’s notes follow the recipes.

Georgie Fear’s Whole Grain Barley Bread 

• 3 ¾ – 4 cups whole wheat flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon wheat gluten
• 2 packages dry active yeast
• 1 cup skim milk
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ¾ cup cooked hulless barley (recipe follows)

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir to combine 1 cup of the flour with the gluten and yeast.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, honey, oil, and salt. Heat until just warm (115°F -120°F). Stir in cooked barley.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour and yeast mixture, and stir vigorously for 1 minute with a wooden spoon, scraping the sides of the bowl throughout. Add 1 cup of additional flour and stir to combine.
4. Continue to add flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until the dough becomes too stiff to stir with a spoon. At this point, transfer the dough to a floured countertop and knead by hand. Continue to dust countertop and hands with flour as needed to keep from sticking. (You may not use all the flour.)
5. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, and place it in an oiled bowl, turning to coat the entire surface of the dough with oil. Cover with a towel, and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 60 minutes, or until doubled in volume.
6. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Divide the dough in half, and roll each portion into a 12” log shape, pressing gently to deflate some of the air in the dough. To make 2 elongated loaves, transfer the logs to an oiled cookie sheet. To make rolls, cut each log into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place rolls on a greased cookie sheet, 2 round cake pans, or a 13”x9” baking dish. Cover the loaves/rolls with a towel and allow to rise again for about 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake the bread until the crust is browned and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Rolls will be done in about 15 minutes, loaves will be done in 30-40 minutes. Allow loaves to cool completely before slicing. 

Makes 24 servings

Per serving: 112 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 21 g total carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 5 g protein, 174 mg sodium.

 

Cooked Hulless Barley 

• 1 cup hulless barley
• 3 cups water

1. Combine barley and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover.
2. Simmer for 50 minutes, or until barley is tender and water is absorbed. Cooked barley can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. (Yield: 3 cups cooked barley)

Makes 6 servings

Per serving: 110 calories, 1 g total fat,  g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 23 g total carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 4 g protein, 4 mg sodium.

 

Georgie’s Tips for Artisan-Style Bread

• In warmer conditions, the bread dough will rise more quickly. In cooler conditions, the rise time will be longer, but the bread can develop more pronounced flavor from the yeast activity.  You can use this knowledge to manipulate your bread-making procedure to suit your goals. For a speedier rise, place the dough in a warm spot, but for more pronounced flavor, allow a longer rise at room temperature.
• Use a baking stone, (also known as a pizza stone), if you have one. These flat, unglazed pieces of ceramic can improve the crust texture of homemade bread and pizzas. For optimal results, preheat the stone in the oven before adding unbaked dough.  Use caution when handling the hot stone and transferring dough.  A metal paddle with a long handle comes in handy for this.
• Crank the heat. Especially when making baguettes or pizza, turning your oven up to very high heat (>450°F) can help produce a crisp, chewy crust with soft interior.  Be sure to watch the bread, however, so that is doesn’t burn. This technique is not recommended for loaves baked in loaf pans.
• Add steam with a spray bottle. The introduction of steam in the first few minutes of baking can help make bread crustier.  Professional bakers often have ovens equipped with steam jets, but for the home baker, a little improvisation will do. One technique is to use a spray bottle to mist the oven walls of the oven with water, creating steam. Do this once or twice in the first 5 minutes of baking. Be sure to spray quickly and close the door again, to avoid losing much heat.