Baking bread is therapeutic. Those who bake regularly will definitely agree with me on this. A bad day or a tensed evening or a drained mind on your kids tantrums, head to kitchen and bake something. I feel good and happy,when i see my bread dough rising and baking beautifully in the oven. It gives a sense of achievement when the cut loaf is porous and your little munchkin nibbles the first cut loaf.
After my success with buns, i wanted to bake a fluffy bread with wholemeal flour. I usually get a dense loaf, though good on taste, the look of it sometimes puts me off. So, this time, i tried making a biga/starter first and then made the dough with the starter and Voila, it worked.
Biga is a type of starter used to make traditional Italian bread, when used, bread is lighter, with bigger holes and a more moist crumb. Glad, i tried making this and now i m a bit relaxed while baking a wholemeal loaf or a multi-grain loaf.
After my success with buns, i wanted to bake a fluffy bread with wholemeal flour. I usually get a dense loaf, though good on taste, the look of it sometimes puts me off. So, this time, i tried making a biga/starter first and then made the dough with the starter and Voila, it worked.
Biga is a type of starter used to make traditional Italian bread, when used, bread is lighter, with bigger holes and a more moist crumb. Glad, i tried making this and now i m a bit relaxed while baking a wholemeal loaf or a multi-grain loaf.
Ingredients
For the Biga
1 cup Wholemeal bread flour
1.5 teaspoon instant yeast
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup molasses or honey (i have used molasses)
1 and ¼ cup water or milk( I used half of each mixed together)
1 and ¼ cup water or milk( I used half of each mixed together)
Dough
1 cup All purpose flour/White bread flour
¼ cup california raisins
2 tablespoon oil
Method
- In a wide bowl, take Wholemeal flour, yeast, salt, molasses and whisk well to mix together. Now add 1 cup of liquid and whisk well to get a smooth gooey batter. If you feel the batter is very dry, add another ¼ cup of water and mix. Let this Biga/starter stand for an 90 minutes in a warm place to rise.
- After the said time, add 1 cup of flour, oil and raisins to the biga and mix well with a spatula. Mix it well to get a uniform mix.
- Now grease a 9x5" loaf pan with butter or line it with a parchment paper. Transfer the dough into the greased pan, smoothen the top with the spatula. Let this sit for another hour in a warm place.
- Preheat the oven to 220C. Brush the top gently with milk or egg. Bake the bread for 25 minutes or until it browns beautifully on top.
Notes
- First time i made it with water and used 2 smaller loaf pans and the second time, i used milk and water mixed together and used a 9X5 loaf pan.
- The bread is mildly sweet, since i wanted it that way. You can reduce the amount of molasses to 2 tbsp, if you don't prefer that mild sweetness.
Varada's Kitchen
You are so right about baking being therapeutic. I have heard that a biga can improve crumb in a whole wheat bread. Your loaf has a great open crumb.
kitchen queen
delicious bread.
Unknown
baking is therapeutic!! so comforting and so healing!!! delicious bread..
Sneha's Recipe
You are right Priya , directing your mind in doing something you enjoy. This bread is so tempting.
Priya Suresh
Definitely baking is therapeutic, that y i bake often..This no knead bread looks simply prefect.
Chef Mireille
lovely bread for breakfast
Padmajha
Sounds like a bread that kids would love ! Bookmarking it Priya...
veena
Definitely baking is therapeutic. Bread looks lovely