Styx and Seeds

My three work days are behind me and this morning I eagerly anticipated getting into my kitchen to begin my baking challenges. I was pretty much whipped from my work week, but somehow that exhaustion dissipates when I begin another baking adventure.

My sister has been sending me a few tried and true recipes that she has baked throughout the years and as they arrive I put them into my Tassajara Bread Book to be added to my bread baking experiments. The first one I decided to make this morning was entitled Cook’s Country Multigrain Dakota Bread. My preference in bread is for it to have multigrains dispersed throughout and more adhered to the outside crust and this recipe is chocked full of seeds…sesame, poppy sunflower, pepitas, flax seeds and a seven grain hot cereal mix as well. I love the crunch of those styx and seeds.

It was easy to make and for the first time I decided to press my Kitchen Aide mixer and dough hook into service. All of my previous loaves have all been hand mixed and kneaded. My mixer performed admirably and made the whole process quick and easy. After a couple of risings, it went into the oven for about 40 minutes and out came one of the most beautiful loaves I have produced to date. And perhaps the best tasting thus far. Firm, crusty crust and a multigrain infused soft, chewy moist crumb.

The next recipe I tackled was from the Tassajara Bread Book…Oatmeal Bread. Once again I used the bread hook and the dough came together nicely. After several rises, I divided the dough in half and used a loaf pan for one and gave another try to the woven willow basket for the other loaf. This time when I removed the loaf from the woven willow basket to place on the pizza peel to be transferred to the preheated baking stone, I could at least see the woven pattern so at least I am making progress. The Oatmeal Bread turned out quite delicious…nice firm crust and a soft, chewy, nutty crumb. It was delicious with bread and sour cherry jam!!

These two different types of loaves I made today are definitely “WOW” keeper bread recipes. The Multigrain Dakota Boule was quite large and I would probably make two loaves out of this in the future. I’ll keep trying new recipes but these two may end up being my “go to bread” for daily use because they ticked all the boxes of what I desire in a loaf of bread.

Next up…soft pretzels!! Or pizza!! Yum, yum!!!