Oh my goodness making bread it is such a lost art isn't it but it doesn't have to be that difficult! Follow these 10 simple steps to make fresh, delicious bread straight out of your home kitchen!
HOW-TO BAKE AT HOME
-
First, preheat your oven to 170 degrees F and then turn off oven. (You are setting up temperature-controlled proofing environment for your bread to rise)
-
Next, empty the dry mix contents into a medium sized bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
-
Add 2 cups warm water to the bowl and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Mixture will be wet and thin. Allow to sit for five minutes.
-
After five minutes have passed, thoroughly mix again. The texture should be doughy and much thicker. If the dough is wet and seems to stick considerably to your fingers, add increments of 1/4 cup of flour of choice (I prefer sorghum) to make it more dry and easy to handle. Don't make it too dry though! A wet dough makes for a nicer rise.
-
Empty contents of dough from the bowl on to floured surface or onto a lightly floured Silpat and Knead your dough with your hands in a rolling and tucking motion. You DON'T want to flatten your dough, but more so roll into a sausage shape, where you'll have a seam at the bottom. You want to have a seam at the bottom.
-
Once the dough is into the correct shape, transfer to a greased bread loaf pan. I highly recommend a Pullman Loaf pan with a LID. **If you are using a regular loaf pan with a lid, cover the bread pan with a slightly damp tea towel, linen cloth or a simple seran wrap (not too tight, the dough is going to rise).
-
Transfer the bread pan to your prepped proofing oven (which should still be turned off) and allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
-
Take bread pan out of oven after it has doubled in size, place on the counter, still covered, and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
-
Once oven is preheated, load your bread into the rack above your pan of water and bake for 20 minutes. Don't open the oven for these 20 minutes.
-
Once 20 minutes have passed drop the oven temperature to 350° and bake for an additional 50 minutes.
-
Once 50 minutes has passed, your bread is ready to come out! Take out and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before popping out of the pan, slicing and enjoying!
HOW LONG DOES THE BREAD KEEP?
This bread does well in an airtight container (preferably ziplock bag) for 3-5 days on the shelf or 3 months in the freezer! We recommend slicing your bread before freezing. NOTE: The bread can last longer than 5 days on the shelf, but it may dry out considerably if not sealed from air. It does serve well as french toast, croutons, or a dipping bread if it dries out.
CAN I FREEZE AND THEN THAW?
NB's rule of thumb is don’t thaw bread on the counter—heat It.
If your loaf is not sliced and frozen, remove the loaf from the freezer and bake on a rimmed baking sheet at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
If your loaf is sliced and frozen, remove the number of slices you need from the freezer and bake slices on a rimmed baking sheet at 325°F for about 5 minutes. If you'd rather skip the oven, you can place in a toaster at the highest/defrost setting.
PRO TIP: This bread will keep beautifully if stored in a ziplock bag, either on the counter or frozen. The ziplock bag prolongs it from drying out. Do not vacuum seal.
IS THIS BREAD OK FOR PEOPLE WITH FOOD ALLERGIES?
Yes, it is! The ancient grain used in this bread (sorghum) is gluten-free certified, organic and tested in a laboratory for safety.
Every NaturBaker product is also free of the top 9 major food allergens:
-
milk
-
eggs
-
fish
-
crustacean shellfish
-
wheat
-
peanuts
-
soybeans
- sesame
-
tree nuts