100% Whole Wheat Bread

I've been considering what I actually eat over the course of the week and I realized I've been consuming way too much sugar. After a little researching, it astonishing to find so many things contain sugar and Americans eat way too much of it. Not all sugars are bad, though they aren't necessarily great for you. White table sugar is so refined, there is nothing in it that is nutritional, which hopefully you all knew. So I set off to find a bread recipe that didn't contain sugar.

If you are going to sweeten your food, honey is a much better option. And if you can buy orange blossom honey from a farmers market even better. It hasn't be refined as much and your body can handle it so much better. Usually when I bake 100% whole wheat my food does not come out how I imagine. But this recipe was by far the best 100% whole wheat bread I've come across and it has so few ingredients. I wish I could afford to buy Great Harvest bread on a regular bases, but at $6 a loaf that is steep, even if we weren't on a student budget. Now I don't plan on always making my own bread because, a) we usually end up eating the loaf within 24 hours and b) it's too much work. But this was perfect to go along with our homemade chicken noodle soup.

100% whole wheat bread
adapted from food.com

2 3/4 c hot water {run water and hold your finger under, once it starts getting too hot to keep your finger in the water it's ready}
1/3 c olive oil
1/3 C + 2 T honey
1 T salt
7 1/2 c 100% whole grain wheat flour
2 T dry yeast {I used rapid rise}

Mix water, oil, honey and yeast together and let bubble, about 10 minutes. Add salt. Slowly add flour, you don't want it to be too dry. It should be sticky to the touch. Once mixed, leave in the bowl and cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes. It doesn't have to double in size. Grease two medium bread pans. On a flour surface kneaded the bread and separate into two loaf and place in pans. Cover and let rise again, about 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for about 34 minutes. With about 10 minutes left I had to cover the bread with tin foil to prevent the top from burning.

Rosemary Focaccia

Let's talk carbohydrates. While most of America hates them, in our household we LOVE them. I actually just finished reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan and he talks about how Americans hate carbohydrates and instead we eat {way too much} meat. Which that doesn't seem to be doing anyone favors because hello have you heard there is an obesity epidemic.

To avoid that soap box {don't worry I don't claim to be a expert in eating healthy}, let's continue with carbohydrates. My view, if you eat enough of them it will make you work it off, because they are so dang good you can't avoid them. Especially bread. When it's covered in butter and seasoned with rosemary, my favorite seasoning.

I made this focaccia with the intent to serve it with dinner. Instead it became my dinner, because it was ready at 4:00 and how was I going to hold off until 6:00? Don't worry I ran four miles the next day in the heat and humidity so I think between the running and the bucket of sweat I burned it all off. But we enjoyed it so much I made it again, to use for bruschetta. The second time I used dried rosemary instead of fresh and it was equally delicious. And using it for brushcetta was amazing, it might have helped that we used fresh mozzarella. Yum.

Rosemary Focaccia
adapted from Our Best Bites

1 c. warm (105-115 degrees Fahrenheit) water

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 Tbsp. white sugar

1 tsp. Kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 Tbsp rosemary (dried or fresh), divided
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly. While the yeast is getting bubbly, combine 2 C of the flour, salt, 1 1/2 Tbsp. rosemary, oregano and garlic powder.
Add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Mix well. Slowly add remaining flour to make a very soft dough–try and resist the urge to add too much flour. You want a soft, wet dough. Cover and allow to rise 45 min- 1 hour or until double in size. Lightly flour your work surface and transfer dough onto this surface. Shape into a rounded loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Cover and allow to rise another 45 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use remaining tablespoon of olive oil to brush over tops of loaves. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary and some Kosher salt. Bake for 20 minutes or until very lightly golden-brown.