Mmmm... Bread Part 2 ...

So, I make bread frequently because it's cheaper than buying bread.  It's not really all that difficult now that I've found a recipe that gives me a softer crust.  Crusty bread is good for some things (like dipping in olive oil and balsamic vinegar ... yum), but for an every day bread that I use for sandwiches and stuff, I like something that doesn't feel like I'm tearing up my mouth if I bite into it.

One of the first posts that I did was of my favorite bread recipe, and you can find that here. The only "problem" with this bread is that it's made with white flour.  I put problem in quotes because it's not really a problem.  I'm sure it's healthier than white bread you can get at stores, but it could also be healthier.

A while back, I tried to make some homemade granola and it came out okay, but it wasn't exactly the texture that I was looking for.  I wanted some granola that clumped together.  To try to accomplish that, I had purchased some wheat germ.

My hope was that the smaller particles would kind of act like a cement when the liquid/sugar flavors were added and create the clumps I was hoping for.  It didn't, but this blog entry isn't about granola.  This part is just back up to explain why I had some wheat germ just hanging around with my baking stuff.

According to some information I researched, I could substitute up to 1/3 of my flour in yeast breads with wheat germ.  So, that's what I did in my bread recipe.  I was looking for something to make my bread a little more nutritious.

I followed the same process as in the main recipe and used 1.5 cups of wheat germ and 3.5 cups of flour.  In the bread recipe, the ratios of wet to dry liquids work out perfectly every time, but with the substitution, the dough was very wet and sticky.  I added more flour, a little at a time, until the dough started to pull together.  I think it was 3/4-1 cup of additional flour.  The dough was still a little softer and stickier than I was used to, but it was just dry enough that it wasn't sticking to everything anymore and I didn't want to over work the dough or make it too dry.

I continued to follow the same process outlined in the main recipe and let the dough rise.  I punched it down, split it in two, rolled the loaves and let them rise again.  I baked them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (rotating the pans once on the shelf for even browning about 10 minutes in), then took them out to cool.

Once they were mostly cooled, I sliced them in to small, sandwich sized slices and tried a piece.  It turned out pretty good.  To be honest, I wasn't sure how it would taste because I love the taste of the other bread, but I think this one might be even better (though I haven't tried it with a little peanut butter and a little Nutella yet... one of my favorite dessert sandwiches).  It even got a "pretty good" out of my husband, who has never really been a fan of the wheat breads I've bought in the past.  He said that he thought it came out softer than the other version.

I'm getting pretty good at slicing even slices in bread.  I used to be horrible at it.  I guess practice really does help.  A good knife doesn't hurt either.

This is the first time I've really done a substitution in a baking recipe.  I've always been a little afraid to do that because baking can be pretty fickle, and it can turn disastrous if you get the ratios wrong (though breads tend to be a little more forgiving I think).

Anyway.  Give it a try if you want and let me know what you think.

Thanks and happy eating (happy and healthier)!