Sprouted Wheat Berry Bread....

and how to sprout wheat berries!

Because, if you are going to make Sprouted

Wheat Berry Bread you will have to have

some sprouts! ;~}

*

Sprouts take 3-4 days, so plan your bread baking

accordingly.

*

Here is what you will need for sprouting ~

1 quart sized canning jar with ring/band.

cheese cloth

(or any fabric that will let water pass thru easily, or

even small mesh plastic screening)

Wheat Berries

(these can be found in the bulk food isle of your grocery store

or health food stores)

~*~

Place 1/4 cup wheat berries in the jar

and fill with barely warm water.

Put the cheese cloth over the jar and secure with ring.

Drain the water through the cheese cloth and

fill again.

Let stand for 2 hours.

Drain.

Rinse again and drain.

Place the jar on it's side.

Some people say they should be in the dark,

others say they need bright light.

I set mine on my kitchen counter under an East facing window

which only receives low light.
They grow just fine!

Rinse and drain the berries twice a day for 3-4 days

or until you have about 2 cups of sprouts.

Above ~ after 24 hours.

Above~ day 2

Evening Day 2

You will see what they looked like on the morning of day 4
below when we make bread.



When your sprouts are ready, gather your ingredients.
You will need;
1/2 C. warm water (105*-110*)
2 T. yeast
pinch of sugar or honey
2 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. nonfat dry milk powder
1 T. salt
1 1/2 C. warm water (105*-110*)
1/4 C. honey
4 T room temperature butter
2 C. sprouted wheat berries
4 1/2 - 5 cups bread flour

~*~


1. Into the 1/2 C. warm water, add your pinch of sugar or honey and
sprinkle the yeast over the water. Stir and let stand till foamy.

2. In a large bowl, add your 2 C. whole wheat flour, dry milk powder, and salt.
Combine with a whisk.



3. Add the 1 1/2 C. of warm water, honey and butter.
Mix with a wooden spoon and beat for about 1 minute.

4. Add the yeast mixture and beat for 1 more minute.



5. Add the sprouted wheat berries
(I pull them apart to more evenly distribute them.)
and add the bread flour 1 C. at a time.



You may need to dump out the dough and kneed
in the last cup or two of flour.
(It may not take all of the flour, add the last cup or two by small
amounts until the dough says that's enough!)
6. I kneed for about 10 minutes!




Just look at those tasty wheat berries and little green sprouts!
They smell like sliced cucumbers!

7. Place in a greased bowl and turn once to coat top.
Cover and let rise at warm room temp.
I let my bread rise in an oven preheated to the
lowest temperature and turned off.

8. Let rise until double ~ 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

(Sorry ~ I forgot to get a picture of the risen dough in the bowl!)

9. Turn dough out onto work surface and divide in half.
Working out the air bubbles (I use a rolling pin) shape
each half into a rectangle and roll into a loaf.



10. Placing seam side down into greased loaf pans,
let dough rise till double again, about 1 hour.



11. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a preheated 350* oven
or until bottoms of loaf sound hollow when tapped.

12. Turn loaves out on racks to cool and brush with butter.

Some say you shouldn't cut your loaf until it has completely

cooled or it will ruin the 'crumb' of the bread.

But who can resist the temptation of that heavenly scent

of fresh baked bread?

Not I!

Enjoy!

Chicken Roulades

A Gentleman Farmer Favorite!

~*~

Here is what you will need ~

*

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

Thin ham slices

Swiss cheese

Seasoned Bread Crumbs (I like the Italian or Herb and Garlic)

1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk

Salt, pepper and garlic powder

Butter/Olive oil

*

Stack about 4 narrow slices of cheese in the center of

2 thin slices of ham. Roll ham around cheese.

Center on chicken breast.

Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Roll chicken breast around ham/cheese and

secure with toothpicks and/or heavy thread.

(Try to completely encase so cheese doesn't leek out when melted.

This is easier said than done!)

Dip chicken bundles in egg and then in bread crumbs.

Brown in heavy bottom pan in melted butter,

turning to brown evenly on all sides.

I needed to add additional Olive oil to the pan.

When browned, put on a lid and let cook for about 20min

or until chicken is no longer pink.)

I served it with a simple rice pilaf and steamed fresh asparagus!


~*~

MMmm!

It was sooo good! ;~P

14 Carat Cake

This cake doesn't have any gold (sorry!)

nor does it's ingredients call for 14 Carrots!

It comes from the Farm Journal's Country Cookbook

that I received when I was first married (O so long ago!).

This is my favorite Carrot Cake ~ full of

sweet carrots, pineapple, nuts and coconut it is

dense, moist and delicious!

~*~

2 C sifted flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 C. sugar

1 1/2 C. oil

4 eggs

2 C. finely grated raw carrots

1 (8 1/2 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 C. chopped nuts

1 (3 1/2 oz.) can flaked coconut

~*~

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add sugar, oil and eggs; mix well.

Add carrots, pineapple, nuts and coconut; blend thoroughly.

(I use organic when I can, our own chicken eggs, juice sweetened pineapple, &

chopped pecans. Do they even make coconut in the cans anymore? I just grab

a nice large handful or two from the bag! ;~P)

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~*~

Pour into three 9" round layer cake pans that have been greased and floured.

(Or a 9X13 as I have used here, or as I usually do, use a tube

or bundt pan, greased and floured.)

~*~

~*~

Bake in moderate oven (350*) 35-40 minutes

(Mine was 45 minutes in the 9X13 pan,

1 hour in a tube or bundt pan. You will need to

check every 5 minutes or so, after the 35 minutes, depending on your

pan type. Toothpick should come out clean.)

Remove from the oven, cool a few minutes in pans.

Turn out on racks and cool thoroughly.

(Mine stayed in the pan!)

Fill layers (if using 9" layer pans)and

frost top (and sides) with

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

~*~

~*~

Eat and Enjoy!
~*~

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Combine 1/2 C. butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp. Vanilla
Cream well.
Gradually add 1 lb. confectioners sugar
(sifted if lumpy), beating well.

(Ingredients corrected 3/6/10

Thanks Susie!)