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types we most commonly use in breads. These two are both low in the two proteins that produce
gluten, so without the addition of white flour, they bake into dense, heavy, fine-textured breads.
Blending in 20 to 50 percent white flour lightens the loaves significantly, and they still remain
whole wheat or rye breads, respectively.
Whole wheat bread, even with the addition of white flour, is never very light—it is hearty
with very good flavor. This flour includes the germ and the bran of the wheat grain. The germ is a
tiny starch and oil-rich portion from which the new plant germinates, while the bran is the outer
covering surrounding the grain that protects and seals in the inside. These two, germ and bran, are
what lend the lovely flavor yet hinder light and airy texture.
The wheat germ contains oil that turns rancid, especially when you store it in a warm place.
Any flour that includes germ, such as whole wheat, has a relatively short keeping quality. If you
keep the flour for more than 6 months, it is best to refrigerate it in warm weather, or at least keep it
in a very cool place. Rye flour has no oil and you may keep it for years, just like white flour.
Many yeast breads improve in flavor with the addition of 10 to 25 percent whole wheat
flour. This amount is not large enough to increase the density of the bread much, but it does darken
the color and give it a richer, nutty flavor, plus added nutrient of the whole wheat.
Oat and barley flours have excellent flavor but since they don't contain gluten-forming
proteins, they produce especially heavy, dense breads. If you like to bake with either of these flours
to include their wonderful flavors, it is best to add only small amounts to your dough, no more than
25 percent, to retain light texture. Graham flour is a coarse-ground whole wheat flour. You may
substitute graham for whole wheat flour one for one.
Chili pepper bread
Chili pepper bread is alive with a slight pungent bite of chili and unusual with a soft pale
vermilion color. You control the amount of chili—2 tablespoons the recipe calls for produce a
pleasant bite. This bread is particularly well-suited to accompany a high-flavor meal or for lunch
with sturdy sausages and cheese. Its flavor would overpower mild foods and it is definitely not
suitable for the first meal of the day (though it is surprisingly good with butter and jams or
marmalades).
Ingredients
¾
cup very warm water
2½ teaspoons dry yeast
½
1
teaspoon sugar
egg
¼
5
2
cup vegetable oil
cups bread flour
teaspoons salt
2
2
teaspoons sugar
tablespoons medium-hot ground chili
cornmeal to sprinkle baking sheet
Procedure
1. Sprinkle yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar in water and stir well. Let yeast proof for 5 minutes.
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