Hello my friend~
The color of March this year has been white and brown. We have had days of snowy, chilly white and then a few warmer days when the world shows up in every imaginable shade and hue of brown. Suddenly, the white is gone and the browns of the earth are aglow with clear liquid spring sunshine. There is the wheaten, bleached color of beech leaves still clinging to the trees and the dark, wet brown of mulch. I see the throbbing brown of mud and the fragrant brown of fallen leaves pooled in a corner by the barn
Before the real work of spring starts I still have time to bake and so after a walk in the chilly wild wind of March I come in and start a loaf of Ezekiel Bread. I searched the whole World Wide Web over for a recipe for Ezekiel Bread that actually used fresh soaked grains- to no avail. Thus I was inspired to experiment and invent my own recipe.
I love the Ezekiel Bread you can buy in the health food store but I get tired of the $6.00 price tag. For a little over a dollar you can have 2 lovely homemade loaves. It freezes well and I have kept a loaf in the frig for up to two weeks. Every morning I slice off a large chunk and toast it to a warm crispy deliciousness.
I was surprised recently when I gave my new neighbor a loaf of this bread. She asked why it was called Ezekiel Bread. I guess I thought that most people knew that it was called Ezekiel Bread because in the Bible God tells the prophet Ezekiel to put wheat, beans, lentils, barley, spelt, and millet in a pot and then to make bread with it. He had to bake it over a fire made with cow manure. He had to eat it for 390 days. Read the story in Ezekiel 4. The Bible is so interesting!
EZEKIEL BREAD TOASTING LOAF
First measure out 1/2 cup lentils, 1/2 cup barley, 1/2 cup black-eyed peas. Now put these in a container and add 3 cups of water. Let the grains and water sit for 12 -24 hours. After the grains soak, try tasting one. You will be surprised that it has turned into something fresh tasting; kind of like a raw green bean. When you are ready to stir up your bread; dissolve 1 cup warm water, 2 teaspoon yeast,1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon ginger in a small bowl. Next pour the grains and soaking water into a blender. Pulse the mixture until it is the desired texture. The more chunky you leave it the more texture you will have in your bread. Pour the grain mix into a large mixing bowl. It will look like a foamy, chunky mess!
Next add the dissolved yeast mixture to the grain mix. Note: do not leave out the ginger . It is an old fashioned yeast enhancer. It will help this heavy bread to rise. You do not really taste it in the finished product if you are not fond of ginger.
Next you will need to dump in the rest of the ingredients: 1/2 cup molasses, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup spelt flour, 2 cup whole wheat flour, 4 cup white flour. Mix well. I just do it by hand. I encourage you to use the molasses in this recipe as it gives the bread a wonderful depth of flavor. You could use honey if you prefer.
You now have bread dough.
Place your dough on the counter and knead for 150 strokes; using up to 1 more cup of white flour to keep it from sticking.
Divide the dough in half and place into two greased bread pans. YES! We are only going to let this bread rise once. A second rising causes this dough to get very soft as the enzymes in the grains start breaking down the gluten and then it does not rise at all.
Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise up to two hours or until the loaves fully double in bulk. This bread does not rise much while baking so make sure to fully let it rise before placing in oven. In my fairly cool kitchen [66'] it takes a least 2 hours.
Bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from pans.
Bread. Comforting and life sustaining. As you eat your bread remember The One who gives us our daily bread. God is the great king of the universe and by his hand the earth brings forth bread. He gives us bread for our bodies and he is The Bread. He gives us The Bread so that our spirits are nourished and have life. Today remember to eat some spiritual bread [your Bible] and then remember to share your Bread. As a poet once said, 'give bits of fresh bread from the oven of your heart.'
Here are some bits of fresh bread from my heart to yours: God loves you. God is for you. God will make a way for you. God has given you what it takes to make it in this world. Bread.....mmmmmmm !
EZEKIEL BREAD TOASTING LOAF
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup black-eyed peas or other beans
1/2 cup barley
3 cups water
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup millet
1 cup spelt flour
2 cup whole wheat flour
5 cup white flour
Place the lentil beans, and barley in a container with the 3 cups of water. Let soak 12- 24 hours. When ready to mix up your bread dissolve the yeast in the 1 cup of warm water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and the 1 teaspoon of ginger. Next place the soaked grains and all the soaking water in a blender. Pulse until desired consistency. Do not puree. Leave some texture. Pour this blended grain mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the dissolved yeast. Next add the molasses, the salt, millet, spelt flour, whole wheat flour and 4 cups of white flour. Mix well.
Place the dough on the counter and knead for 150 strokes using up to one more cup of the white flour to keep the dough from sticking. Divide the dough into 2 parts and shape into loaves and place into 2 loaf pans. This dough only rises one time. Let dough fully double in bulk. It will take from 1 -2 hours for this to happen depending on the warmth of your kitchen. This bread does not rise much when baking so make sure it has fully risen before you bake it. Bake in a 350" preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from pans.
