Rancho La Puerta Whole Wheat Bread Recipes

RUSTIC WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Stir all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, instant yeast, and salt together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Whisk water and oil together in a cup; pour into flour mixture. Mix on low speed until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl into a ball.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead just until dough is smooth, about 1 minute. Divide and shape dough into 3 balls for small loaves or 2 balls for larger loaves. Dust loaves with flour and place onto a baking sheet; cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 25 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Slash an "X" about 1/4-inch deep in tops of loaves with a sharp knife.
• Bake in the preheated oven until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven to cool completely on a wire rack.

RANCHO LA PUERTA'S GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the oats, bran, wheat germ, almonds, cinnamon and cardamom.
• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the orange zest, lemon zest, honey, vegetable oil and apple juice. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the dry ingredients, stirring well to combine. Spread the mixture in 1/2-inch layers on cookie sheets and bake about 40 minutes, or until toasted, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and store in a tightly sealed container for up to a month.

RANCHO LA PUERTA WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine 3 ½ cups tepid water, the honey, yeast, and oil. Stir and set aside for 5 or 6 minutes, until mixture bubbles and foams. In the meantime, spray two 8- by 5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
• Add the flour, a cup or so at a time, and the optional salt, mixing with your hands or a wooden spoon until the dough comes together and forms a manageable ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until your hands come clean when lifted from the dough and the dough is smooth and elastic. [To test if the dough is well kneaded, insert a clean thumb into the dough, and count to 5. If your thumb comes out clean, the dough is kneaded properly, and you don't need to add any more flour.].
• Preheat oven to 350°F Divide the dough into two equal-sized pieces, and shape into loaves. Place loaves in pans. Cover with dish towels, and set aside in a warm, draft-free place for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.
• Bake bread on the center rack of the oven for about 40 minutes, until the crusts are golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. Cool completely on wire racks before slicing.