Whole Grain Artisan Bread (in 5 minutes a day) and Blendtec

I'm a big fan of Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day.  I wanted to try out a healthier option, by using my whole grains.  I do have a grinder.  But to be honest, it is not the easiest thing.  It takes a bit of time and sounds like an airplane is in my house.  

But, I do have a Blendtec blender.  Hot dog, I love that thing.  So, I got a scoop of 7 grain mix, put it in the blender, put it on level 9, and let it go.  What do you think?

Slightly unconventional, but I use the top of my cake holder to mix the bread dough.  It's the only thing I have big enough to do a double batch, and still have a lid for the fridge (yep, I turn it upside down).

Add the salt, yeast, and water..and let it proof for a bit.

3 cups lukewarm water (you can use cold water, but it will take the dough longer to rise. Just don’t use hot water or you may kill the yeast) 

1 tablespoon granulated yeast ( you can use any kind of yeast including: instant, “quick,” rapid rise, bread machine, active dry, or fresh cake yeast*. We’ve always tested with Red Star Yeast and they have a new premium product called PLATINUM, which has worked beautifully in our recipes. You can also decrease the amount of yeast in the recipe by following the directions here. Or you can bake with a sour dough starter, see instructions here.)

*If you use cake yeast you will need 1.3 ounces.

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Morton Kosher Salt (adjust to suit your taste or eliminate it all together. Find more information here)

6 1/2 cups (2-pounds) all-purpose flour.  

I added 4 cups of multigrain flour and then 9 cups of all-purpose flour (remember now...I double the recipe).  

Then mixing just to incorporate all the ingredients. 

Here it is.  Mixed.  It took about 1 minute to mix it to this consistency.  The point here is to just get it all wet.  Then let time take over to make your dough awesome.  I usually start my dough in the morning, and then bake it in the later afternoon.

Just cover and let it rest, while you go about your business.  No big deal.  I know the creators of this recipe make a bunch of dough, and store it in their fridge to use throughout the next couple weeks.  But me?  I just bake it all up the same day.  My family eats about 2 loaves, and then I usually find a few friends to share the rest of the loaves with.



Form loaves, about 1 lb each.  Let rest for about 40-60 minutes.  The longer they rest, the bigger the bubbles in the loaf.  Also, they should spread out, not so much rise up.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a Baking Stone* on the center rack, with a metal broiler tray on the bottom (never use a glass vessel for this or it will shatter), which will be used to produce steam. (The tray needs to be at least 4 or 5 inches away from your stone to prevent it from cracking.)

When ready to bake, place on the stone (I use a pizza peel to put it in the oven-using corn meal on the bottom), and bake for 30-35 minutes until the loaf is a deep golden color.  

Enjoy!