Tag: Yeast

The Threefold Bread by Charlie Rainbow Wolf

Published on by adanalunaLeave a comment
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 cups bread flour
  • 1 tsp active dried yeast (or 1 small packet)

Place the flour in a large heavy mixing bowl (I preferic ceramic or glass to plastic). Measure the water in a jug and dissolve the guar and the yeast into it, letting it rest for 10 minutes or so. Add the salt to the flour and blend it well, then add the water with teh sugar and yeast init and start to mix. When it gets too heavy for the spoon, use your hands, turning it out onto a floured board and kneading it for a good 12 to 15 minutes. The action of kneading the bread is hwat strengthens the gluten so it will rise well.

Place the kneaded dough in an oiled bowl and cover. I use parchment paper for this, but a piece of plastic wrap or even a clean sackcloth towel will work. Put the covered bowl in a warm place to rise until doubled in size – the oven with the interior light on works well for me. When it has risen, turn it out onto the work surface again, and shape into a loaf. Put this into your oiled loaf pan if you are using one or onto your baking tray if not or if making a braid, and let it rise again, this time for about 50 minutes – you’ll get to know the look of it once you’ve done it a few times.

Preheat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit and bake the bread toward hte middle for 50 to 60 minutes. The loaf is dnoe when it is golden brown on the top and sounds follow when you tap the bottom. Remove it from the oven and place hte pan (if one is used) on its side. Let the bread cool for 20 minutesbefore removing it. Let the bread rest at least another hour before eating it – if you can stand the wait!

Rye Bread

Substitute 2 cups of rye for 2 cups of flour, remembering to add 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten.

Whole Wheat Bread

Substitute 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Add extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to get the right consistency.

The Braid

The key to a successful plait lies in having all the dough proved adequately and to have all the strands the same size. Roll the dough until it is an even width and approximately 24 to 30 inches in length. Start the braid by laying hte three strips of different dough side by side. Weave one over the other in the usual way until the end is reached. Pinch the ends together, then tuck them under the loaf; now go back and do the same to the start. This way the ends are hidden and the plait seems to be neverending from start to finish. To make this really stand out, brush a bit of milk or a mixture of beaten egg and water over the top; this gives the baked loaf a glossy finish, as well as helping the plaits stick together.

Bake the bread on a bread stone or cookie sheet as described in the basic bread recipe. I judge doneness by the all-purpose strand; if that looks golden brown and done, then I do the tap test (seeing if it sounds hollow). It is often hard to tell when the darker strands have been adequately baked just by looking at them.

Additions

If you don’t want to go to the trouble of mixing three doughs and making a giant loaf, a threefold braid can still be made by dividing th ebread dough after the first proving, and rolling the different strands in herbs before braiding. Some of my favorite herbs are the traditional sage, rosemary and thyme, but others will add flavor and magical properties to the loaf, making it stand out for ceremony just as nicely as if the three different flours had been used.

  • ROSEMARY. Depending on who you ask, rosemary is either masculine or feminine and associated with the Sun or Moon! I liken it to the Moon and believe it to be feminine. It brings the magic of remembrance and purification to the loaf.
  • SAGE. Sage has long been used as a healing and protection herb. It’s one we regularly have in the garden here at the Keep. It is masculine, is associated with Jupiter, and brings the magic of abundance and wishes granted to the loaf.
  • THYME. Thyme is another feminine herb, associated with water and the planet Venus. It’s believed that thyme enabled communication with the fae and other earth spirits. It brings the magic of strength and courage to the loaf.