Country vs. City

Recipes courtesy of Michael Smith

Country:

2 1/4 c Warm Water

1 tsp of yeast (I doubled the yeast, the original recipe calls for 1/2 a tsp)

3 c Bread flour

1 c Whole wheat flour

1/2 c grain mix (I used a 1/4 c of both wheat germ and flax seeds)

2 tsp Salt

Steps:

1. Proof yeast and water for 5 minutes, unless you have instant yeast, which can be added right to the flour mixture.

2. Combine all dry ingredients and stir together till mixed.

3. Add yeast mix and dry ingredients and stir it till everything is well Incorporated - just make sure that there isn't any loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.

4. Cover (with plastic wrap or a lid) and leave it alone (in a warm place) overnight - or for 12 hours.

5. Scrape the dough out of the bowl, onto a floured surface and knead the dough till it becomes a little tighter (This should only take a minute or so).

6. Oil the dough and roll into a loaf shape and place it in a 9x5 loaf pan. Let this sit and rise for 2 hours or so until it doubles in size. I used my dutch oven, lined in parchment paper (I don't use oil either).

7. Bake at 425 for 45 minutes. Because I baked mine with the dutch over I left the lid on for 25 minutes and lid off for another 20. If you want a harder exterior bake a few more minutes, but watch it, so it doesn't burn.

Results: I don't have anything negative to say about this bread. It was simple, it has great flavour, texture (Crust and inside) and looked like a giant hockey puck (I gave it too much room to grow vertically, so It didn't get the nice rounded shape - not that it really matters).

City:

2 1/2 c Warm Water

1 tsp Yeast (once again I double my yeast)

5 c Bread Flour

2 tsp Salt

The steps are the same as above.

The Results: It came out of the oven, crusty, hard and shiny. The crust had a good bite to it and lent itself well to the soft chewy inside. The bread came out a little on the wet/moist side (Like most overnight breads), which is in no way a bad thing.

And the winner is?

The County Bread! I loved the taste of the city bread, and in some ways it was superior to the country bread. But the country bread is just so much better for me, and in my opinion makes a nicer sandwich and toast!