Dakota Bread

As a baker of bread, I have been on a quest to make a healthy, crunchy, but not too dense loaf of bread.
I came across this recipe years ago, tweaked  it and came up with my version. This one has a lot of ingredients, but each one adds to the flavor profile of the bread. It makes one loaf, or I divide it into 3 small mini loaves.

Dakota Bread

1 package of active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup greek yogurt or cottage cheese
1/4 c. honey
2T. powdered milk
1 egg
2 T. oil
1 tsp. salt
21/4 c. bread flour, divided
1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1/4 c. wheat germ, toasted
1/4 c. rye flour
1/4 c. long-cooking oats, uncooked
2 T. cornmeal
1 egg white, beaten
2 T. sunflower kernels

Combine yeast and lukewarm water in a bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup of bread flour, stir, and let this sit for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, blend together  yogurt or cottage cheese, honey, egg, oil and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture, blend, then add bread flour, whole wheat flour,wheat germ, rye flour, oatmeal, and powdered milk. This should yield a soft dough, if not add more or less flour or liquid. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl; cover and let rise for one hour or until double in bulk. Punch dough down. Shape into one round loaf and place in a pie pan coated with non-stick vegetable spray and sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let dough rise again until double in bulk. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sunflower kernels. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. makes 6 to 8 servings.

Finnish Cardamom Bread

Finnish Cardamom Bread

7 whole cardamom pods
2 cups milk
1 package active dry yeast
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. salt
6 1/2 to 7 cups all purpose flour, divided

For glaze:
1 egg, beaten
sliced almonds

Final second  glaze when loaves are cooled:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1/2 to 1 T. coffee to make a sugar drizzle



Crack open cadamom pods and heat in a small pan for several minutes. Grind or pound seeds and set aside. Heat milk to lukewarm. Add yeast and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add a small amount of flour about 1/2 cup, stir into yeast water  and let that sit in a warm spot for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until foamy. Add milk, cardamom and 11/2 c. flour. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and elastic. Stir in softened butter, salt, and enough flour to make dough stiff enough to knead. Knead on floured surface until smooth and satiny, about 5 to 10 minute. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover, let rise in a warm place until light and doubled in size. . On a floured surface divide dough into three parts. Divide each third into three parts. Form each part into a strip 16 inches long. Braid three together, sealing ends. Repeat for remaining 2 loaves. Place on greased cookie sheets. Cover loosely and let rise about 30 minutes until less than doubled in size. Brush loaves with beaten egg;sprinkle with almons and sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 3 loaves.

Here is one loave, but I already divided it into 3 sections, some to freeze and some to give away. I do not recommend using store bought canister cardamom. Most of the flavor has faded.