KAMUT de Mie

This KAMUT de Mie has a very mild and wheaty flavor.

Pain de Mie means “bread of the crumb.” I like that description, but this version, made with KAMUT, could be described as “bread with a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that’s great for toasting.” 

I enjoy experimenting with ancient grains. I’ve used whole grain KAMUT flour in several breads, but I hadn’t tried KAMUT white flour yet so I wanted to see how it would perform in breads that are usually made with modern white bread flour.

KAMUT white flour is actually creamy-colored. It’s a beautiful grain and makes a lovely flour.

Whole Grain KAMUT

KAMUT White Flour

In my research, I’ve found differing opinions on where some of the ancient grains originated and how they are classified. The official KAMUT web site has a wealth of interesting information and the classification makes sense to me, bearing in mind, I’m not an expert on wheat.

Basically, all wheat belongs to the genus Triticum, but the classifications differ based on the number of chromosomes. Khorasan Wheat (KAMUT brand) has 28 chromosomes as opposed to the 42 chromosomes found in modern wheat. I had read about the differing chromosomes in some of my previous research, but didn’t realize that KAMUT, like emmer, only has 28. There’s much more to wheat than meets the eye.

 

KAMUT de Mie (Pain De Mie made with KAMUT Flour)

Adapted from: The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Bread Baking by The French Culinary Institute

Makes: Two Medium (8 1/2” x 4 1/2”) Loaves

This bread started out at 60% hydration, but it was too dry. The KAMUT flour absorbed the milk so much that it ended up being about 78% hydration. I had heard that KAMUT had a greater absorption rate than modern bread flour. Now, I can attest to that. It wasn’t a wet dough. It was dreamy or maybe I should say creamy to work with.

 

Ingredients:

• 553g KAMUT white flour
• 433g Cold Almond milk
• 55g (4 T) unsalted butter, softened
• 9g instant yeast
• 22g sugar
• 11g salt

 

Method:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, half of the milk, the softened butter, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix on low speed using the dough hook for 5 minutes. Gradually add in more milk as necessary until there are no dry bits of flour. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough comes together.  It will be slightly sticky.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it ferment at room temperature for 1 hour.

 

Lightly flour a work surface and remove the dough from the bowl.  Divide it into two pieces using a sharp knife or bench knife. Cover the pieces with plastic and let them bench rest for 15 minutes.

 

Lightly butter two medium loaf pans.  I used two 8.5 by 4.5-inch glass loaf pans.

Uncover the dough again and lightly flour the work surface, if necessary. Gently press out the dough to degas it and shape each piece into a round. Shape the rounds into batards and place each batard into a buttered loaf pan. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and let them rise for 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Make the egg wash by combining the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and whisk together in a small bowl until blended.

Using a pastry brush, coat the tops of the risen loaves with the egg wash.  You’re supposed to do this lightly.  I may have overdone it with the egg wash because the crust got a little darker than I anticipated.

Transfer the loaves to the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and shiny. The sides should be firm to the touch.

Remove the loaves from the oven.  If you are using glass pans, let the loaves cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

Since the weather has been unseasonably cold, I was craving tomato soup and grilled cheese.  Pain de Mie is the perfect bread for grilled cheese (or toasted cheese as we referred to it growing up).

The KAMUT flour performed really well for this test. It makes a great toast bread.

I’m sharing these loaves with:

BYOB - Il Cestino del Pane

Yeastspotting

 

Happy Baking

Cathy

KAMUT Cheddar Biscuits

I got a bag of KAMUT Khorasan white flour the other day and was itching to make something. It was after work when I got the urge to bake so I didn’t have time to make a loaf of bread unless I wanted to stay up late.

I made soup for dinner and decided what I really wanted to serve with the soup was biscuits. Some good ‘ole biscuits.

 

For some reason, making biscuits with KAMUT sounded like a great idea. I didn’t even give it a second thought that they might not turn out. I took some of the flour, sifted it through my fingers and it felt like biscuits.

The dough was really nice to work with. These biscuits aren’t necessarily light and fluffy, but the flavor and texture draws you in. I tried one of the biscuits as soon as it came out of the oven and it melted in my mouth. I ran upstairs to tell my son to come down quickly because I had made a treat. I mentioned biscuits and he was right there.

Southerners do love our biscuits, but the funny thing is that I am not known for my biscuits. I was always an okay biscuit-maker, but these biscuits are so easy and they taste divine. We enjoyed them so much we almost ate them all in one sitting, but we didn’t. We saved some for the next day. They were delicious warmed over.

The best part about these biscuits is that they are made with a heritage grain. I’m in love with this flour and these biscuits!

 

KAMUT Cheddar Biscuits

Adapted from: Biscuit Bliss by James Villas

Makes: 10-12 Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups KAMUT Khorasan white flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 T. (3/4 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 cup almond milk, plus 1 T. if necessary

 

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2) Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the chilled butter pieces using a pastry cutter until the mixture is a mealy texture. Add in the cheese and cayenne pepper and mix until well blended. Pour in the milk and stir until the dough is soft. You might need to add a little more milk to make sure the dough is completely wet.

3) Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it gently a few times. 

4) Pat the dough out into a circle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out rounds using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter.  Work the scraps together and cut additional rounds.

5) Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet about 1/2-inch apart. 

 

6) Bake in the upper third of the oven until the biscuits are golden brown. This will take about 12 to 13 minutes. Serve them while they are hot or room temperature.

 

I’m submitting these biscuits to the #TwelveLoaves monthly challenge. The theme for January is “Keep it Simple.” These biscuits are about as simple as you can get.  I used KAMUT Khorasan white flour, but you could use white all-purpose flour if you prefer.

Happy Baking!

Cathy

 

Sesame Einkorn Crackers

I’m revisiting Einkorn this month. I keep hearing good things about this grain so I decided it warranted further experimentation. I’m curious to find out how it performs and tastes in recipes that typically call for modern whole wheat flour. For this experiment, I made crackers using only Einkorn flour.

 

Einkorn is called the grain of the ancients. It has a unique light, rich taste and is twice as high in protein and many trace minerals as modern wheat. Some people with gluten sensitivities can tolerate Einkorn’s natural gluten because it is a different species of wheat (T. monococcum). Modern wheat evolved from wild emmer (T. dicoccoides). Einkorn is not related to emmer or modern wheat, and has been untampered since ancient days.
Source: http://www.growseed.org/einkorn.html

I’ve made these crackers a few times.  The first time I made them with home-milled whole grain Einkorn flour and another time, I used 80% extraction Einkorn flour.  Both versions tasted great. The dough for these crackers also includes sesame seeds, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and water.

The Einkorn crackers are simple to make and very healthy.  Plus, they taste great!  My taste tester came over a couple of days after I made them and asked if he could try them. I had a sheepish grin on my face because I had almost eaten all 4 dozen of them, but I did have a little bag left that I shared, reluctantly… I mean gladly. 

 

 

Sesame einkorn Crackers

Yield: About four dozen crackers, depending how thinly you roll them and how small you cut them

Adapted from Homemade Whole Grain Crackers, New York Times, May 2, 2011

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups Einkorn flour (80% extraction or whole grain flour)
• 1/2 cup toasted (or untoasted) sesame seeds
• 5/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil
• 2 to 4 tablespoons water (more or less as needed)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the oven racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Mix together the Einkorn flour, sesame seeds and salt in a mixing bowl.

 

3. Add the oil and cut in with a fork.

 

4. Add the water, and mix with your hands, until the dough forms a ball.

 

5. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.

 

6. Cut into desired shapes and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheets.  The crackers should be close together but not touching.  I used a pizza wheel to cut squares. 

 

7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Halfway through baking cycle, rotate the baking sheets from front to back and top to middle. Allow the crackers to cool on wire racks before serving.

I liked these crackers and so did my taste tester.  They are addictive. They have a unique and nutty flavor.  They could use a bit more salt, but other than that, they tasted great.

 

Storing the crackers: These will keep for about a week in an airtight container, but they taste so good, they probably won’t last that long.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy