1/3 c Lentils
1 1/3 c Water
1/2 ts Dried rosemary, crushed
1 ts Dried thyme, crushed
3/4 c Skim milk
2 tb Sugar
1 ts Salt
2 tb Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Envelope active dry yeast
3/4 c Warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 c Whole wheat flour
2 1/4 c Unbleached all-purpose flour
Combine the lentils, water, rosemary and thyme in a saucepan and bring to a
boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, or until
lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside. Pour the milk in a
saucepan and bring just to the boiling point. Stir in the sugar, salt,
olive oil and drained lentils. Set aside to cool slightly.
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and allow to stand for 3 minutes. Add
it to the milk mixture, mix well and transfer to a large bowl. Add the
wheat flour and mix well. Stir in the all-purpose flour, mixing until the
dough can be formed into a ball. Put the dough ball on a floured surface
and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Spray the bowl with a
nonstick cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic
wrap and a damp towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in
size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down and form into a loaf shape. Place
in a standard size loaf pan, which has been sprayed with a nonstick cooking
spray. Cover and allow to again double in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the bread in the preheated oven and
bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake, for 35
more minutes, or until the top is a golden brown and sounds hollow when
tapped. Allow the bread to come to room temperature before slicing.
Makes 24 slices. Each slice contains approximately: 97calories, no
cholesterol, 1 gr. fat, 95 mg. sodium 3 gm. protein, 18 gm. carbohydrate.
The combination of lentils and wheat flour in this dense, hearty and
egg-free bread provides the legume and grain necessary for a complete
vegetarian protein. For this reason, it provides all the nutrients
necessary for a healthful snack all by itself. For a lighter-textured bread
you can use all unbleached, all-purpose flour, and for a prettier bread you
can combine the all-white flour with pink lentils. However, for fall menus
I like the coarse, heavy texture of this bread just the way the recipe is
written. I like it toasted and spread with honey or an all-fruit jam for
breakfast and for making sandwiches of all types. My favorite is a
vegetarian sandwich made with thinly sliced grilled vegetables and melted
cheese. It also makes great croutons for soups and salads.
If you have any cooked left-over lentils in the refrigerator you can
substitute one cup of cooked as lentils for the one-third cup of dried
lentils called for and eliminate cooking them. However, if you do that, add
the rosemary and thyme to the milk in step two. Store this bread, tightly
wrapped, in the refrigerator. Jeanne Jones
Yields
15 Servings