Old World Black Bread
This is a whole wheat black (or brown) bread which stands up well to veggie toppings. A slice of this Old World Black Bread, toasted, is excellent with a topping of blended cottage cheese, herbs and vegetables. Avocado Toast is a natural. It’s also good mixed with a lighter whole wheat dough recipe to make a swirl bread. Depending on the depth of your rye flour, we’ve found this can sometimes be a “dark brown” and other times “very dark brown” bread. To increase the dark or intense color and flavor, add more carob powder to achieve a blacker bread. For a lighter bread, use less carob powder. In either case, make sure your carob is natural, and sugar-free.
Ingredients
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon fast acting yeast
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (hard wheat)
- 2 cups rye flour
- ½ cup Vital Wheat Gluten
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon Agave Nectar (or honey)
- ¼ cup carob powder
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
- Combine yeast, sweetener (honey or agave), and warm water in a bowl, to soften.
- Combine vital wheat gluten, carob powder, oats, rye flour, and salt, and add to the yeast mixture.
- Let stand 10 minutes.
- Add the hard wheat flour and enough soft wheat flour to make a stiff dough.
- Knead for 10 minutes, until dough is moist, but not sticky.
- Let rise until double in bulk.
- Punch down.
- Shape into 2 round loaves and place on a prepared baking sheet.
- Let rise again for 45 minutes.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Nutrition
Can you use cacao instead of carob?
Yes, keeping in mind carob powder is sweeter than cacao powder, so you may need to make adjustments to your taste.
You have to like rustic bread to like this, it’s dark and hearty and dense, and not fluffy or dessert like. The more carob you add, the darker your “black” bread is. Sometimes it comes out dark, sometimes just brown! Really depends on the flour I’ve acquired and even the humidity and other factors for me. But I do like it and have made probably a dozen or more times. It’s good with a hearty cheese and stew and makes great Avocado toast.
Very good. Makes a great breakfast toast with eggs and avocado.
good