Whole Grain Baking

Posted by Margalit

I'm going to be perfectly honest here. I am a cook book slut. I love the entire art of cookery books. I want to own millions of them. I read them like novels, tucked into bed with my glasses by my side and a nice drink of water on the table. I peruse them for ideas, I use them for specific meal planning, and I follow some of the recipes to the letter of the book. I can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend a long cold Sunday afternoon than with a cook book on my lap and a cup of steaming hot tea beside me.

So... I bought a few new cookbooks. Sigh. I have no place to store them anymore, but I can't seem to stop from wanting more cookbooks. Because I'm a cook book slut.

Over the next couple of days I'm going to review my latest additions to my cook book library. I'm going to start with The King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Book. I initially borrowed this book from the library when it first came out and then quickly realized that I needed to own this book.

Like many people, I'm trying to switch to more whole grains in my diet, and that includes my baking. I've used other cook books that advocate whole grains, but this is the first baking book that includes the kinds of recipes that my family will enjoy, and that are much more nutritious for them. Like the other King Arthur Flour baking cook books, this one is well written, contains plenty of line drawing illustrations, as well as some color plates, and offers a wide variety of items the home baker can easily make.

The chapters have recipes on breakfasts; quick breads, muffins, coffee cakes, biscuits and scones; crisps, cobblers and puddings; flatbreads and crackers; yeast breads; sourdough; cookies and bars; cakes; pies and quiches; pastry; and the whole grains themselves.

Because this book is new to me, I haven't had time yet to make more than a handful of the recipes, but everything I have made has been excellent. The baked goods coming out of my kitchen have a heartier, nuttier, taste, but they still offer all the sweetness and goodness of any home baked product. For example, I made the 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, a recipe I found extremely easy to make, and the outcome was similar to the whole wheat breads I used to purchase in the UK. Sturdy sandwich bread that stood up to the taste of the fillings, the first loaf disappeared in a couple of hours.

I also tried the Foccacia recipe, and while it wasn't true to the Italian recipe one finds in restorantes in Italy, it had a good strong bite and a lightness that came from a combination of whole wheat and unbleached white flours.

Although some of the required ingredients aren't found in local supermarkets, they are all available directly from King Arthur Flour or in most health food stores.

This book is a great addition to a home baker's kitchen for people trying to live a healthier and more nutritious lifestyle. I think I'm going to enjoy it for years to come.

TAGS: Cook Book, King Arthur Flour, Whole Grain
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