The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Tom Jaine's Barley Bread

apprentice's picture
apprentice

Tom Jaine's Barley Bread

I love this bread! I love it for a lot of reasons, not least of which that it's easy and delicious. I also feel as if I'm reclaiming a bit of our bread heritage, when I make this loaf. Barley has a long and wonderful history. Now it is almost exclusively used in brewing – understandable on account of its very low gluten content. But a pity from the nutritional point of view!

I've made it three times, and I'm not quite there yet. But I'm well within sight of the changes that will make it work for me. So here's the story to date:

#1 Bake: The dough, silky soft and extensible. Not much elasticity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bulk ferment was good, but not much oomph left for the proof.

Shaped as pain-fesses, about as ready as it would ever get.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful crumb, lovely taste:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But short!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got a little more height after experimenting. That's Bake #2 on the right:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trick seems to be substituting some bread flour for a portion of the whole wheat. I also threw in a pinch of gluten. Am happy to share the percentages of barley, ww and bread flour that seem to work best for me. But it will have to wait until I return from a short holiday.

Meanwhile, if anyone else wants to play with this, go check out the thread on Mini O's Oat & Barley Loaf. PMcCool posted Jaine's recipe there about half-way down. It's dated Aug. 23/06. (Sorry, the taxi's due, or I'd go get the link to post it here for you.)

Happy Baking!

Carol

Comments

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

I was also tempted to let it rise to see how high it would go and still make a decent loaf.  

I would double the recipe for a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan, split the dough and set two dough balls next to each other for the final rise.  

Mini O

Soundman's picture
Soundman

Hi Carol,

That bread looks delectable! I love these breads that feel like a return to our grainy heritage. (So much flavor and nutrition gets lost in all the food refinement.)

The second loaf soared above the first, and since lightness of texture often makes bread more delicious I think the substitution of some bread flour was a good decision.

Doesn't anybody eat cooked barley anymore? I love it in soups, for example, and mixed with rice. (I really appreciate the low glycemic index factor of barley.)

Nice re-entry!

David

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

I make an awesome Southwest Barley salad with corn, black beans and cilantro. I think cooked barley would be awesome in bread. I have made a bulghur oatmeal bread that's really tasty. I'll have to experiment, since barley is much moister than bulghur.

Betty

Soundman's picture
Soundman

Hi Betty,

Beans and barley is a great combo, and with corn and cilantro, that's perfect!

Thanks for the idea!

David

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

Hi David,

In case you'd like to try it. It is from "The Best Diabetes Cookbook"

3 c vegetable or chicken stock
3/4, c pearl barley
1 c corn
1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained
3/4 c chopped red bell pepper
1/2 c chopped green bell pepper
1/2 c chopped scallions

Dressing: Mix together:
1/2 c medium salsa
3 T low fat sour cream
2T fresh lime or lemon
1/2 c chopped cilantro
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Bring stock to a boil and add barley. Reduce heat to med-low, cover and cook for
40 minutes. I find there is still alot of liquid, so I uncover and cook for another 10-15 min, until stock is absorbed. I've been making this for years. I don't know why I gaven't increased the barley or cut back on the stock, stupid, I guess! Then cool.

Add veggies and toss with dressing. This is yummy stuff. Everyone always asks for the recipe. Let me know if you try/like it.

Betty

 

 

 

Soundman's picture
Soundman

Thanks, Betty, it sounds great! I'll let you know how I do.

David

apprentice's picture
apprentice

Thanks for the nice compliment, David. But I must apologize for misleading you, unintentionally I promise! The blog entry you replied to was made almost a year ago. I visited the entry myself in anticipation of bringing you all up to date on my experience of working with Jaine's recipe this past year. Of course, I am incapable of looking at an earlier piece of writing without doing an edit or two. That brought the post back as if it were new. Sorry about that!

My true blog "re-entry" on TFL is now published separately with pictures. I felt it deserved its own entry so people might find the formula more easily and give it a try. This truly is a keeper -- a bread that doesn't ask a lot but gives a great deal of taste and nutrition in return.

Carol