The Birkett Mills Old Time Recipes

1 package active dry yeast		1 ¼ cups water (temp 110)
1 tsp. salt		¼ sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter or olive oil		2 eggs; beaten
½ cup wheat germ		½ cup wheat bran
½ cup whole buckwheat flour		3-4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk blended with 2 tblsp. water
2 tblsp. poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add salt, sugar, oil and eggs; mix well. Add germ, bran and buckwheat flour; blend well. Gradually add all-purpose flour until the dough just comes together. Knead for 10 to 20 minutes on a floured board. Add small amounts of flour if dough becomes sticky while kneading the dough. Oil a bowl and roll the dough in the oil to cover the outside of dough, then let the dough rest for 1 hour in a covered bowl. Cover with a damp towel to prevent drying. Split dough into 5 equal pieces. Roll out four pieces into strands 20 inches long. Braid the four together. First take the left strand and bring it over the next strand and under and over. Again start with the left strand and continue the same process until the bread comes together in a tapered end. Pinch ends together. Split the fifth ball into three. Roll into strands 15 inches long and braid together. Put this braid on top of the other large braid. Let dough rise ½ hour. Brush egg wash over bread and add seeds on top. Cook in oven at 325 for 35 to 45 minutes. The bread is done when tapping produces a hollow sound.

*BUCKWHEAT BREAD*
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Overnight Sponge:
2 teaspoons dry yeast		1 ½ cups hot water
1 tablespoon malt syrup or sugar		1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Dough:
2 ½ teaspoons dry yeast		½ cup warm water
pinch sugar		½ teaspoon powdered ginger
2 cups overnight sponge		1 cup warm water
4 tablespoons molasses		2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup non-fat dry milk		2 cups buckwheat flour
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature		4 cups unbleached flour, approx.


Prepare the sponge the night before baking by stirring yeast into hot water in a medium-size bowl, then adding the malt syrup. After mixture is creamy and bubbly, about 10 minutes, add the flour and mix until smooth. Cover tightly iwth plastic wrap and leave for 4 hours or overnight. For the dough, dissolve 2 ½ teaspoons of yeast (1 package) in ½ cup warm water with a pinch of sugar and the ginger. Beat with fork for a few seconds and allow to become creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, pour in the sponge, add 1 cup warm water, molasses, salt, dry milk and buckwheat flour. Mix until smooth. Then add yeast mixture and mix again. Add butter and stir about 150 strokes until the stringy batter pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add the unbleached flour 1 cup at a time working in with a wooden spoon until the dough is moist but stiff and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 8 minutes, throwing the dough down hard onto the surface to change the push-pull rhythm from time to time. Meanwhile, wash out the bowl, dry and then lightly oil. Place the dough in the prepared bowl, turn to coat and cover tightly with plastic wrap and then a clean dish towel. Place in a warm room to rise for about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours, until doubled in bulk. Punch down the dough, knead briefly, cut in half and shape into 2 loaves. Either place in greased 8 ½ X 4 ½ inch loaf pans or form into tight round loafs. Cover with towel or wax paper and allow to rise about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaves for about 50 minutes. Loaves can be brushed with cream about 5 minutes before the end of the baking period to make the crust golden. Remove from oven and thump bottom crust; a hollow sound means the bread is done. Turn out to cool on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves. Adapted from Bernard Claytons "The Complete Bread Book", this is a firm-crumbed, dark, and strong-flavored bread. Makes great croque monsieurs or sliced very thin for sandwiches.

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