Title: Mrs. Elizabeth Ovenstad's Bread
Categories: Bread
Yield: 6 Servings

2	c	Boiling water
1/2	c	Whole-wheat kernels, or wheat berries
1/2	c	Warm water
1	tb	Sugar
2	pk	Active dry yeast
1/3	c	Rye flour
1/3	c	Whole-meal, whole-wheat flour
6		To 7 cups white flour
1	tb	Salt
1	c	Of warm milk
1	c	Of warm water
		INSTRUCTIONS
		Pour:
2	c	Boiling water
		Over:
1/2	c	Whole-wheat kernels, or wheat berries,
		(available in health food stores)
		Allow to stand for an hour or two to soften the berries.
		Proof the yeast as follows:
1/2	c	Warm water
1	tb	Sugar
2	pk	Active dry yeast
		While the yeast is proofing, combine in a bowl:
1/3	c	Rye flour
1/3	c	Whole-meal, whole-wheat flour
3	c	White flour
		Drained wheat kernals
1	tb	Salt
		Add:
		Proofed yeast mixture from above
1	c	Warm milk
1	c	Warm water
		(Note that you may use the water that was used to soak the
		Wheat berries.)
		Knead well, adding additional:
		White flour

Another recipe from James Beard's book, "Beard On Bread". About this bread James Beard says, "I learned to make this bread in Norway, at Mrs Ovenstad's farm near Oslo. She bakes it twice a week, and though she resorts to heating the dough over steam for the second rising, it comes out beautifully. She is also a deft pastry cook and gardner, and loves to eat. (2 large Loaves)"

about 1/2 cup at a time. You may need to add 3 more cups, give or take a bit.

Form into a ball, place into a greased bowl, turn and cover. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, probably about 1 hour.

Punch down and knead 10 minutes, then cut into two equal pieces, form loaves, and allow to rise again.

You may elect to allow the bread to rise a second time in the bowl. If so, James Beard feels that the bread may need some help in the second rising, in the form of a bit of heat. I am not so sure, as this was a very willing bread dough. Then again, I almost always rise my bread in a Microwave oven anyway.

As to baking, this bread requires about 1 hour in a 400ø F. oven.

This bread should have a good crunchy crust.

I have made this loaf without the wheat berries, as the crust and bread is delightful without the berries, and some members of the family refer to soft berries as "erasers" and hard berries as "rocks" - refusing to eat bread with either. However, with a bit of practice, you will be able to use the wheat berries at the right point so they will be neither "rocks" or "erasers".

Posted originally by Mike Avery

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