Mary Moore’s Ezekiel Bread
Makes 3 loaves.
1/2 cup dry red lentils
1/2 cup dry pearl barley
1 teaspoon dill seeds (optional, but recommended)
2 cups warm water (first amount)
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup molasses or honey
1/2 cup boiling water
1 Tablespoon granular yeast
4 Tablespoons soy flour
4 Tablespoons millet meal
2 cups stone ground whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons oil
3 cups all-purpose flour (first amount)
1 cup warm water (second amount)
about 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (second amount)
Early in the morning soak the lentils, barley and dill seeds (if used)
in the 2 cups warm water 5-hours. Add the 2 cups hot water and simmer covered
until very tender – about 1 1/2 hours. Cool to lukewarm.
Then start making your dough: Mix together the molasses or honey with
the boiling water to blend and when just above finger temperature sprinkle
yeast over top and let stand 20-minutes while you measure the remaining
ingredients.
Into a large bowl measure soy, millet, whole-wheat flour, salt, oil,
3 cups all-purpose flour and the cooked, cooled lentil and barley mixture.
Add the second 1 cup warm water and yeast liquid and beat hard for 5-minutes
or mix with your hands if desired.
Let rise covered until doubled – about 1 1/4 hours.
Sprinkle your board with remaining 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and
turn this very wet dough out on it. Sprinkle some flour from board over top
and begin kneading it all in.
It took 125 kneadings for me (Mary Moore) to do this. It is sticky but you
must not add more flour. Just persist.
Shape into three loaves and put into three buttered 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch
loaf pans or two 12 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch pans and
let rise about 1 1/2 hours until about 3/4-inch above rims.
Bake at 350 degrees F about 35 minutes until crusty, hollow-sounding and golden.
If desired brush with melted butter while loaves are warm.
Remove from pans and cool on racks.
Source: Mary Moore cooking column Regina SK Leader-Post newspaper, Oct 18, 1976.