Wholegrains are highly nutritious and healthy . Our ancestors used a lot of wholegrains that are hand milled to make flour. That was the secret of their healthy living without any disease.
For this month's Bread Bakers the theme chosen by Kalyani of Sizzling Taste Buds was Favorite holiday breads from around the world , made healthier with Wholegrain Flours.
I chose to make this Key shaped Challah bread with the Fingermillet Flour.
Finger millet is rich source of calcium . It is commonly given to pregnant women and nursing mothers in my place. Even the porridge is mixed to the water and feed to cattle which recently delivered their young one.
I made this bread with homemade fingermillet flour and wholewheat flour along with brown sugar.
I shaped the bread into key shaped after reading that the Jews make this Key shaped Challah bread in honor of Shabbat after Pesach.
Fingermillet flour - 2 cup
Whole wheat flour - 2 cup
Lukewarm water- 1 ½- 2 cup
Instant Dry Yeast - 2 ½ tbs
In a bowl , mix the finger millet flour and wheat flour.
Add the yeast , brown sugar and salt , mix well.
Now , add the lukewarm water little at a time and mix the dough.
Knead with your hands till the dough becomes soft and smooth and must not stick to hand.
Knead for about 10 -15 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and apply melted butter on top . Cover and let the dough double in volume.
Take the dough and divide into two small portions and a large portion.
With the large portion roll it into a lengthy log.
Take a small portion and half of another small portion and roll it into a lengthy rope and place it on top of the log as in pattern of eight. Usually they shape with a single piece of dough , as it was my first time i can't shape so effectively.
Then with the remaining dough make two small logs and attach on the sides of the tip of the key.
Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle sesame seeds on top .
Let the bread for second rise before baking about 30 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 200*C for 30 minutes.
Let the bread cool on the rack .
Key shaped Challah with Finger Millet is ready to serve.
The bread was so flavourful with the addition of fingermillet flour . Though the key was split in the middle after baking , but I was happy that I tried a new shape of bread.
