Carob & Whole Wheat Loaf with Walnuts

I did not know much about carob until I had carob bread in Greece. I’m most intrigued that carob flour, like most alternative flour, can be incorporated with wheat flour for bread-making — with healthful benefits. The carob is a flowering evergreen shrub of the legume family. It’s widely cultivated for its edible fruit pods native to the Mediterranean region. Carob pods have about a third to a half the sugar content (by weight) and are believed to lower blood sugar level. In addition, it’s gluten free and rich in fiber.

I bought a few bags of carob flour with the intention of making breads. Further research shows that carob, which has a chocolate-like flavor, and its powder and/or chips can be substituted one-for-one for cocoa. (Carob chips can be a healthier alternative to chocolate chips, offering benefits like being lower in fat and calories, and caffeine-free.) That opens up exciting opportunities for more baking applications: for cake crusts, frosting, cookies and muffins. No doubt, the few inexpensive bags of carob purchased on whims while on vacation will be put to good uses.

The bread recipe follows the methodology of the Everyday Bread in the Big Book of Bread by King Arthur Baking. Equal amount in weight of whole wheat and all-purpose flour makes this a wholesome loaf and increases its nutritiousness. The carob flour imparts a dark and nutty chocolaty flavor. Furthermore, the chopped walnuts adds crunch and texture to the bread.

The mixing step starts with autolysing the flour ingredients (optional) — a process which gives the wheat bran time to hydrate and makes the dough much easier to mix. In the stand mixer, knead the tacky dough together with the chopped walnut, until a cohesive dough forms. Let the dough rest for 1 1/2 hours. After bulk fermentation, shape the dough and drop it in the loaf pan for a second rise. Finally, bake the bread in a 375°F oven for about 45-50 minutes.

Print Recipe

Carob & Whole Wheat Loaf with Walnuts

Serves: Makes 1 loaf

Prep Time: About 5 hours

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (225 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (225 grams) whole wheat flour
• ¾ cups (75 grams) carob powder/flour
• 2 teaspoon (6 grams) active dry yeast
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
• 2 tablespoons (42 grams) honey
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/4 to 1 2/3 cups (300 grams) warm milk
• One loaf pan approximately 10 x 4.5 inch

Instructions

1

MAKE THE DOUGH: In a large bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, carob flour, salt and yeast. Add the honey, butter, and milk and mix with a spoon until no dry patches of flour remains and a tacky dough forms. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and incorporate the chopped walnuts. Mix on medium speed until smooth, elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl, 5-8 minutes. Cover and let it rise until puffy but not necessarily doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours

2

SHAPE THE DOUGH: With wet hands, use a plastic bowl scraper to gently ease the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Gently deflate the dough and pat in into a 12 x 8-inch reectangle. Shape the dough into a log by bringing the short edges toward the center, overlapping them slightly. Flatten the dough into an even layer, then starting from the top, roll the dough toward you to form a log and pinch the seams to seal.

3

LET THE DOUGH RISE: Place the dough seam side down in the prepared pan. Cover and let it rise at room temperature until the dough crowns about 1 inch over the edge of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.

4

BAKE: Bake the loaf until the top is deep brown and the internal temperature is at least 190°F, 45-50 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and turn it out of the pan and onto a rack to cool.