Quinoa Whole Wheat Bread

Quinoa is something that I always mean to eat more of, but I never manage to do anything creative with it usually having it alongside a stir fry. So I found this recipe for a whole wheat bread including quinoa and thought I would try it. I modified it slightly and it turned out really well. I haven’t ever added vital wheat gluten to my bread before and I think this made a difference...I definitely think it was less “stodgy” than any other whole wheat bread I have made. It was a bit crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and a little bit of a bite all the way through it from the quinoa. I made 3 small loaves (one in a tin, and 2 not in tins)

And, have you ever seen a field of quinoa growing? Isn’t it pretty?

Photo Source

Here’s the recipe:

Quinoa Whole Wheat Bread Recipe (makes 3 small loaves)

1 cup, whole uncooked quinoa
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp raw sugar
1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1½ cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten flour
1 tsp salt

Directions

1 Thoroughly rinse quinoa in a sieve under a running tap.
2 In a small bowl combine half the water, the yeast and the sugar. Leave for 10 minutes until frothy on top.
3 In a large bowl combine flours, quinoa and salt. Make a well in the centre of the flours and pour in water/yeast.
4 Mix well with your hand until water is soaked up. Gradually add remaining water as needed, until a soft, moist dough is formed.
5 Place dough on a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
6 Place dough in a large, oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Leave to prove in a warm, draught-free place for about 1½ hours, until doubled in size.
7 Knock air out of dough by kneading for another minute or so. Now make it in to the desired shape. I made 3 small loaves, but next time I think I will do one large one. Score across top of loaves with a knife if desired. Place on oiled baking tray or tin and leave to prove for another 1½ hours.
8 Preheat oven to 400F (200c). Bake loaves for around 30 minutes, until brown and sound hollow when tapped.