GingerBread Bread!

GingerBread cookies or GingerBread Bread :) I made the bread! The bread had a tad more water than required and I was feeling lazy to add more flour and keep it for another rise.. so it deflated a bit. But a bread is a bread! a bit denser but still a bread!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bread flour
• 3-4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup water ( I used whey leftover after I used the curdled milk to make Rasgullas)
• 2 tablespoons oil or butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon molasses
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• pinch of clove powder
• pinch of cardamom powder
• 2 teaspoons active yeast

Directions:

1. Warm half a cup of water and add sugar and yeast to it. Mix well
2. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until frothy.
3. In a blender, blend the ginger with a little water, spices and molasses and keep aside.
4. In a greased mixing bowl, add the flours, salt and mix well.
5. Add the oil, yeast mixture, ginger mixture and and knead for 8-10 minutes. ( if using stand mixer, 3-4 minute batches with intermittent scraping)
6. Add more water if needed.
7. Place dough in a well greased container, covered in a warm place for 2 hours.
8. Lightly punch the dough and using a little flour knead and shape into a loaf by pulling on all sides and tucking under.
9. Place loaf in well oiled bread pan and cover with damp towel. Let rise for an hour.
10. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes.
11. Cool completely before slicing!