The North Dakota Mill has a great salesman in Mike Leddige!  This summer Mike spent a week in an HBA Baking STEAM workshop baking with the North Dakota Family & Consumer Sciences teachers in Fargo. Together they explored why “Flour is NOT Just Flour!” by exploring the baking qualities of North Dakota Made hard wheat flours in focaccia, pizza, hearth bread, cookies and more.  

One, now-famous recipe, North Dakota Bread, is a must for your baking files.  It’s great baked as round or pan-loaves, smaller round soup bowl loaves or buns or even smaller, as slider or burger buns.  

North Dakota Bread   

North Dakota Mill- www.ndmill.com 

Makes: 48 oz dough- Two, large loaves OR eight bread bowls OR 24, 2 oz rolls

Instructions and Ingredients: 

In a large mixing bowl combine:

1 cup (8 oz/225g) scalded milk (heat milk until steaming in microwave)

1 ¼ cup (10 oz/280g) cold water

Take temperature: Liquids should be as cool as room temperature and no more than 115 ° F.

Add 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 pkg/7g) active or quick dry yeast 

            2 Tablespoons (0.75oz/21g) shortening

            1 Tablespoon (0.5 oz/14g) butter

            3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz/40g) sugar

            2 1/2 teaspoons table salt

            3 cups (12.75 oz/360g) Dakota Maid™ bread flour
(OR whole wheat flour)

Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.  Cover and allow to ferment 15-30 minutes. 

Add 3 cups (12.75 oz/360g) Dakota Maid™ Bread Flour

Mix with dough hook or knead until dough is smooth, elastic and cleans the bowl or counter, about 10-12 minutes. If dough is too wet, you could add ¼ to ½ cup flour- if too dry, add 1-2 water, 1 Tablespoons water, 1 Tablespoon at a time.

Allow bread to rise (covered) in bowl in a draft-free warm (70-80°F.) place. Deflate dough. Weigh dough and equally divide into two loaves, 6-8 rounds or 2 dozen rolls. Shape and place in greased or on parchment lined pans.  

Cover shaped bread or rolls lightly with oiled/sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise (proof) in pans in a warm (95-100 °F.) draft-free place until doubled and light- (about 30-40 minutes).  

Heat oven to 400 ° F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until crust is golden brown and bread is 190 °F. at center.  

Cool on a cooling rack.  Wrap or slice when the bread is under 100 °F. at center. 

Mike’s Tip:  Baking hearth breads begins with great hard spring wheat bread flour like Dakota Maid!  Visit the North Dakota Made flour’s web site and on-line store to get a supply.