Jeff Basom, the chef at Bastyr University, shares his unique way
of making bread. Jeff’s bread is economical and nutritious and
children love the soft, light texture. Using leftover grains or
cereal as a starter dough is a beautiful example of the
transformative quality of whole foods.

Starter Dough
2 cups cooked whole grains
2 cups water
1/4 cup cold-pressed vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour (more or less)

Blend grains and water in a blender or food processor until creamy; pour into a large mixing bowl. Mix in oil, salt, and yeast. Add enough flour to make the mixture look like thick cooked cereal. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and leave for 12-24 hours at room temperature. Once the dough is fermented, it can be refrigerated for up to a week before using to make bread.

To make a bread
1/4 cup sweetener (such as barley malt or maple syrup)
2 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 cups unbleached white flour or whole wheat flour

After the 12-24 hours, add sweetener to starter dough and stir. Add whole wheat flour, stirring it in. As you add the white flour, the mixture will be too difficult to stir. Knead it by hand in the bowl and continue to add white flour. When dough is less sticky, transfer it to a floured surface and knead 10-15 minutes or until dough is soft and springy, but not too sticky. Wash and dry mixing bowl and oil it. Place dough in bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

To bake the bread
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon barley malt or maple syrup
1 teaspoon cold-pressed vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Mix water, syrup, oil, and salt in a small cup or bowl and coat the top of each loaf with this mixture. Cover and let rise in pans for 45-60 minutes until the loaves have doubled in size. Test the bread for readiness. If you press the dough and it wants to stay in, but still has a little spring, it’s ready to bake. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake 45-50 minutes. Bread will come out of pans after 5 minutes of cooling. Let it cool 30 minutes before slicing (if you can wait!).