Most people around here know how to cook wild rice. However, I have seen many photos on social media or in magazines featuring chewy, undercooked wild rice in a finished dish. For anyone who may be reading this who is not from the area, wild rice is not like regular rice. You want to cook it until it becomes tender, which basically means cooking it until it looks overcooked. There are different varieties of wild rice, and some take at least 45 minutes to be thoroughly cooked, which are usually the black colored cultivated varieties. Those need to cook until they curl up and burst in the middle, exposing a fluffy gray interior. Hand-harvested wood-parched varieties are usually a dark brown color flecked with tan, and need to cook until they curl up, which takes about 30-35 minutes. Those varieties don’t reveal their fleshy interior, but do turn a light brown/gray color after cooking.
Another issue I have seen with wild rice is in cranberry wild rice bread. I have found that any rice that sticks out of the crust dries out and gets really hard while baking. I decided to try rolling out the dough, then sprinkling the rice on top and rolling it up jelly roll style to keep the rice inside. I don’t think I will make wild rice bread any other way ever again. The rice stayed nice and moist, and there was a pretty swirl inside each loaf. Whole-wheat style breads tend to be overly dense from too much flour. Whole wheat flour takes longer to rehydrate than white flour, so it is a common mistake to add too much flour while kneading. If you want soft, squishy bread that is perfect for leftover holiday turkey sandwiches, don’t be afraid to leave your dough a bit sticky. This bread would also be great for making holiday dressing/stuffing. If desired, you can use sunflower seeds or pepitas in place of walnuts, and you can add 1-2 teaspoons of minced fresh rosemary for extra flavor.
CRANBERRY WILD RICE SWIRL BREAD
Cranberry Wild Rice
Swirl Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups water, divided
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon plus 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, divided
2 envelopes (.25 ounces each) active dry yeast
1/2 cup walnut oil (or canola oil), plus extra for greasing
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt (or table salt)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup cooked wild rice, divided
Instructions:
In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the cranberries and wheat germ. Set aside to cool. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add 1 cup of water. Microwave on high for 10-15 seconds at a time until the temperature is 105-110 degrees F. Stir in 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and the yeast. Let stand until foamy. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, and walnuts. Add in the cranberry mixture and the yeast mixture. Stir in the whole wheat flour and salt. Gradually add the all-purpose flour, scraping the dough onto a countertop when the mixture is too thick to stir. Knead for 6-8 minutes, using a bench scraper as needed to turn the dough. The dough should leave a thin film on the heel of your hand, but it should not stick to the counter. If absolutely necessary, add a little extra flour. Grease a large bowl and add the dough, turning to coat the top. Cover and let rise for 1 1/2-2 hours or until doubled. Punch the dough down and grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1/2 of the dough to an 8x16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of wild rice, keeping it 1/2 inch from the edges. Gently press the rice to help it adhere. Starting from a short end, roll up the dough and place it in a prepared pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Cover the loaves and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the loaves for 45-55 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F, tenting the loaves with foil halfway through baking time. Brush tops with oil to make a nice sheen. Let cool completely in the pans.
Yield: 24 servings.
