Toast to 101 years of great Canadian grains

Once upon a time in 1908, right here in Ottawa at the Experimental Farm, a humble, talented chemist and sideline flutist named Charles Saunders invented something spectacular—the Marquis Wheat—the best wheat in the world! Word spread around the world about his dynamo wheat and thousands of people immigrated to Canada’s prairies just to grow it. Wheat quickly became one of Canada’s leading exports and we Canadians were given the best tasting bread and pasta products on Earth! On this 101 year Anniversary of the Marquis Wheat, let’s toast Charles Saunders, Canada’s unsung hero of the world’s breadbasket and inventor of the world’s most, cold-weather hardy, gluten-packed, high-quality wheat. Gluten is a protein in wheat that gives bread volume and texture. Today, many of our grains are derived from the Marquis wheat and are used around the globe in “cream of the crop” flours, pasta and beers. Canada rules the roost in the wheat and grain growing industry and our production standards are the highest in the world. Nine of our provinces grow wheat, mostly for export. We grow many other grains too like rye, barley, and oats as well as various seed and cereal crops.

Grains give us essential vitamins and minerals, including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid, and iron. Whole grain and whole wheat products are also an important source of fibre in our diets and whole grain breads are a great way get your fill of “good” carbs.

So if Christmas made you the lucky owner of a breadmaker, I would highly recommend you borrow or buy this book to get you started: Canada’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes (ISBN 0-7788-0003-2). Purchase your ingredients at the Bulk Barn or Kardish where many varieties of grains and baking products are sold. Use all-purpose Robin Hood or Five Roses—no need to use Best for Bread flour—our Canadian flour contains enough gluten to make fine, voluminous loaves! Need help using your breadmaker? Email me at mmay911@rogers.cm and I would be happy to help. In the meantime, here are a few selected recipes from the book:

Five Seed Rye Bread (2 lb loaf)
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup skim milk powder
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp shortening
3 cups all purpose flour
¾ cup rye flour
¼ cup EACH flax seeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds
1 tsp EACH caraway seeds and fennel seeds
1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast
Measure ingredients into the breadpan in the order given. Set pan into the breadmaker. Select the Basic Cycle* . For an attractive topping sprinkle a mixture of the seeds overtop the loaf during the last 10 minutes of baking.

Pilgrim’s Multigrain Bread (2 lb loaf)
1 1/3 cups water
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp salt
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup buttermilk powder
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup wheat or oat bran
3 tbsp wheat germ
1 ½ tsp breadmachine yeast
Measure ingredients into the breadpan in the order given. Set pan into the breadmaker. Select the Basic Cycle*

Maritime Brown Bread (2 lb loaf)
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup skim milk powder
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp shortening
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup wheat germ
1 ¼ tsp bread machine yeast
Measure ingredients into the breadpan in the order given. Set pan into the breadmaker. Select the Whole Wheat Cycle*

*If you choose, any of these breads can be shaped into loaves and baked in the oven. You’ll need two small loaf pans. Select the Dough option on the breadmaker when you begin and follow these instructions when the dough is ready to be shaped.

Divide the dough into two pieces. Cover one piece with a tea towel while you roll out the other piece to an 8x10 rectangle. Roll up this rectangle—like a jelly roll and pinch the seam. With the side of the palm of your hand, press down on the edges of the roll at either end, tuck ends under and pinch to seal. Fit the roll (seam side down) into a greased or non-stick loaf pan. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in middle of oven. Let dough rise in pans, covered loosely with greased saran wrap and a tea towel in a warm, humid, draft-free place for about 30-35 min or until doubled in size. To bake, brush loaves with milk and sprinkle a few oats on top. Bake rack for 20-25 minutes or until browned. If a knock on the bottom of the pan sounds hollow, the bread is done! Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 min. Remove from pans and let cool on a wire rack, uncovered for 1 hour. After this, cover with a tea towel and continue to cool before storing or slicing.