Adobe Bread

Adobe Bread

1 pkg. (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast

 1/4 C. warm water

 1 1/2 C. hot water

 3 T. lard or vegetable shortening

2 T. honey

1/4 C. mesquite meal

1/4 C. wheat flour

4 C. all-purpose or enriched white flour

1 t. salt

2 T. vegetable oil

2 T. mesquite meal

In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water. Set aside. In a small saucepan place 1 1/2 cups of water, shortening and honey. Heat until shortening is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Place honey mixture in a large mixing bowl and stir in dissolved yeast. Sift together the 1/4 cup mesquite meal, flours and salt. Add 1 cup of the flour mixture to the honey mixture. Beat well. Gradually stir in the remaining flour a little at a time, beating well after each addition. The final cup will have to be kneaded in. Knead for ten minutes on a lightly floured surface. Dough should be smooth, stiff, bit pliable.

Place dough back in bowl and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Cover with a cloth and allow to rise in a draft-free place until dough doubles in bulk, usually about one hour. Punch down the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead again for five minutes. Divide the dough in half and place in 2 greased baking bowls, or shape into 2 round loaves and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining oil and sprinkle each with one tablespoon of mesquite meal. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Makes 2 loaves.

From Wikipedia – Mesquite flour is made from the dried and ground pods of the Mesquite. The tree grows throughout North America in arid climates. The flour made from the long, beige-colored seed pods has a sweet, slightly nutty flavor and can be used in a wide variety of applications. It has a high-protein, low-glycemic content and could serve as a more healthy gluten-free replacement for flours.  In the past Indigenous American Indians used to rely on these mesquite pods as an important food source.  The bean pods of the mesquite tree are dried and ground into a flour (pinole). This flour is rich in dietary fiber (25%) and protein (13%) It also contains significant quantities of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and the amino acid lysine, and it is low-fat (only 3%).