First let me say I know that making bread scares people for some reason. It is so easy. It might take a little practice to know when the dough it "ready" When it has been kneaded enough or if it too
dry that sort of thing but that is really about fine tuning.
I want to tell you that this is not a quick recipe it takes several hour and requires your attention at regular intervals so you will need to do this when you are home.
I have faith you you!
Go bake bread!
Multigrain Bread
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup of 7 grain hot cereal
2 1/2 cups of BOILING water
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 wheat flour
4 Tbsp Honey
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, slightly cool ( NO MARGARINE)
2 1/2 tsp INSTANT yeast
1 Tbsp kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (I omit these because bill doesn't like them
1/2 cup old fashion rolled oats
Ok, this is what you want to buy to make this bread. I have to tell you that I had to go to a "fancy store" like Kroger or Albertson's to find it. Once I found it and we tried the bread and loved and I knew I would need more of it I ordered it off Amazon in a few bags at a time.
Put the cereal in a bowl. The first few times I put this in the bowl of the mixer but I realized that the metal held the heat and it took longer to cool so I changed to a regular mixing and it cooled down a little faster
Add the boiling water and give it a stir.
Then just let it set for an hour.
You want the temperature to be 100-120. It may take a little more than an hour just let it set a little longer if need be.
While the cereal is cooling put both flours in a bowl and whisk to combine
melt the butter and set it aside to cool a little, you still want it melted, down let it cool to where it is solid again
Move the cereal to the mixing bowl and add the melted butter
Add the honey, I use local honey from a beekeeper here and besides being so good and sourcing locally, I have heard it helps allergies. I don't know if it is true.
add the yeast. You don't proof this yeast but it in dry.
You need the dough hook
Start adding the flour a bit at a time while the mixer runs slow
After all the flour is added let it knead for a couple of minutes until the dough forms a ball.
Now the dough needs to be covered and allowed to rest
For 20 minutes
Now add the salt, then knead for 5 minutes. You want the dough to clean the sides of the bowl
As luck would have it my dough was still stick, so I can show how to fit that. Add a 2-3 Tbsp of flour. You don't want it to be too dry so be careful with how much flour you add. This will knead to be kneaded about 5 minutes.
This is good. If you want to use the sunflower seeds this is the time to do it. Dump them in and mix for 30 seconds. You will help distribute them more in the next step
Remove the dough onto a floured surface. I like to use the wheat flour for this but you can use either one
Knead it a few times until it is a tight little ball
Pour a little oil in a big bowl
Smear it around with a paper towel.. now you CAN use a cooking spray but spray it really good.
Place the dough ball in the bowl, turn it over and coat it all with the oil. This is why I prefer the oil for coating the bowl there is plenty there to rub off on the dough. Cover the bowl and put it in a warm spot to rise,
Check the dough in an hour
It should look like this
Just before I deal with the risen dough I get the pans ready. I have glass bread pans, I have the metal bread pans, and these are cast iron. They will all work. I LOVE these cast iron pans! The brown the loaves and they add a nice taste to them and I never had an issue with sticking. Now I would NEVER use cooking spray on the cast iron so I use soft better to grease the insides in the same manner I did the bowl, with the paper towels.
This is the fun part... poke the dough a bit and it collapses. This is also beating it down, and hey on a bad day I have given it the fist and not the finger!
Again on the floured surface cut the dough in half
Now there are those that say pat it in a 9 x 11 piece, YOU might can do that but I am much happier using a rolling pin.
Once you get it all rolled out then start at the short end and begin to roll it up, when you get to the end you kind of pinch it closed with the rest of the bread. This will be the bottom of the loaf
This is what you get, kind of pinch the ends closed and round them down a bit.
Sprinkle the oats
Spray the dough with water or pat it withe wet hands
Roll the dough in the oats so that it sticks to the dough
Place the dough in the pans, then repeat for the second loaf
Cover very loosely with plastic wrap
Let rise again for 40-50 minutes until they have risen up over the sides of the pans quite a bit
bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. The one on the left had an air bubble in it and when it got too hot it cracked the top. It looks funny but I promise you if it happens to you it is not a big deal.
This is seriously good bread. I eat some everyday with jelly on it!
Enjoy
