Many-Grain Bread

The following recipe is adapted from Rustic European Breads from your Bread Machine. It is called Brian Dupnik's 11-Seed and Grain Bread in that book. I never use exactly 11 grains so I thought it should be called many-grain bread instead. I use Bob's Red Mill Seven Grain Mixture and throw in whatever other grains I have lying around. I also started playing with spelt flour after picking some up at Whole Foods recently. Feel free to experiment.

Many-Grain Bread 1 1/2 pound loaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup seed/grain mixture (a combo of these: sesame, poppy, caraway or fennel seeds, barley, triticale, wheat berries, oats, polenta, flax, amaranth, quinoa) soaked in 1/2 cup boiling water for 15 minutes.
• 2 tsp bread machine yeast
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or spelt flour, or mix
• 1 1/4 cups white (bread) flour
• 1/4 cup wheat gluten (or substitute more white flour) This helps the dough rise - seems to be useful at our high altitude.
• 3 tbsp rye flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 3/4 to 1 cup water (use 3/4 c at high altitudes, use full amount at lower altitudes)
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water for egg wash (optional, only if using dough setting)

Make Dough

Combine the yeast, flours, cornmeal, salt, honey, molasses and water in the bread machine pan. Process on the dough cycle or if you want, on the whole wheat cycle. Add the seed/grain mixture once the water has been fully absorbed by the grains.

• Note: If not using the full amount of water, keep an eye on the dough to make sure it forms one ball after the first dough cycle. Sprinkle extra water in if necessary, but try not too add too much or the bread might fall while baking. If you add too much water, sprinkle in more flour.

Shape, rise, and bake the loaf

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Shape the dough into whatever shape you desire - the book suggests a round. Set on a baking pan that has been greased or covered with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk. Brush with the egg wash if desired, and sprinkle oats on top of the loaf. Bake in the oven until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when you knock on the bottom of the loaf.

Let cool, then enjoy. Nathan had a funny thought about the bread this morning - something to the effect of, "this healthy bread of yours actually tastes good too". Perhaps he will comment with the exact quote. We've been eating our bread toasted and slathered with almond butter and honey. Not too bad for breakfast.