Chewy, Crunchy 9-grain Bread

Chewy, Crunchy 9-grain Bread

Author: Amy from vomitingchicken.com

Recipe type: whole-grain bread par excellence

Prep time:  1 hour

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  1 hour 30 mins

Serves: lots!

The 9-grain mix that I use in this recipe is my own invention, and is actually a mixture of many kinds of seeds and grains, and it changes from time to time. So feel free to mix your own, according to your tastes, if you like!

Ingredients

•   First, for the 9-grain mix, stir together:

•   2 cups rolled oats

•   2 cups cornmeal

•   1 cup millet

•   1 cup raw sunflower seeds

•   ½ cup poppyseeds

•   2 cups wheat bran

•   2 cups flax seeds, crushed (in blender)

•   2 cups white sesame seeds

•   2 cups rye flour

•   And now for the bread:

•   3 cups of (above) 9-grain mix

•   4 cups whole wheat flour (I use white wheat)

•   4 cups unbleached flour

•   2 tablespoons yeast

•   5 cups warm water

•   ⅓ cup olive oil

•   ⅓ cup molasses or raw honey

•   1 Tablespoon salt

Instructions

1  First, mix together well the nine grains listed. You'll store whatever you don't use today in your freezer. Yes, you will. Now don't argue. You don't want those seeds to go rancid, do you? You don't want me to smack you, do you? ;)

2  Then, mix 3 cups of 9-grain mix and 4 cups whole wheat flour, yeast, and water, and mix for 1 minute, in a mixer bowl equipped with a kneading arm.

3  Turn off mixer, cover bowl, and let dough sponge for 10 minutes.

4  Add oil, honey and salt. Mix well.

5  Add unbleached flour 1 cup at a time, while your mixer is running, until dough cleans the side of the bowl.

6  Knead 5 minutes with mixer. Or, knead by hand if you prefer. Get yourself a cup of coffee, say, or read the front page of the paper while your mixer does the work.

7  Lightly oil hands. Shape into 4 large loaves, and put into greased loaf pans, sprinkled with your 9-grain mix.

8  Let rise until double, about 30 to 40 minutes.

9  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

10           Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown and firm on the sides and bottom.

11           Remove from pans and cool on racks.