Honey Multigrain Bread

This is a hearty multigrain bread filled with oats, bran, rye flour, white flour, teff flour and 12 grain cereal. This recipe makes 4 regular loaves or 2 regular and 4 half size loaves like I have made. Bread is a wonderful thing to share with friends or neighbors (especially when warm!) or you can easily freeze it baked or unbaked. Next time you go to the grocery store just look at the ingredients on your sliced bread. I bet you will be amazed at how many preservatives there are even in the ones that appear to be whole grain or natural!

You will need:

• 1/2 cup milk - scalded
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 olive oil
• 3 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp dry yeast - regular
• 1/2 cup dry 12 grain cereal-  which is then cooked and cooled 
• 1 cup bran
• 1 cup teff flour (you can substitute with any other flour if necessary)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 4 cups all purposed flour (more for kneading)
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt 
• 1 tsp lemon juice

• sesame seeds/poppy seeds/oats to top bread
• 1 egg for wash

Step 1: scald milk- bring almost to a boil and remove  from heat just as there are bubbles appearing around the edges.

Step 2: take warm water and add honey and scalded milk. Stir to dissolve honey. 

Step 3: add melted butter (I just use microwave for 20-25 seconds to melt) and let cool 5 minutes.

Step 4: cook 12 grain cereal. 1/2 cup cereal and 1 cup water for 10 minutes. Once cooked let cool at least 10 minutes.

Step 5: stir in yeast to slightly cooled milk, butter, water mix and leave 5 minutes. The yeast should start to activate. If it does not - your yeast is no longer good.

Step 6: add the cooked/cooled cereal to milk and yeast mix and stir well. Leave this mix for 30 minutes. You should have a large bowl which can handle the rise. After 30 minutes the mix should be all bubbly and puffy.

Step 7: add all remaining flours, bran, oats, salt and lemon juice (I got this tip from a bag of Roger`s flour they recommend it for all breads) Mix in bowl until you need to turn out onto a clean counter. Add additional flour until the dough can no longer take any more flour and is no longer sticky to the touch. This is a large amount of dough because it makes 4 loaves. Work the dough for at least 5 minutes before placing in a lightly oiled, large bowl. Cover with plastic and leave in the fridge for up to 8 hours or on a counter until double in size. This will probably take 90 minutes.

Step 8: take your doubled dough and put on a floured counter. Divide into 4 even pieces (or whatever number of loaves you are making)

Step 9: I like to flatten out each piece with my hands or a rolling pin and then roll up.

Step 10: place in oiled loaf pans and place a greased piece of plastic wrap lightly over tops to prevent drying out. I just re-use the plastic from the first rise. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take 60- 90 minutes. Do not bake until they are doubled. If it takes longer then you need to wait for the dough.

Step 11: when they are nice and high in the pans gently brush with a little beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, oats or all three!

Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 40 minutes for the regular loaves and approx 30 minutes for the half sized pans. You can always take one out of the pan and see if the bottom is nicely browned and if sounds hollow when you knock on it. Let cool before eating.

I gave a loaf to my neighbor and I enjoyed some nice bread with my Turkey Chili and froze the rest for a rainy day!