Multi-Grain Bread with Harvest Grains

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” ~ James Beard

 9 Grains Bread

There is something magical about baker’s yeast. It comes in many forms, such as cake yeast, active dry yeast and instant yeast; however the magic has nothing to do with the type of yeast used. Rather, it has to do with the fact that it is alive. If you feed yeast some warm sugar water, it starts to bubble and grow right before your eyes. Mix it with the correct ratio of flour and more water, and you will turn a soft mound of dough into the best bread you have ever eaten.

As James Beard states in the above quote, great bread with fresh butter is an amazing feast. Also, don’t forget about the amazing aroma that seeps into your kitchen when the bread is baking.

I wanted to bake whole grain bread because of its nutritional value; so I ordered 9 grain flour blend and harvest grains blend from King Arthur Flour. The 9 grain flour blend contains wheat, barley, rye oat, amaranth, quinoa, millet, sorghum and teff.

The harvest grains blend contains whole oat groats, wheat flakes, rye flakes, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseed, poppy seeds and millet.

My version of bread was  slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour’s 9-Grains Bread recipe. The molasses makes this bread very moist and flavorful.

When baking bread, the first thing to do is proof the yeast. If the yeast is not alive, the bread will not rise. My first experience with yeast dough turned out to be a waste of time and ingredients because the yeast was dead.

Proofing yeast:
To proof yeast, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to ¼ cup of warm water (100 – 110 degrees F.) Stir in the amount of yeast called for in the recipe. For this bread it is 2 teaspoons. Let the mixture sit for five minutes and if the yeast is alive, the mixture will bubble up.

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. When the ingredients are combined, change the attachment to the hook. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, knead in flour a little at a time until the dough is smooth.

Place the ball of dough into a slightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 75 minutes. NOTE: I place a heating pad, set on low, under the bowl.

After the first rise, shape the dough into a loaf and place it in a lightly greased 9” x 5” bread pan. Cover and let rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, about 75 minutes.
Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer.
Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Multi-Grain Bread

By Patricia Rio Published: January 31, 2014

• Multi-Grain Bread with Harvest Grains

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  1 vote, 5.00 avg. rating (97% score)
• Yield: 1 loaf
• Prep: 20 mins
• Cook: 30-40 mins
• Ready In: 3 hrs 20 mins

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” ~ James …

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups 9-grain flour blend From King Arthur Flour
• 1/4 cup harvest grains blend From King Arthur Flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cups water 1/4 cup of water used for proofing

Instructions

1. To proof yeast, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to ¼ cup of warm water (100 – 110 degrees F.) Stir in the amount of yeast called for in the recipe. For this bread it is 2 teaspoons. Let the mixture sit for five minutes and if the yeast is alive, the mixture will bubble up.
   
2. Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. When the ingredients are combined, change the attachment to the hook. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, knead in flour a little at a time until the dough is smooth.
   
3. Place the ball of dough into a slightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 75 minutes. NOTE: I place a heating pad, set on low, under the bowl.
   
4. After the first rise, shape the dough into a loaf and place it in a lightly greased 9” x 5” bread pan. Cover and let rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, about 75 minutes. Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer.
   
5. Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!!