To Debee, who wanted multi-grain bread recipes.
Here are two I like from Father Dominic Garramone's cookbooks. I love his
recipes and advice. By watching his PBS show, I made the transition from a
bread machine baker to a scratch baker. Now I'm having fun with artisan
and sourdough breads. His cookbooks, which I highly recommend, are
available at www.breaking-bread.com
Erin Nesmith, who always has flour under her fingernails.
Nine-Grain Bread
Yield: 2 loaves
Sponge:
1 c. lukewarm water
2 pkgs. yeast
1 c. bread flour
1/2 c. wheat flour
1 tsp. brown sugar
Dough:
1 1/2 c. lukewarm water
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 c. nine- or ten-grain cereal mix (Use the kind to make hot cereal. Bob's
Red Mill has some nice varieties, and you can also find varieties at the
bulk food section of a large supermarket or health food store.)
1/4 c. millet
1/4 c. flaxseed
4 1/4 to 5 c. bread flour
For sponge, combine all ingredients in medium bowl and beat until
smooth. Let stand 20 minutes or until foamy and doubled in volume.
For dough, add water, oil, brown sugar, and salt to sponge. Bear until
smooth. Add cereal mix, millet and flaxseed, stir until thoroughly
incorporated. Add 2 cups bread flour and beat until thoroughly
incorporated. Repeat with 2 cups bread flour. Add enough of the remaining
flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until a dough forms. It will be quite sticky,
but don't add too much flour.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 to 12
minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for about 1 hour, or
until doubled.
Punch down dough and knead briefly to deflate large bubbles. Divide dough
in half and shape into loaves. Place in well-greased loaf pans (be sure to
get the sides, as my first batch stuck on the sides) to rise for about 45
minutes, or until doubled. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 35 to 45
minutes, or until loaves are golden brown, slide easily from the pan, and
sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let cool on wire racks.
From More Breaking Bread by Father Dominic Garramone, OSB
My notes: I have also added the multi-grain cereal (I use Bob's Red Mill
10 grain blend) to the sponge. It makes for less crunch in the finished
loaf. I haven't had flaxseed or millet on hand so I've never used them in
this recipe. I use 1 rounded tablespoon of SAF instant yeast rather than 2
packages of regular yeast, and I let the sponge go for longer.
Ezekiel's Six-Grain Bread
This recipe is found in Ezekiel 4:9, where God tells the prophet, "Take
wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a single
vessel and make bread out of them".
Yield: 2 loaves
2 c. warm water
2 pkgs. yeast
2 Tbs. honey
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. graham (whole wheat) flour, divided
1/4 c. lentil flour
1/4 c. white bean flour (fava, navy, etc.)
1/4 c. barley flour
1/4 c. millet flour
1/4 c. spelt flour
1 1/2 Tbs. ground coriander
2 to 2 1/2 c. bread flour
sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
Combine water, yeast, honey, oil and salt in a large bowl, stir to
dissolve. Stir in 1/2 c. of the graham flour. Beat thoroughly. Let stand
10 minutes, or until foamy.
Sift the remaining 1 c. graham flour, lentil flour, bean flour, barley
flour, millet flour, spelt flour and coriander together. Stir until well
blended.
Add flour mixture, about 1 c. at a time, to the yeast mixture, stirring
thoroughly after each addition. Add enough of the bread flour to make a
stiff dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 to 12
minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and cover. Let rise 1 1/2 hours, or until
dough has doubled in bulk.
Punch down dough. Knead lightly, then let dough rest 5 minutes. Divide in
half and shape into two round loaves. Place loaves on a lightly greased
baking sheet. Cover and let rise 30 to 45 minutes, or until
doubled. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 350 F. If desired,
lightly brush the tops of risen loaves with water and sprinkle with sesame
or poppy seeds. Bake in a 350 F oven for about 45 minutes, or until tops
are browned and loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from baking sheets
and let cool on wire racks.
Note: to make the bean or grain flours, grind dried beans or whole grains
in an electric blender or food processor. Do not grind more than 1/4 c. at
a time and take lots of breaks so your machine doesn't overheat. It will
take quite some time to grind the flour. Sift the ground mixture though a
fine sieve before use, or use a regular flour sifter if you want a coarser
blend. These various flours absorb moisture at different rates, so be sure
to follow the directions about sifting them together before adding them to
the yeast mixture. Pearl barley can be used to make the barley flour.
From Breaking Bread with Father Dominic, by Father Dominic Garramone