Multigrain Bread

A friend of mine recently celebrated a birthday.  This is the loaf that I made for her.  (I am told that it pairs fabulously with apple butter!)

If you don't have multigrain flour (or can't find it in the grocery store), you can mix some together yourself, using whatever combination of grains sounds good to you.  Sometimes you can buy small amounts of many different flours if you shop at natural foods stores that sell in bulk.

As a general rule of thumb, I try to keep the gluten-free flour (everything that isn't wheat) to no more than 25% of the total flour content.  If I want a more hearty loaf, I will incorporate an additional 25% whole wheat flour. 

Multigrain Bread

Multigrain Flour:
2 Tbsp brown rice flour
2 Tbsp white rice flour
2 Tbsp corn flour
2 Tbsp buckwheat flour
4 Tbsp rye flour
2 Tbsp millet
1/2 Tbsp Flax seed
2 Tbsp rolled oats

3 Tbsp canola oil
3 Tbsp molasses
1 2/3 c. water
1 egg, beaten
1 c. multigrain flour
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. yeast
1/2 Tbsp salt
3 1/2 c. white bread flour

Combine the wet ingredients and place them in the bottom of the mixer bowl.  Add the multigrain flour, the whole wheat flour, and the yeast.  Mix briefly and allow to sit for 10 minutes before mixing in the salt and two cups of the white bread flour.  Mix in the remaining cup of white bread flour gradually (extra/less as needed), until the dough makes a ball on the bread hook.  Increase mixing speed slightly and mix for about 2 minutes more.  Turn out onto a heavily floured surface (dough may be sticky) and knead in extra flour until the dough is soft and elastic.  Let rise for  one hour.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly; shape the dough, and press into a greased loaf pan.  Allow to rise for one hour.  Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 F and cook for 30 minutes.  Turn off the oven and allow the bread to stay inside the oven for 10 minutes more.  Place the loaf on a wire rack to cool completely.

 <Sigh> One of my favorite sights is a loaf of bread almost hitting the top of the oven!