Multi-Grain Bread in a machine or not
 
 
Adapted from: Bread Machine: How to prepare and bake the perfect loaf by Jennie Shapter

Makes: 1 medium loaf

Author:
Recipe type: Bread
Cuisine: Comfort Food
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups water
  • 4½ cups multi-grain flour (milled from a mixture of 7 grains)
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1¼ teaspoons instant yeast (or bread machine yeast)
Instructions
  1. Add the ingredients to the bread pan in the order specified by the manufacturer. For my bread machine, you add the water first, then sprinkle the flour over it and then add the salt, sugar, and butter in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow well in the middle of the flour, but not all the way down to the water, and add the yeast.
Bake the bread completely in the bread machine:
  1. Set the bread machine to the whole wheat or multi-grain setting, medium crust. Press Start.
  2. Remove the bread at the end of the baking cycle and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool.
Mix the dough in the bread machine and bake in a conventional oven:
  1. Set the machine to the dough setting and let the machine do the mixing and kneading and bulk fermentation.
  2. At the end of the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan and shape it into a loaf and place it in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan. You can use a glass or nonstick pan. I prefer glass loaf pans.
  3. Let the loaf proof until it reaches the rim of the pan, about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the heat in your kitchen.
  4. Bake the loaf in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
  5. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove the loaf from the pan to a wire rack to cool before slicing and serving.
Mix the dough by hand and bake in conventional oven:
  1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl; add the liquid ingredients and mix until it forms a rough dough.
  2. Transfer the dough to a counter sprinkled with flour. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes before starting the kneading process. This will help develop the gluten structure.
  3. Knead until it is soft and smooth, sprinkling additional flour if necessary.
  4. Place the dough in a clean, lightly greased bowl and roll it around to coat it in oil. You can omit the oil if you prefer. Let the dough bulk ferment for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
  5. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface, shape into a loaf, and place in a greased and floured loaf pan.
  6. Let the loaf proof for an hour, or until it crests slightly over the top of the rim..
  7. Bake the loaf in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Take the loaf out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
  9. Remove the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe by Grain Mill Wagon at https://www.grainmillwagon.com/multi-grain-bread-for-rainy-day/