MULTI-GRAIN BREAD
 
 
Craving comfort food? I love this standby recipe for multi-grain bread that I’ve been making for a couple of years. It’s very easy if you use a bread maker. I always remove my bread dough before the second rising and bake it in the oven. This bread tastes better a day or even two days later. It’s such flavorful bread that it doesn’t need any butter. The secret is adding scallions that have been fried briefly in olive oil.   And the other secret is using Bob’s Red Mill 8 Grain Cereal. 
 
 
 
4 scallions chopped up or about ¼ cup
2 Tbs olive oil
1 package instant rise yeast
1/2 cup 8 grain cereal (Bob’s Red Mill)
1 1/2 cup bread flour
1  cup graham or light whole wheat flour or bread flour
2 Tbs. toasted wheat germ
1 Tbs. ground flaxseed
Salt to taste
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. molasses
1 cup warm water
 
1.       Briefly fry the scallions in olive oil to soften but don’t brown them. Let cool.
2.      To the bread maker add the rest of the ingredients starting with the yeast and ending with the water. Add scallions before the water.
3.      Switch on the bread maker and let it go through the first kneading and rising cycle. If you’re an experienced bread maker you’ll know what the consistency of the dough should be. It may need to be adjusted with a little more water or flour. It should come together in a ball that is went enough that when you squeeze it with your fingers, it is just a little sticky.
4.      After it has risen to about double (one hour), punch down, remove from the bread maker and put into a loaf pan that has been liberally spread with olive oil. Grease the top of the bread with olive oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Put in warm, draft free spot to rise.
5.      After 45 minutes start your oven heating at 400 ? 
6.      After the bread has risen for an hour check to make sure it is nicely risen above the rim of the loaf pan. (See picture below).
7.      Carefully place in hot oven and reduce to 375 ?. Bake for about 30 minutes or until beginning to brown and fully baked.
 
 
 
 Risen bread right before baking