Dreaming of a tasty whole grain bread? Have you been searching for a lucious homemade bread recipe that is more than just fluffy sweetness, without being as dry as cardboard? Your dreams are about to come true! Let me introduce you to Multigrain Dream Bread.
Like you, I too was searching for a hearty bread that could hold its own butter without ripping to pieces. But whole wheat breads didn’t seem to have enough flavor or texture. Multigrain Dream Bread has been a recipe I have been adapting for years perfecting the proper ingredients and techniques to create what I have been looking for.
The ingredients
Now I do like a fluffy, white homemade bread, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes there’s something more rustic and homey about having a dense, seedy loaf to occupany your bowl of soup by the fireplace. Multigrain bread has more complexity and flavor than a simple white or whole wheat bread. This multigrain bread recipe has such a wide variety of grains, seeds and, yes, even a potato. You shouldn’t have trouble finding most of the ingredients through, and some of them are optional. I like to include millet and flax seed meal when I’m baking mine.
Even though there is only one cup of multigrain flour, it’s good to find something with at least 5 or 6 grains. The more the better! This may be the hardest ingredient to find. I usually buy from a small local store called Stringtown Grocery, but online sources include Italian Food Online and Amazon. Or you blend Bob’s Red Mill 7 Grain Hot Cereal into flour using a strong blender or food processor. Or check out Homemade Multigrain Flour by The Woks of Life. If multigrain flour is too hard to come by, simply substitute whole wheat flour. There is already a lot of multigrain going on in this recipe! You’ve got wheat, millet, flax seed and oatmeal even if you skip the multigrain flour.
Yes, whole grain bread has gluten. Gluten is what holds it together and keeps it from being cardboard. This recipe lets you use either high-gluten bread flour or add vital wheat gluten to regular enriched flour. Whole grain breads especially need the added gluten to help them be chewy.
Additional Notes
Maybe I should also note that this is not a recipe that has been tested in a bread machine. This is a real knead-it-and-let-it-rise-on-the-counter recipe.
If only you could smell this bread baking! It smells as good as it looks! Some of my pictured loaves are baked with millet and some are without. Millet looks like small white grains or seeds.
Multigrain Dream Bread
This recipe makes two loaves of the hearty, dense, delicious multigrain bread you've been dreaming of. Baked with millet, bulgur, flax seed meal and more.
Ingredients
- 1 small potato, unpeeled and diced
- 2 Tbsp. molasses
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup bulgur*
- 1/8 cup millet (optional)
- 1/8 cup flax seed meal (optional)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup high gluten bread flour**
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup multigrain flour
Instructions
- In a small saucepan bring diced potato and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until potato is very soft, 10-20 minutes. Drain and save potato, reserving liquid.
- Measure hot potato water and add more cool water to bring the measurement to 2 1/3 cups. Add to large mixing bowl and stir in molasses and honey. When the mixture has cooled to a lukewarm, yeast-loving temperature (105-110F degrees), sprinkle with dry yeast and allow to sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
- While potato water cools, mash potato with a fork and add bulgur, millet, flax seed meal, oil and salt.
- After yeast has rested, stir in the mashed potato mixture.
- Stirring in one cup at a time, add oatmeal, high-gluten bread flour and one cup whole wheat flour. Add two more cups of whole wheat flour and mix well.
- Turn dough out onto surface heavily floured with whole wheat flour. Continue kneading and adding flour until you have a very firm, heavy dough that no longer sticks to your hands.
- Place dough in a large, clean bowl (no need to oil). Cover and let rise for 75 minutes.
- Punch down bread dough and divide into two loaves. Place into greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place bread in oven and lower heat to 325F degrees. Bake until loaves are browned and sound hollow when tapped.
Notes
*cooked wheat or oat berries may be substituted for bulgur
** You can also add 2 tsp. vital wheat gluten to 1 cup all purpose flour and substitute for the high-gluten flour.
Sugars can be adjusted to any combination of honey, molasses, or brown sugar that equals 5 Tablespoons.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 197mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g
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