Growing up, I remember coming home from school to the high pitched sound of my Mother's wheat grinder, blending up a batch of fresh ground wheat for homemade bread. The sound wasn't a bother, rather a mouthwatering reminder that in a short time there would be a buttery-honey covered slice of warm homemade wheat bread waiting for me. Yum.
I don't think there is anything more comforting then a slice of fresh-out-the-oven homemade bread. I must also add, there are few things more rewarding then presenting your family with bread that you have made yourself. It is such a feeling of accomplishment. You can freeze the extra bread loaves, and pull out a fresh one every morning for your family.
This recipe is one that I have experimented with, and I decided to pack it full of different kinds of seeds for added nutritional value and texture. It is so delicious and such a fun change up from regular bread.
My 4 year old son Benson, is a really picky eater. When I say REALLY, that is a total understatement. Luckily, letting him add the seeds to the mixture today, sparked his interest in trying the bread he helped make. Another huge reward for a mama who has stress over her baby not eating enough.
I hope you will try and enjoy this recipe, it's lots of fun and you can add many different things to it to suit your personal taste!
Recipe: Whole wheat seed bread {4 loaves}
Recipe source: Emmy in her Element
5 cups warm water
2/3 cup honey (*tip: spray your measuring cup with pam first and the honey will come right out of the cup clean)
2 tablespoons yeast
Mix together and let the yeast foam for 5-7 minutes.
Now add:
1 tablespoon salt
2/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
3/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup millet
5 tablespoons unsalted sunflower seeds
mix together.
Slowly add 7 cups of whole wheat flour. Swap your mixing hook for your dough hook as the
dough gets thicker.
Now add 4 1/2-5 cups of bread flour, a little at a time just until the dough pulls from the sides of the bowl. DONT OVER ADD FLOUR OR YOUR DOUGH WILL BE TOO DENSE.
Let the dough hook knead your dough on medium speed for 5-7 minutes.
Then dump the dough out onto a floured countertop, and knead for a few extra minutes until the dough is smooth and springy. (Go ahead, punch that dough and take out your daily frustrations! Its a great arm work out :)
Now add your dough to a large bowl, pre greased with pam or Crisco.
Let the dough rise for an hour or until doubled.
After the dough is doubled, pour back onto a floured countertop. Form the dough into a log shape. This will make it easier to cut the dough into 4 large even pieces.
Now take each piece and roll it out into a rectangle shape. Roll up the dough from the short end closest to you, and tucking under the ends when it is all rolled. Add to greased pans, and let rise for an additional 45 minutes.
Before adding to the oven, add a little warm honey on top of the bread, and spread some of the seeds you used on top of the bread so people know what's in it. Plus its really pretty!
SEE PICS BELOW FOR VISUAL PROCESS
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Make sure and pop the loaves out onto a cooling rack or they will get soggy from condensation if left in the pan to cool. Make sure to always cut your bread with a sharp serrated knife.
If you don't have a large enough family to eat all this bread, you can slice the loaves in half and take them out of the freezer a little at a time, or you can pass them out to friends and family. Trust me they will gladly accept this tasty delight!
If you are delivering the bread warm, fold a sheet of wax paper in half the long way, wrap around the bread so it can still cool without being trapped in a steamy bag, and wrap string, ribbon, or raffia around it with a tag if you want!
This post is dedicated to my Mom, who continues to encourage me to try my best at cooking and baking, and who offers me so much inspiration from the many days as a youth that I came home to a wonderful smelling kitchen and a warm welcoming meal.
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