10-grain whole wheat bread

10 Grain Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:

	2 cups of whole wheat flour
	4 to 5 cups of bread flour
	2 cups hot water (> 150°F)
	2 tsp. of salt
	2 pkg. of active dry yeast (4 ½ tsp. Bulk yeast)
	2 eggs
	¼ cup of honey
	¼ cup of vegetable oil

	1 ½ cups of 7-grain hot cereal
	¼ cup of sunflower seeds
	¼ cup of shelled pumpkin seeds
	¼ cup of pearled barley

Directions:

Day before:
	Soak the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pearled barley in the hot water for at least two hours or until cool. Strain the water and reserve in a covered bowl and refrigerate overnight. Put the seeds in a tightly sealed bowl or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Day of:
	Add enough water to the reserved water to make 2 cups. Heat water to above 150°F. Do not bring to a boil. Place in stand mixer's bowl and add the 7-grain cereal. Mix thoroughly with the paddle attachment and let stand until the temperature of the water drops below 120°F.

	To the water/cereal mix, add the salt, yeast, honey, eggs and oil. Mix thoroughly. Add the whole wheat flour and one cup of the bread flour and mix until combined, about 3 minutes. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and add 3 more cups of bread flour. Mix on medium-low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and slowly add the remaining flour. Once the dough cleans the side of the bowl and stops sticking, stop adding flour. It will most likely NOT take all of the bread flour.

	If you have a small stand mixer, i.e., the 250 watt KitchenAid, don't even bother trying to knead this with the dough hook. All it will do it turn into a ball that spins around the bowl. Even more powerful mixers will not do much good. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead by hand until it tightens and turns smooth, about 8 minutes.

	Form into a ball and place in a well greased bowl and using either pan spray or oil, coat the top and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.

First and second risings:
	Allow to rise for 1 ½ hours. Remove plastic wrap, punch down the dough, pull the edges in towards the center to form a ball, turn over and recover with the plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until well doubled.

Shaping:
	Remove from bowl and press out any air bubbles. Cut dough into two portions, each weighing in excess of 2 pounds. Knead each portion briefly to bring dough together and form into tight ball, seam side down. Press ball into an rectangle as wide and the length of the pan. Flip over and roll up tightly into a log slightly linger than the pan. Pinch the seam and ends to seal and place in a greased 9x5 pan.

Third rising:
	Cover both pans with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour. 30 minutes in, set your oven for 350°F. Using a sharp razor blade, carefully slash the top of the loaves. Brush with milk and sprinkle with oatmeal.

Baking:
	Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until the temperature inside the center of the loaf registers 200°F. Tapping the bottom will not tell if the loaf is done due to the high moisture content of the bread. Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack. Due to the oil, the loaf freezes well and will keep for more than a week in the refrigerator.