Easy Homemade Wheat bread

My 7-Ingredient Muesli bread was the first recipe I tried to make real homemade bread. I was so happy with the results that I decided to make it again. This time, I used whole grains. I love whole grains.

In my original recipe, I let the dough rest in the refrigerator for TWO HOURS. For this loaf, I was impatient and let it rise for only ONE HOUR in a warm place. It puffed just fine. It didn’t keep its “loaf shape” as well and spread out a bit, but that was fine with me. The taste was still great.

After the first proof, I added rolled oats for even more goodness. The result was fantastic – I felt extra good eating all the extra bread (wink) because of the oats and grains.

That’s it. It’s almost foolproof. Mix, let it rise, then knead the grains in, proof again, and bake. This recipe yields a gorgeous, crusty, tender loaf with a grainy texture.

I hope you like this bread. Breakfast is toast with butter and jam. This bread would make a lovely sandwich.

Note: Check back on Tuesday to see a NEW recipe for French toast using this bread. It’s well worth keeping the entire loaf. Stay tuned!

Ingredients

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour
Half a teaspoon of salt
Instant yeast in one packet (equivalent to 3/4 tbsp).
Warm water, 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup rolled Oats

Instructions

Mix warm water (like bathwater, or 110 degrees F/43 C) and yeast in a large bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy. Add salt and flour, and stir with a wooden spoon. The dough will be sticky and rough.
Then, remove the dough from the bowl. Lightly grease the bowl using a nonstick spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise in the fridge for 2 hours or in an area that is warm for 1 hour.
After the dough has doubled, sprinkle it lightly with flour. Transfer to a well-floured surface. Add flour as necessary and knead the dough a few more times. Then, add oats, millet, and buckwheat in batches. Once the grains are fully incorporated, the dough should no longer be sticky.
Place on a baking sheet lightly greased. To keep the dough moist, sift flour on top. Rest for 45-60 min.
Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C) and place metal or cast iron pan on lowest rack. Have 1 cup of boiling water at the ready (amount according to original recipe // adjust if changing batch size).
If you are ready to bake the bread, cut it 2 or 3 times, about 1/2 inch deep, with a knife.
Pour hot water into the shallow pan beneath the rack and place the bread into the oven. Close the oven door quickly.
Bake the bread for 25-35 minutes or until golden and crusty.
Remove the bread and let it cool on a cooling rack. Store leftovers at room temperature in a plastic container once they have cooled.