We developed this recipe for a Bread Machine, from a time when we didn’t have a kitchen. That seemed efficient in terms of heat and mixing. There is a challenge producing a multi-grain bread which isn’t a brick, so we utilize both a sponge and yeast, and plenty of White Flour. Error on the side of a wet (lively) dough, rather than a dry dense (death) dough. It will be lighter, easier on the machine and more apt to rise.
Toast It, because it is much better sliced thin and toasted
With all the seeds we called it Bird Seed Bread
(since writing this recipe, we also considered called this the “Garbage Loaf”, because of recent additions, including a ripe banana)
Turmeric is added for it’s anti-inflammatory properties, but it also gives the bread a distinctive bright yellow color.
Cayenne Pepper works against all the dried fruit to provide a unique depth and character.
Dough
Mix together, allow to develop (sitting overnight is O.K.)
1 cup Beer (Miller Light) 4 2oz Ladles
2 cups Flour (1 Cup Whole Wheat and 1 Cup Rye Flour
(at one time I used white flour which responds so much better to yeast)
and The Sponge (which is a handful of dough saved from the prior batch in a zip-lock in the fridge)
Add and process
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper (A SECRET INGREDIENT)
1 Tsp Caraway Seeds (if you like rye bread like we do) Or Omit
1 cup Rye Flour (2 1/2 Cup Scoops)
6 oz Oat Bran (recently I just add Oat Meal) 3 2oz Ladles
6 oz More Beer (initially I used yogurt, but beer keeps it losser 3 2oz Ladles
Reserve some of this for a SPONGE to be used with the next loaf of bread:
(grab a nice handful of the dough to save as a SPONGE, in a zip lock in the fridge)
To ensure a less dense loaf combine:
2 oz dry active yeast
Pinch of Sugar
(covered with some temped water)
and let it proof and foam – bubble and expand
Add this proofed Yeast slurry with
6 oz White Flour to the Dough
Process (Mix) giving it time to develop
Add-ins: Add (2 oz each) . . .
Dark California Raisins
Yellow Raisins
Currants
Dried Dates
Dried Cranberries
Malto Meal
Yellow Corn Meal
Flax Meal
Bulgar Wheat
Yellow Mustard Seed
Dark Mustard Seed
Poppy Seed
Millet Seed
White Sesame Seed
Dark Sesame Seed
Caraway Seeds (1 Tbsp Whole Seeds and 1 Tbsp Ground Seeds)
Add beer
Although the bread is more interesting visually and texturally when the seeds are left whole; I buzz 2 oz of-each-of the following in a spice grinder to improve nutrition and digestion:
Amaranth Seed
Pumpkin Seed
Flax Seed
Sunflower Seed
Then add the same amount of whole seeds
Finally, bake in a Cuisinart Convection Bread-maker as a
French/Italian Loaf (Setting 5)
Large Loaf
Dark Crust
The loaf dense and heavy
and Soooo-Good toasted dark
Some Secrets:
White Flour, it is very hard to accomplish a yeast sponge without some white flour
Seeds are beautiful in the bread, visually and texturally, but if you don’t grind them, there may be no nutritional benefit (they pass through the digestive system whole, without imparting any nutrition)
This recipe is a revision of a Yogurt Bread recipe, included with my bread-making-machine
Chez Bob Traiteur 