Seven-Grain Whole Wheat Harvest Bread

Fresh out of the oven!

My Mom always made homemade bread. It's a wonderful & lovely memory I will forever cherish. She also made the jams & jellies that went on that bread! She was pretty much incredible!

Now in case you're wondering what her reasoning was for making homemade bread (not to say that fresh, warm bread isn't good enough reason!) she didn't make it because it was 'better for you',.. this was in the early 1970's and she was just starting to read about & hear talk of white flour being bad for you and that table salt was a 'killer'.

I know she enjoyed baking, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't her sole motivation either!...she had a full-time job, 6 kids to haul around to and from school and 'after-school' activities, and a house to run! And don't forget, the 'wonders' of  Wonder bread were still mesmerizing moms all over America, convincing those same moms that since they didn't have the extra time to bake, Wonder bread make a perfectly nutritious substitute! It would have been nice if that were the answer to Moms dilemma, but the fact is, she baked her own bread because it was a way to save money. She didn't have a lot of extra time but she made homemade bread anyway! She had to save money & cut corners wherever she could, and this is just one of the many ways she did that.

I'm sorry to say I don't have my Moms bread recipe, but the recipe I'll be sharing is courtesy of "The Art & Soul of Baking" by Cindy Mushet. I've been using this recipe for the past 3 years & I really love it! It's delicious, inexpensive, nutritious and fairly easy for the return. I changed the name from 'Nine-Grain' to 'Seven-Grain' because I can never find the 9-grain hot cereal mix called for in the recipe! (I'm sure it's out there somewhere, but I go to the store around the corner from my house and just buy what's available.) I also add more whole wheat flour than the recipe calls for, & I decrease the bread flour. The changes are below:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup 7-grain hot cereal mix (not instant) I use Bob's Red Mill, found at my local grocery store

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup plus 2 Tbl warm water (110*-115*) I just measure the water into a glass measuring cup and pop it into the microwave for 60 seconds.

This is the 7 Grain cereal I use.

1 tsp sugar

1 Tbl active dry yeast, or 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup honey

2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

STEP 1: Make the cereal mix. Pour the cereal into a medium bowl. Add the boiling water and stir to blend. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes.

STEP 2: Mix, rest and knead the dough. Pour the warm water into the bowl of the stand mixer. Add the sugar and yeast and whisk by hand to blend. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until the yeast is activated and foamy or bubbling. Add the cooled cereal, honey, flours and salt. Using the dough hook in the mixer, knead the dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes to allow it to fully hydrate before further kneading. Turn the mixer to medium-low and continue to knead until the dough is firm and elastic, 4 to 7 minutes.


STEP 3: Rise the dough. (First rise, shown below) Lightly oil a bowl, scrape the dough from the stand mixer bowl into a glass or pyrex bowl and lightly coat the surface of the dough with a little oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, 35 to 45 minutes (longer if the room is cold).


STEP 3. This picture is blurry but I didn't notice until it was too late... I use the red dish towel & get it moist & lay it over the bowl. If it's a cold day, I set the bowl with the towel on it in the oven & set it at 200*. As soon as the oven kicks on, I shut it off. I check it a few times during the rising: check & make sure the towel is still damp & notice if the oven still seems 'warm'. If not, I turn it back on to 200* and shut it off when the gas kicks on.

STEP 4: Punch down and shape the dough.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press down on the dough firmly to expel some of the air bubbles, but don't knead the dough again or it will be too springy and difficult to shape. Shape into a round, taut loaf by pulling the sides down and under the loaf, keeping it in a circular shape. I pull the sides down and under 3 to 5 times, or until it looks pretty round. I then quickly transfer it to my baking stone that I've placed a piece of parchment on earlier. A baking pan works just as well, just remember to use parchment or cornmeal underneath the loaf.


STEP 5: Proof the dough.(Second rise, shown below). Lightly cover the dough with the dampened towel and allow to rise until it almost doubles in size. About 20 - 30 minutes.

STEP 5: Second rise. I am placing the loaf in a barely warm oven.... to get it to rise, but not bake!

After second rise.

STEP 6: Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 400*. Lightly sprinkle the top of the loaf with a little bit of flour. Then using a knife without serrated edges, place slash marks across the top. Don't go too deep or you'll allow too much air to escape, and your loaf will look like it has fallen before you've even been able to cook it! (See pics below on pattern for slash marks.)

 

STEP 6: Top picture showing slash marks in one direction... bottom picture showing slash marks in the other direction.

STEP 7: Bake the loaf. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. Slice with a bread knife or a serrated knife.