- This bread is pictured in the Saturday Bread Baker’s Mitts pattern. It was inspired by the Easy Multigrain Sandwich Bread from Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, my favourite non-knitting publication. I use a standing mixer, but mixing and kneading entirely by hand will work very well.
1 1/4 cups 8 or 12 grain hot cereal mix
2 1/2 cups boiling water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted, roasted sunflower seeds
- Place cereal mix in a heat proof bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let stand until it cools to about 100 degrees, about an hour.
- Combine cereal mixture, olive oil, honey and yeast in a stand mixer bowl. Mix at low speed until combined.
- Gradually add 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and mix until the dough becomes a ball, adding more flour when needed. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Using kneading hook, knead at medium speed, adding salt and more all purpose flour if necessary, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
- Add seeds and knead for 8 minutes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in bulk, about an hour.
- Turn dough onto floured board, punch down to remove air pockets, and shape tightly into a long rectangle.
- Place on parchment covered baking sheet and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Let dough rise until almost doubled. Dough will spring back just a bit when poked.
- Use a sharp knife to make four 1/4” cuts diagonally across the dough.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until an instant read thermometer registers 200 degrees or when the loaf is well browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
