Mulit-Grain Bread

I promised Gwen that I'd post this... so here it is. I got tired of putting out $4 a loaf for multi-grain bread, so I worked on this. Many, many loaves later I've had consistent results long enough to be ready to share the recipe. It's a fairly light bread with a nice crunchy texture from the grains. The amount of oil can be halved to lower fat content, but the bread will be a bit denser. I often mix up a loaf of this bread on a day I've planned hamburgers, hot dogs, or soup then I'll cut a piece off to make myself a bun for supper and put the rest into a slightly smaller loaf. If the bread is too "grainy" for you, try it with less multi-grain cereal. The amount of flour you need will increase proportionately. Makes 1 large loaf, 9 large buns or 12 medium sized buns.

1/2 cup multi-grain cereal. ("Bob's Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal" makes a really nice loaf)
1 cup very warm water
1 Tablespoon/ package active yeast (not instant)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup Canola or vegetable oil
2 - 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons Canola or vegetable oil

Cover multi-grain cereal with water in large mixing bowl/ Kitchen Aid bowl, and sprinkle yeast on top. Sprinkle sugar over yeast and let stand about 10 minutes, until yeast is puffing up and foamy looking.

*Kitchen Aid Instructions:
Add salt, egg, first amount of oil and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on lowest speed with dough hook, for about 10 minutes, until flour is incorporated. Add more flour, 1/8 cup at a time, until dough no longer sticks to your fingers when you test it.

Take dough off dough hook, and form into a ball with your hand. Remove from bowl, (either hold in one hand or rest on clean breadboard) and add second amount of oil to bottom of bowl. Put dough in bowl, swishing it around to cover the bottom of the dough with oil, then flip the dough to cover the other side.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2- 2 hours.

When bread dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and roll/ shape it into a 6 1/2 inch long roll, and place in lightly greased bread pan. Set in warm place to rise again until the top of the bread is at least an inch and a half above the rim of the pan.

Preheat oven to 350*F, then bake the loaf for 30- 50 minutes until nicely golden.

Take the pan out of the oven, and carefully tip the bread out of the pan. Cool on baking rack.

*Regular Instructions:
Add salt, egg, first amount of oil and 1 cup of the flour. Using electric hand mixer/ beaters, beat batter together until oil and flour are incorporated, and mixture looks gelatinous, (kind of gooey/ glue-y) It will be very sticky.

Now, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix in 1 to 1 1/4 cups more flour. As the flour is incorporated, the dough will get stiffer and you'll find it easier to just transfer it to a lightly floured board and mix with your hands.

When the dough starts to feel less sticky, and the flour is mixed in, begin to knead the dough, adding a little flour at a time as needed to keep dough from sticking to your hands. As you knead it, the dough will get less sticky and the less flour you add, the lighter your bread will be.

To knead: Gather the dough into a ball. With the heel of your hands, push the dough away from you. Now with your fingers pull the dough back towards you into the ball. Repeat with pushing away and pulling it back 4 or 5 times. The dough should start to get longer, side to side. Rotate the dough, (1/4 turn), so it is long-wise to you; gather the longer end up into a ball with your fingers, then push it back out in the kneading motion as before. Continue kneading and turning the dough for at least 10 minutes. The longer you knead, the better your bread will be.

Put second amount of oil in the bottom of the bowl. Put the dough in the bowl, swishing it around to cover the bottom of the dough with oil, then flip the dough to cover the other side.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2- 2 hours.

When bread dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and roll/ shape into a 6 1/2 inch long roll, and place in lightly greased bread pan. Set in warm place to rise again until the top of the bread is at least an inch and a half above the rim of the pan.

Preheat oven to 350*F, then bake the loaf for 30- 50 minutes until nicely golden.

Take the pan out of the oven, and carefully tip the bread out of the pan. Cool on baking rack.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Serving Size: 1 Slice (1/13 of loaf)

Calories 170, Calories from Fat 70, Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 15mg, Sodium 190mg, Total Carbohydrate 22g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 0g and Protein 4g.