My new favourite bread...

...is this hearty five grain recipe. This was adapted from the ten-grain bread recipe in the book "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day". This is the new cousin of my other favourite bread making bible. a lot of the ingredients called for in their recipe were American and I wasn't too sure what they were. I did a little research and found some workable alternatives. Their method means that you can use the dough bit by bit and it keeps for up to two weeks in the fridge. One of the nicest things is being able to bake a loaf fresh whenever we wish.

If you like Pandoro's Five Grain bread, you'll love this too. It is so simple. Give it a go!


:: Ingredients

2 c five grain flour (available at Huckleberry Farm)
3 c wholemeal flour
2 c white (unbleached) flour
1½ T granulated yeast
1 T sea salt (or iodised if you don’t have any)
¼ c gluten flour (healtheries brand available at any supermarket)
3½ c lukewarm water
2 T seeds for topping (I use linseed, sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame)

:: Method

Whisk together all flours, yeast and salt in large bowl.
Add water and mix without kneading using dough attachments on your beater or a spoon.
Cover and rest dough at room temperature for at least two hours, or until the dough stops rising (will at least double in size).
Then, refrigerate in a lidded (non-airtight) container in the fridge, the dough will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge and makes enough for about three good sized loaves.
When you would like a loaf, pull out enough dough to half-fill a loaf tin.
Oil and dust the loaf pan with flour.
Preheat oven to 250◦ c with a meal broiler tray under the shelf where you are going to place your loaf tin.
While oven is heating wet the top of your loaf with a little water and sprinkle on the seeds (I never measure, just cover!)
Place loaf tin on the upper shelf and pour a cup of cool water into the broiler tray underneath, then close the door quickly to trap in the steam (be careful not to get the door, and never use a grass dish – as they might shatter!)
Bake for approximately 45 minutes.
The dough should be a deep brown and sound hollow (you can check by inserting a knife and if the top is browning too quickly turn the temperature down and allow the loaf to cook a little longer).
Remove from loaf tin while still warm and allow to cool covered on a rack.
Enjoy…