Recipe: Goodness! Bread

Recipe

Goodness! Bread

This bread contains so many healthy, tasty ingredients it virtually screams "Goodness!" when you eat it. The first time Thomas ate it, he said a long-forgotten memory of eating fresh baked bread while traveling on the German autobahn rushed into his head (one of those details retained during a youthful adventure). Indeed, this bread is similar to the hearty breads of European bakeries. It has a solid, golden crust topped with seeds and nuts and a flavorful interior that is chewy yet soft. It makes great sandwiches and toast, and like all fresh baked breads is at its peak when still warm from the oven. Makes two 9x5-inch loaves.

Ingredients

1/3 cup honey
1-1/4 cups warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees)
1 envelope active dry yeast
3/4 cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
2-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, plus extra
1/4 cup 4-Grain Cereal*
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons canola oil

Toppings:

1 egg white
1 tablespoon 4-Grain Cereal*
1 teaspoon poppyseeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon toasted sunflower seeds

*Note: 4-Grain Cereal, or any other multi-grain cereal, can be found in health food stores and sometimes in the cereal or flour sections of major grocers.

Preparation

Stir the honey into the warm water until dissolved, then gently stir in the yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to foam. (If the mixture does not foam, then the water was either too hot, too cold or the yeast was old. Discard the mixture and start over.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and 2-1/2 cups of the all purpose flour, the 4-Grain Cereal, sesame seeds, poppyseeds and the salt until well mixed. Add the yeast mixture and oil, mixing until ingredients form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. If the dough feels sticky, add additional all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough feels dry, add more water, also 1 tablespoon at a time.

Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Roll the dough in the oil to coat, then cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down with your fist and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 halves and shape into loaves. Place the loaves in greased pans. Loosely cover the dough and let it rise again until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl beat the egg white lightly, then mix in the remaining topping ingredients. Set aside.

When the dough has risen the second time, cut a slit about a half-inch deep down the middle of the loaves. Spoon the beaten egg and toppings mixture into the slit and on top of the leaves.

Bake the loaves until the sides pull away from the pan, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove them from the pans to a wire rack. Let cool before slicing.

Global Gourmet Recipes

This Archived Page created between 1994 and 2001. Modified August 2007

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