Nutty Grain Bread

One of the things I've noticed in recent years is that the breads we buy in the supermarket keep getting sweeter and sweeter, to the point where I've noticed it affecting the taste of my sandwiches. This is especially true of whole grain breads, which I prefer, even when you get them in the health food store, or my favorite place to shop, Trader Joe's. With that in mind, I decided that I should learn how to make my own.

My hands aren't really strong enough to knead bread well, and I keep my house on the chilly side, so I figured a bread machine would be my best bet for good results. Not on my budget while I'm out of work, I turned to Freecycle, a great site where people can post to either offer unwanted goods, or to find things they need. On my third try, on Christmas Eve, I got a reply. Someone in a nearby town had an up-to-date, digital bread machine that had been used maybe half a dozen times, and still had the original instructions, etc. After a few emails to coordinate the pick-up, on the day after Christmas, I drove over the river and through the woods to a house way out in the countryside. There, I found a large white plastic bag sitting in the driveway for me, wet from the day's drizzle. A Christmas gift, my favorite one, from an unknown benefactor named Chris. I'll always consider it my present from Santa Claus, aka Kris Kringle.

Eager to use it, I rushed home to check out some recipes, only to find that every authority on the subject said I needed to use bread flour, and couldn't use the all-purpose I had on hand. So, what else to do till the next day than check out recipes. I also solicited my English friend, who had served me delicious bread machine bread while I was there visiting, who offered me good advice, and a basic whole-wheat recipe from which to start.

Out the next day to buy supplies, I headed to a good discount grocer in town that caters to the significant minority of South American residents here. I returned with 5 lbs. each of white and wheat bread flour, yeast, a bag of wheat berries, a bag of flax seeds, and sunflower seeds. Amazingly, that only came to a little more then $10, much less than I had expected, and far less than the supermarket chains would have charged. I'm estimating that a 1.25 lb. loaf is running me about $1.75, significantly less than I'd be paying for store-bought bread.

After a few attempts and recipe tweaks, this is what I'm now using for my basic household bread. I haven't bought any from the supermarket since the first of the year, and now I'm comfortable enough that I'm trying other kinds as well.


Nutty Grain Bread

7/8 cup lukewarm water
4 tsp. oil
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup white bread flour
1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1/4 cup wheat germ flakes
1-1/4 tsp dried yeast (1/2 of an envelope)
2 tbsp flax seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup cooked wheat berries

Follow the instructions for your own machine, or consult a bread book if you want to try this by hand. I first used the whole wheat setting, which makes a lighter, more open texture, but now I make it on the basic bread cycle, which results in a denser loaf that's great for sandwiches. Most machines instruct you to put the liquid ingredients in first, followed by the flours, and then the yeast. After the initial mixing, check the texture of the dough, and adjust the flour or water if necessary. My machine has a beep after the first rising, which is when I add the seeds and wheat berries. I've tried softening the wheat berries in water, but cooking them thoroughly works much better. I make about 1 cup, and then freeze them in 1/4 cup batches for future use.