Simply Living and Loving Each Day

EVERYTHING BREAD 
Another great recipe from Mollie Kratzen's Sunlight Cafe.

We enjoyed this healthy bread. It made great tuna salad sandwiches seasoned with a little curry and roasted red peppers. It was equally good for PB&J sandwiches.

Literally filled to capacity with cooked whole grains, sunflower seeds, and raisins, this bread is truly like having a bowl of cooked cereal and a big slice of toast all rolled into one.

1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 T honey or pure maple syrup
2 T canola oil or butter
2 1/4 tsp salt
4 cups flour
3 cups cooked whole grains- I used basmati rice
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins
nonstick spray
cornmeal
additional canola oil or melted butter
1. Gradually heat the milk in a small saucepan until it becomes very hot but not boiling. Remove pan from heat, and set aside to cool to wrist temperature.

2. When the milk has cooled to a temperature no warmer than your wrist, sprinkle in the yeast and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the honey, oil, and salt. Add 1 cup of the flour, and beat with a whisk until it is incorporated. Switch to a wooden spoon, and stir in the cooked grains, sunflower seeds, and raisins.

4. Add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. At some point, you will need to graduate from the wooden spoon to mixing with your hand. Keep adding flour and mixing until you have a uniform dough. The grains will appear to be bursting out of the dough, but dont worry. They'll stay in there.

5. Lightly flour a clean, dry surface. Turn dough out onto it, and knead for about 3 minutes, or until the dough starts to feel smooth and elastic.

6. Clean out the bowl, and spray it with nonstick spray. Return dough to the bowl, and spray top of the dough with the nonstick spray. Cover the bowl with a tea towel, and let it stand for 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough rises by about 50 to 75 percent.

7. Generously sprinkle a baking tray with cornmeal. Lightly flour the work surface, punch down the dough, and turn it out onto the work surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding only as much flour as you absolutely need to prevent the dough from sticking. Form the dough into a large round or oval loaf or 2 smaller ones, and transfer to the prepared baking tray. Cover loosely with a tea towel and set in a warm place to rest for 35 to 40 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

8. If you prefer a softer crust, brush the top surface of the bread with a little oil or melted butter. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes or for 35 minutes for the smaller loaves. Transfer the bread to a rack as soon as it comes out of the oven, and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.