Jeniffer's Multigrain...

I love hearty, grainy sandwich bread. The nubby texture, pumpkin seeds, and rolled oats transform a regular cold-cut sandwich into a gourmet deli event. I admit that I've spent some big bucks at the store for this kind of bread, but it's never quite hit the spot. This kind of "healthy" bread tends to be dry, bland, and vegan. Well, here's a loaf that's got butter, honey, and all those good-for-you whole grains mixed into enough white flour to produce a soft and tender loaf.

This bread is tasty enough to eat plain, toasted with butter and jam, or piled high with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, turkey... whatever you can think of! Happy baking!

--jeniffer*

Multigrain Sandwich Bread

from The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2007

Makes two 9X5 loaves

6 1/4 oz 7 grain hot cereal mix (Arrowhead Mills or Bob’s Red Mill Cereal recommended)

20 oz boiling water

15 oz AP flour

7 1/2 oz whole wheat flour

4 T honey

4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 1/2 t instant yeast

1 T salt

3/4 C pumpkin/ sunflower seeds

1/2 C old-fashioned rolled or quick oats

Put cereal in the bowl of a standing mixer. Pour in boiling water. Let stand, stirring occasionally until 100° (about 1 hr).

Whisk flours in medium bowl.

Once cereal is cooled, add honey, butter, and yeast. Stir to combine. Using dough hook, turn mixer on low speed. Adding flours 1/2 cup at a time, knead 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until ball forms. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 20 min. Add salt, continue mixing on medium low speed until dough clears the bowl. If it doesn’t, add 2 to 3 T of flour and keep mixing. Knead 5 minutes more. Add seeds, knead 15 seconds. Knead by hand on a floured surface until the seeds are dispersed evenly and the dough forms a smooth, taut ball. Place in a greased container w/ 4 qt capacity. Cover with plastic wrap. Rise until doubled 45 to 60 min.

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray the loaf pans with vegetable oil.

Transfer the dough onto floured surface and pat into a 12X9 rectangle. Cut in half. Roll the dough like a yoga mat and pinch seam closed. Spray with water or vegetable oil lightly, then roll it on the oats. Place seam side down and press into the corners of the loaf pan. Repeat with other dough.

Let rise until doubled (30 to 40 min). The dough should barely spring back when poked with your knuckle. Bake until internal temperature is 200° (35 to 40 min). Let cool 3 hours on rack.

To store:

Wrap bread in a double layer of plastic wrap. Can be stored at room temperature for 3 days.

Wrap a layer of foil around the double plastic wrap to store in the freezer for up to 1 month.