I love a good piece of artisan harvest grains bread. A dear friend of mine, my fiddle instructor and my knitting buddy for many years, showed me her favorite snack when I was a teenager spending my summers weekending at her tiny cabin: a thick-sliced piece of whole grain bread, crusty and hearty, with a piece of cheese melted over the top. I look forward to that gooey snack every time I buy a bakery loaf like this, which is not very often. In an effort to make and eat more whole foods I’ve added bread to my weekly baking list and when I searched for the seedy, dense loaf of my dreams I came up nearly empty-handed. I wanted a bread that had bran, seeds, oatmeal; ALL the good stuff! Many of the nut and seed breads I found on Pinterest are gluten-free, which isn’t a dietary requirement in our home. So I’ve referenced literally dozens of baking guides and put together three recipes, used separately or in combination, that will change the way you bake bread forever.
Happiness is the smell of freshly baked bread.
Anonymous
The first I would like to share is a blend of whole grains that you can add to any bread recipe whether it be made by hand or bread machine. It’s chock full of delicious, chewy seeds and healthy grains that will produce a thick and luxurious loaf just begging to be slathered with butter and taken with coffee or tea.
You might be surprised to see chia seeds included in this recipe but if you’ve never baked with them you’re missing out! They completely disappear into the dough and give it an extra bit of moistness and chew due to the gelatinous quality they take on after a good soak.
Next I have thrown together a menagerie of seeds to make a delightfully complex and crunchy topping that again can be used with any bread recipe. This proverbial cherry on top is what absolutely made my perfect loaf come to life!
Finally, if you’re looking for a basic bread recipe to use these amazing harvest grains in, I’ve listed my favorite whole wheat bread recipe. While it’s great on its own, it’s heavenly with the addition of these two pre-made mixes.
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