Seedy Whole Wheat Bread

I bake a 4-loaf batch of whole wheat bread most weeks, and this is the recipe I use most often:

Seedy Whole Wheat Bread
In a large bread bowl, mix together:
1/2 cup honey
1.5 Tbsp salt (or as you prefer)
3 cups rolled oats I always use large flake, but you can use quick oats
1 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
6 cups boiling water

Stir this all and set it aside for 15 minutes, until the water is a good temperature for yeast (baby bottle warm).

Then add:
2 Tbsp instant yeast (I use Fermipan from the bulk department)
Whole Wheat Flour (We prefer a coarse grind that we have to special-order. Right now we're able to buy it at Costco, an *Ellisons* brand.)

You may ask how much flour. Um, a bunch. I just put in a few cups, stir, add another one, stir, until it's too heavy for my wooden spoon. Then I just get in there with my hands and knead, adding flour until it's enough. Use flour to get the gunky dough off your fingers and off the spoon and off the sides of the bowl. When it's getting so it isn't too sticky, pour a little olive oil in your hands and knead a bit more. You may find you need a bit more flour after that, still, but you don't want more than it needs. I know, that's vague, but this is the part that's hard to TELL, and easier to SHOW and FEEL.

At that stage I blop the ball of dough onto my table, wash out the bowl, dry it, smear it with olive oil, and blop the dough back in to rise for an hour or two (till doubled in size). I cover it with a damp teatowel while it rises to prevent the top drying out. Beware you don't use a good one, as the oil never comes completely back out.

When it's risen well, out it comes again and you divide it into four equal parts. My mom used to actually weigh them on a kitchen scale. I just heft the various ones a few times, pulling bits of dough and adding to others as seems best. Then I take one ball of dough and smack it against the table a few times. Great for letting off steam :P but it also eliminates gas bubbles from taking over the bread. I smoosh it out, roll it up, pinch the ends, and stick it in a loaf pan I've spritzed with Pam.

When all four are in pans, I put the damp teatowel over them again. This rise goes faster, under an hour. Heat oven to 375, stick the loaves in for about 45 minutes. The bread is done when you knock on it and it sounds hollow.

Take them out of the pans to cool. Once they're cool, I usually slice mine, bag them, and toss them in the freezer--except for the one that seems to be half-eaten at this stage! Frozen slices are easy to break off and thaw quickly on the counter or can go straight in the toaster. Of course you don't have to pre-slice the loaves but it makes life easier for the next week, and the bread board and knife don't have to be out constantly.

Any questions? Enjoy!

(If you also would like me to post Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread or Basic Whole Wheat Bread, just ask. I make them fairly often, too. As well as occasional Rye...and Foccacia...and other types!)