Soft Grain Bread Food

SOFT MULTIGRAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Place cereal mix in a large heatproof bowl (you can also use the bowl of your stand mixer). Pour boiling water on top. Let the mixture cool until a digital thermometer reads about 110°F (43°C). This usually takes 20 minutes. Pay attention to the temperature because if it's too hot, it will kill the yeast. If it became too cool, however, it's not a problem- the dough may just take a few extra minutes to rise.
• Whisk the yeast, sugar, and all of the warm water/cereal mixture in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes or until foamy and bubbly on the surface.
• Add the butter, salt, and 1 cup (about 130g) flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add another cup of flour. Beat on medium speed until relatively incorporated (there may still be chunks of butter). Add all of the remaining flour and the seeds/nuts (if using), then beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If it seems too sticky, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time until it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. *If you do not own a mixer, you can mix this dough with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle!*
• Keep the dough in the mixer (and switch to the dough hook if you used the paddle) and beat for an additional 2 minutes OR knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes. Dough is soft, yet heavy.
• Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
• Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
• When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Lightly flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 8×15 inches. It does not have to be perfect- in fact, it will probably be rounded on the edges. That's ok! Roll it up into an 8 inch log and place in the prepared loaf pan.
• Cover shaped loaf with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until it's about 1-2 inches above the top of the loaf pan, about 1 hour. (See photo above for a visual.)
• Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It's best to bake the bread towards the bottom of the oven so the top doesn't burn.)
• Bake for 35-40 minutes- if you notice the top browning too quickly during bake time, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. How to test for doneness- give the loaf a light tap. If it sounds hollow, it's done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F-200°F (90°C-93°C).
• Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Feel free to let it cool completely before slicing, too.
• Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

10 GRAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Mix together the cereal and first amount of water in a saucepan and cook for about 10 minutes to soften the cereal.
• If you want you can set it aside to cool or mix together with cool water and ice cubes to cool it faster.
• Put all ingredients into a KitchenAid mixer. Mix together using the dough hook, once everything is mixed together knead for 2 minutes.
• Place dough in a greased bowl and let sit for 1 hour or until doubled in size. I have also rushed this recipe and let it sit for as little as 15 minutes.
• Punch down and divide into 4 equal pieces. I use a scale to ensure they are the same size. Shape dough and place into greased bread pans.
• Let rise for 1 hour or until double in size.
• Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes or until golden brown and the sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

SOFT 100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• To prepare the dough:.
• (Hand method) Combine all ingredients and mix until you have a shaggy dough. The dough will seem wet. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Allow dough to rise, covered, for 1-2 hours or until puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.
• (Mixer method) In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all ingredients and mix them until you have a shaggy dough. The dough will seem wet. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes, then knead by machine until fairly smooth, about 5-10 minutes. Allow dough to rise, covered, for 1-2 hours or until puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.
• (Bread machine method) Place all ingredients in bread machine and set to dough cycle.
• To shape loaves:.
• After the dough has risen, gently deflate, shape into a log, and place in a lightly greased 9x5 bread pan or 2 small pans. Cover with towel or lightly greased plastic wrap and allow to rise in warm place for about 30 mins to 1 hour, until its crowned about 2 inches over the rim of the pan. Preheat oven to 350 about halfway through the rising time.
• To bake the loaves:.
• If desired, brush top of loaf with milk or egg white and sprinkle with oatmeal, poppy seeds, etc. Bake bread in preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes or until it turns a deep brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

SOFT WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in the order listed into a bread machine. Use the dough setting and let the machine do all the kneading. My machine mixes everything, lets the dough rest, then rekneads, then rises. Takes about an hour and a half.
• Once the machine beeps, punch the dough down and remove to a lightly floured surface. I lightly kneaded and then shaped into a loaf. Place in a greased bread pan and put someplace to rise for an hour. I used my oven and just didn't turn it on. Removed from the oven after an hour.
• Heat oven to 325 and bake in the center of oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and rub a tablespoon of butter all over top crust. Allow to initially cool by placing pan on a rack. Then turn the pan on its side and the loaf will come right out (as long as you thoroughly greased the pan that is).
• I was not able to let the loaf fully cool -- as I must have the end piece while still warm :) My bread knife sliced it perfect and it held its shape anyways.

SUPER SOFT WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar and let set for 10-15 minutes. The mixture should turn frothy.
• Add the yeast mixture to bread machine pan.
• Add the rest of the ingredients.
• Bake according to the bread machine instructions.