WOW 9 Grain Whole Wheat Bread

I always wondered how wheat could be filling until I made this bread. Holy momma, two regular size slices with a little butter and a yogurt in the morning has me full until lunch time! Oh how I love whole grains!

Recipe:

3-3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup multi grain mix {see what I combine below}
1/4 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
2 tsp kosher salt
2 packets rapid rise yeast (or 2 1/2 table spoons of regular active works too)
1 3/4-2 cups water
3 tsp powdered milk (or use 1/4 cup real milk and use 1/4 less water)
3 tbs butter (or coconut lard or any oil you prefer)
1/4 cup honey or other sweetener (you can opt out of using any sweetener if you'd like)

(For an even softer bread you can "soak" wheat for a few hours to as long as overnight in the water the recipe calls for. You'll need to activate the yeast with a few tbs warm water and add all the other ingredients to the soaked wheat as recipe says)

In a large bowl put in 2 cups of flour, salt and both packets of yeast. On the stove heat up and stir together water, milk powder, butter, and honey until it reaches 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit. (error on the side of caution and use a thermometer :) With an electric mixer on medium speed add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Beat on medium for 2 minutes... the liquid will start to absorb and your dough should start to thicken. Then add the 1 cup of multi grain mix and sunflower seeds and mix on high for 1 minute. This should start to form into more of a ball shape. Once it's too thick to mix with hand mixer, pull out the trusty wooden spoon (our your hands) and add the other 1 cup of whole wheat flour. (Living in the desert I find that sometimes I don't use as much flour as recipes call for, it's like it's dry out here or something?) Anywho, fold in the remaining flour until you get a dough that holds the shape of a loaf (about 2 minutes worth of constant kneading does the trick). Take formed loaf and place into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Cover and let rise until double, about an hour give or take. Place in a pre heated 375 degree oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Turn out the amazingness that is your homemade 9 grain whole wheat bread onto a wire rack. Eat warm, or let it cool and enjoy! I am a HUGE fan of this bread as toast or the bread for a grilled cheese/veggie sandwich! I hope you try it and like it as much as me :)

{Multi Grain Mix}
*This makes 7 cups of mix and each loaf calls for 1 cup, so I keep the mix I'm not using in a container in my fridge so I'm at the ready for making a loaf at any time
**all the "flour" was made by taking whole grains and putting them in my blender until they turn to powder :)

1 cup flax seed flour
1 cup oat flour
1 cup barley flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup hulled millet flour
1 cup quinoa (rinsed, soaked, then re dried)
1 cup corn meal