Hearty Grain Bread

Preparation

1. Stir yeast and honey into lukewarm water in a large bowl. Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir in 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour, oats, bulgur and bran. Beat for 100 strokes. Cover with plastic and let rise for 1 hour in a warm, draft-free place. 2 Stir in ground sunflower seeds, salt, remaining 1 cup whole-wheat flour and enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to make a firm, soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding additional all-purpose flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
2. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down, cover and let rise again for until doubled, about 1 hour. (Alternatively, refrigerate the dough, let it rise overnight, then allow it to return to room temperature.)
3. Divide dough in half and shape each portion into an oval loaf, about 8 inches long. Places loaves at least 3 inches apart on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush the tops of the loaves lightly with water. With a serrated knife, make 3 diagonal slashes about 1/4 inch deep across the tops. Bake the loaves until tops are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 25 to 35 minutes.

Nutrition