You know that moment when you take something out of the oven and it’s looks exactly the way it should? That squeal moment that puts a big smile on your face! That’s what I had when this bread came out of the oven. It looked so perfect and pretty! You have to love it when a recipe works exactly the way it’s supposed to the first time. With that, I give to you this recipe for Six Grain Bread. 

This recipe uses a blend of bread and whole wheat flour and the six grains increase the overall fibre and protein content, making it actually healthy… but not if you eat the whole loaf at once! Which you may want to do because it’s so good. But try not to.

This recipe creates a crusty loaf that’s perfect for sandwiches or alone with butter. To get creative, cut a hole in the center, scoop out the middle and use it as a bowl to hold dip for veggies at your next dinner party.

Why do you think there are exactly six grains in this recipe?

Six Grain Bread

(Yield: 2 loaves)

Ingredients:

• 30 g bakers yeast
• 425 g warm water
• 300 g strong bread flour
• 300 g whole wheat flour
• 35 g sugar
• 25 g shortening
• 25 g milk powder
• 60 g molasses
• 90 g six grain cereal, plus extra for sprinkling
• 10 g salt

Egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons of water

Directions:

• Add the bakers yeast and water to a mixing bowl and mix for a minute or two using a dough hook.
• Sift the bread flour and whole wheat flour together.
• Add the sifted flours, sugar, shortening, milk powder, molasses, six grain cereal and salt to the mixing bowl.
• Mix on the lowest speed until the ingredients are combined, then increase the speed slightly and continue mixing until the dough begins to pull away from the bowl. This should take about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the mixer, flour your work surface, round-up the dough and cover it with a plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest for 40 minutes. The dough should become puffy and will grow in size.
• At the end of the 40 minutes, punch down the dough to remove the air pockets. Divide the dough into 2-600 gram pieces. Round up the dough into balls, cover them again with the plastic wrap and allow it to rest for another 10 minutes.
• Pre-heat oven to 395F.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the dough balls onto the tray. Slightly press down on the balls to flatten them slightly (not completely).
• To make the egg wash, beat the egg together with the water in a small bowl until combined.
• Brush the loaves with the egg wash and using a pairing knife, score the bread, going all the way around the loaf in a circle. Sprinkle the top of the bread with six grain cereal.
• Bake the loaves at 395F for approximately 30 minutes or until outsides are a golden brown and the internal temperature of the bread is 190F (88C).
• Cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Recipe notes: Six grain cereal can be purchased most well stocked grocery stores, at bulk food stores or online through stores like King Arthur flour.

(Source: George Brown Baking Arts: Art of Bread)