Whole Wheat Seed Bread

Think of your very favorite smells. Scents that fill up you heart with happy. I’ll give you a minute.

I would wager a guess that some of you said fresh baked bread. I did. Although I like fresh baked lots of things, bread is probably my favorite fresh baked scent. I also love the smell of bread dough, bread baking and bread toasting in the toaster. Me like carbs, um mum mum mmmumm mm. I’m sort of like cookie monster but without the blue fur, and weird googly eyes, and the deep voice. Oh, and I guess I might have a slightly better vocabulary. I guess I’m really only like cookie monster in my love of a baked good.

Hearty breads with seeds or other goodies make me happy. Really happy. Hearty bread recipes with seeds or other goodies that make two loaves of bread make me really happy. One loaf for now, one loaf for a later time when peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are desperately needed and I haven’t had time to bake the very most important ingredient.

Now go forth and make some Whole Wheat Seed Bread it will make you happy. It’s bread. It has yummy seeds and lots of whole wheat goodness. And it slices up oh so well. Bread that slices well has a direct route to my little heart.

Whole Wheat Seed Bread Ingredients

6 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
1 tablespoon salt
2 packages, or 4 1/2 teaspoons, yeast
1/2 flax seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds* (if you can’t find chia seeds you can use poppy seeds)
1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
2 1/2 cups warm water (plus more as needed)
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey

Using a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, salt, yeast, and all seeds. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl mix warm water, melted butter, and honey until incorporated. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Using either a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment on your stand mixer mix the dough. If the dough is too dry add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to incorporate all the flour.

Once the four is incorporated switch the dough hook to knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes or until the dough is smooth, springy and tacky to the touch. If kneading by hand, move the dough to a very lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes or until the dough is as described above. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 hour.

Grease two 9×5 loaf pans. Punch down dough and divide into two equal balls. Roll the dough into about an 18×9 inch rectangle. Fold each of the short ends of the rectangle  so they meet in the center of of the dough and form a square. Starting on one of the unfolded sides tightly roll the dough into a log. Gently roll the log back and forth over the seam to help seal it. Pinch and tuck the ends of the log to create smooth ends. Place the dough log seam side down in the pan. Repeat with the other ball of dough. Cover the loaves and let sit in a warm spot until dough is about 1 inch about the side of the pan, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake bread loaves in center of oven for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown and bread reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit. When finished baking remove loaves from pans and cool on a wire rack.

* Chia seeds are a great little seed similar in size and shape to a poppy seed. Chia seeds are high in omega-3s fiber, protein and antioxidants.