Multi Seed Bread

I don't know where I got this recipe.  Since it calls for Robin Hood flour and Crisco oil, it must have been from one of their websites, so I freely give them credit.  What I want to say about it, is that this is absolutely the best bread I have ever made in my life.  I don't know if it can be made without an electric mixer.  I let the bread dough hook do its job for eight minutes before taking it out of the machine and letting it rise.  I now triple the batch and get four large loaves -- four super-larger loaves. At our house we call them Hutterite loaves. 

The boarders and I try to figure out what is the secret ingredient, since before this our favorite loaf was a Country Seed Bread.  We have decided it is two things: the bulgar and the pumpkin seeds, but we will back up on that since it is only on this last baking that we have had pumpkin seeds.  Previous to that we just used sunflower seeds and the bread was equally as good.

I looked all over for pumpkin seeds -- even at the Indian spice store.  I finally found them at Calgary's Community Health Food Coop down on 10th Avenue.  If you are going there -- take extra money for you will buy things you might not have planned to get.

So here goes for Multi-Seed Bread which should be renamed The Best Ever Bread in the World.

Prep Time: 35 minutes + 10 minutes
Baking Time: 40 minutes
Rising Time: 2 hours, then 45 minutes
Makes: Two 8.5” x 4.5” loaves

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 mL) warm water (105°-115°F/40°-56°C)
1/2 cup (125 mL) cracked wheat or bulgur
2 tbsp (30 mL) active dry yeast
1/3 cup (75 mL) honey
1/4 cup (50 mL) CRISCO® Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (125 mL) sunflower seeds
1/3 cup (75 mL) shelled raw pumpkin seeds
1 tsp each (15 mL) sesame and poppy seeds
1 tbsp (15 mL) salt
3 1/2 cups (875 mL) ROBIN HOOD®Best for Bread Whole Wheat flour, plus extra flour for kneading

Topping:
1 (1) egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame seeds

Directions:
1. In bowl of electric mixer or large bowl, pour warm water over cracked wheat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Sprinkle yeast over this mixture. Let stand for 15 minutes or until foamy.

2. Add honey, oil, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame and poppy seeds, salt, and 1½ cups (375 mL) of flour. On low speed, beat in the remaining flour, ½ cup (125 mL) at a time, until the electric beaters/paddle attachment won’t beat anymore and a sticky dough is formed.

3. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Sprinkling surface with extra flour as needed to prevent sticking, knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm, draft-free area until doubles in size, about 2 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 375ºF (180ºC). Lightly grease two 8.5” x 4.5” (1.5 L) loaf pans. Punch down dough. Divide in half, shape into rectangles and place in prepared pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubles in size, about 45 minutes. Brush tops with lightly beaten egg; sprinkle with seeds.

5. Bake in centre of preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until breads are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.