There is nothing like a good brown bread to accompany homemade beans or warm winter soups. I altered this recipe to include more fiber and grains. Hope you enjoy.
1+1/3 cups warm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2- 4 of cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup multigrain cereal such as Red River cereal
1/4 cup of bran
1/4 cup of flax, optional
2 tsp dried yeast
Turn oven on lowest setting, for about 15 minutes.
Put warm water in large mixing bowl and add to it the sugar, yeast and salt. Stir until well dissolved.
When mixture froths, add 2 beaten eggs, oil and gradually add in flour, starting with bran, cereal, flax (if using),whole wheat flour then one cup at a time, the white flour. Mix well,l until combined. I usually start off with a wooden spoon then gradually start using my hands. Kneed for about 5 minutes until dough is uniform and still a little sticky. Depending on the dough ad even weather you need at least 2 cups of white flour but I generally use 3 cups.
When you have formed it into a ball, coat bowl and dough with oil and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Place in the warm oven, by this time the heat should be off. If it seems hot enough to cook somehting just open the oven door a crack. Let dough rise about two hours or until it’s doubled it’s size.
Punch down dough and divide into two equal balls. Grease two loaf pans and place one round of dough in each pan. Cover with towel and leave to rise for an additional hour, while you preheat your oven to 375°F.
Bake for about 25 minutes, brushing with eggwash or milk about 1/2 way through the cooking time. Loaves should be brown and semi firm to the touch. Remove from oven, let rest about 5 minutes before remiving form loaf pan, after that let it cool on a wire rack.
