MAKES 2 LOAVES
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough by hand following the instructions. Don’t confuse seven-grain hot cereal mix with boxed cold breakfast cereals that may also be labeled “seven-grain.” Our favorite brands of seven-grain mix are Bob’s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills. Do not substitute instant oats in this recipe. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil, then measure out the desired amount. See the sidebars that follow the recipe.
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1¼ |
cups (6¼ ounces) seven-grain hot cereal mix |
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2½ |
cups boiling water |
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3 |
cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed |
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1½ |
cups (8¼ ounces) whole-wheat flour |
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¼ |
cup honey |
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4 |
tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled |
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2½ |
teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast |
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1 |
tablespoon salt |
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¾ |
cup unsalted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds |
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½ |
cup (1½ ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats |
1. Place cereal mix in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook and pour boiling water over it; let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture cools to 100 degrees and resembles thick porridge, about 1 hour. Whisk all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour together in separate bowl.
2. Once grain mixture has cooled, add honey, butter, and yeast and mix on low speed until combined. Add flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, and knead until cohesive mass starts to form, 1½ to 2 minutes; cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 20 minutes. Add salt and knead on medium-low speed until dough clears sides of bowl, 3 to 4 minutes (if it does not clear sides, add 2 to 3 tablespoons additional all-purpose flour and knead until it does); continue to knead dough for 5 more minutes. Add seeds and knead for another 15 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead by hand until seeds are dispersed evenly and dough forms smooth, round ball. Place dough in large, lightly greased bowl; cover tightly with plastic and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Grease two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and divide in half. Press 1 piece of dough into 9 by 6-inch rectangle, with short side facing you. Roll dough toward you into firm cylinder, keeping roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Turn loaf seam side up and pinch it closed. Repeat with second piece of dough. Spray loaves lightly with water or vegetable oil spray. Spread oats on rimmed baking sheet. Roll each loaf in oats to coat evenly and place seam side down in prepared pans, pressing gently into corners. Cover loaves loosely with greased plastic and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. (Dough should barely spring back when poked with knuckle.)
4. Thirty minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until loaves register 200 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pans to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove loaves from pans, return to rack, and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before slicing and serving. (Bread can be wrapped in double layer of plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Wrapped with additional layer of aluminum foil, bread can be frozen for up to 1 month.)