Honey Multigrain Bread

Matt and I have been making what we refer to as Down to Earth Bread every week for the last six months (see Brenna's recent post for another adaptation of this bread). It's delicious and easy to make, and having finally gotten confident with that recipe, we decided it was time to branch out. I hunted around on the internet for some recipes, and found this one, which I have adapted quite a bit from its original form. It makes a light, barely sweet bread that is a maybe bit crumbly for sandwiches but ever so delicious for toast. At first I thought it would be more labor intensive than a simpler bread, but really the actual amount of time spent prepping it is very similar.

Honey Multigrain Bread  (makes two loaves)

3/4 cup cornmeal
3 cups cold water
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup honey
6 tsp dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup wheat bran/wheat germ
1 cup whole wheat flour
7 cups white flour

In a small saucepan, combine the cornmeal and 3 cups cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in salt, olive oil, and honey. Let cool until lukewarm.

As soon as the cornmeal mixture is cooling, combine the yeast, sugar, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl or cup and place in a warm place; by the time the cornmeal has cooled, the yeast should be nice and bubbly. Add the yeast mixture, wheat bran/germ, and 4 cups of flour to the cornmeal mixture. Stir well, then add the remaining flour a cup at a time. Mix with your hands, then pour out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough steadily for 8-10 minutes, until the dough springs back when you push your finger into it. Form into a ball, place in a greased bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let it rise in a warm place until twice its size (approximately 40 minutes).

 In the winter, our best bread-rising spot is the shelf above our stove.

Punch down the dough, knead for another minute or two, then form into two loaves (or rolls) and place in greased 4x9 inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise again until lifted an inch or two. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F/177C for 40 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped. Let cool on racks, then enjoy!

Anyone have any other good relatively simple bread recipes we should try?