This bread dough recipe is my favorite! It is originally from Cook’s Illustrated but over time I’ve adapted it to my own preferences. It’s tender, great for sandwiches, alongside your favorite soup, or slathered with butter and honey.
Multigrain bread ingredients list
1 1/4 cups 7 grain hot cereal mix, this is what I use
2 1/2 cups boiling water
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, I recommend this brand
1 1/2 cups sprouted whole wheat flour
4 Tbs. honey, buy quality honey here
4 Tbs. melted butter
2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast, buy instant yeast here
1 Tbs. sea salt, this is the salt I use and recommend
Instructions
1. Place cereal mix in bowl of standing mixer and pour boiling water over it; let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture cools to about 100 degrees and resembles thick porridge, about 1 hour. Whisk flours in medium bowl.
2. Once grain mixture has cooled, add honey, melted butter and yeast and stir to combine. Attach bowl to standing mixer fitted with dough hook. With mixer running on low speed, add flours 1/2 cup at a time, and knead until ball forms and is no longer sticking to the side. Let dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
3. After 20 minutes, add salt and continue kneading with mixer for about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to floured work surface and knead until smooth. Grease the mixer bowl and place dough in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and light towel and let rise in warm place until doubled. I have an electric oven so I turn on the oven light and put in my oven (this keeps the oven at about 90 degrees). On top of the fridge or in a gas oven both work as well.
4. After dough has doubled in size take out of bowl and shape into 2 standard sized loaves and put into greased pans. Once again, cover with plastic wrap and light towel and let rise in a warm location until doubled.
5. Cook at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reaches 180 degrees.
6. Remove immediately from pans and cool on a wire rack.