WHOLE WHEAT RAISIN WALNUT BREAD

A very delicious and nutritious whole wheat bread, loaded with raisins and walnuts, with a crunchy, sweet taste.  The kind of bread you can't say no to. Have one slice and then go for another, and take some to work with you too.

I used lots of different types of flour and seeds to make this bread.  

First off, I bought a bag of 10 grain bread mix, which is made by Red Mill.  This brand can be found at most supermarkets and it can also be ordered through Amazon.  It makes a great bread.  Then I added some whole wheat flour, some high gluten bread flour, some sunflower seeds, and some wheat germ. By the time I got through combining, I think my bowl contained pretty much every type of flour available.  It was a very easy bread to make, I just had to be patient while the dough was rising.  The wait was worth it.  Freshly baked bread on a winter's day is a special treat.  There was an incredible aroma filling the house as the bread was baking.  The bread was really delicious and well worth making: whole wheat bread with walnuts and raisins!  

The 10-Grain Bread Mix Contains: unbleached white flour, 7 grain cereal, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, evaporated cane juice, gluten flour, non-fat dry milk, dark rye flour, brown rice flour, corn flour, millet flour, oat flour, barley flour, white bean flour, triticale flour (this is a wheat-rye hybrid with a high protein content), corn grits, millet grits, sea salt, active dry yeast (kept in an envelope, can use it or not), and soy lecithin (used as a lubricant and emulsifier to replace fats and oils).

Now let's make whole wheat raisin walnut bread:

Ingredients:

1 bag (19 ounces) 10 grain bread mix –remove the yeast package that comes inside the bag

10 ounces whole wheat flour

6 ounces strong white flour, this is the high gluten bread flour, used for bread making

5 tablespoons sunflower seeds

4 tablespoons wheat germ

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

2½ tablespoons active dried yeast –use the envelope that comes with the bread mix, that’s one tablespoon, and then use more active dry yeat from your own supply.  

4 tablespoons honey

Approximately 20 ounces of warm water

8 ounces roughly chopped walnuts

6 ounces raisins

some bread flour for dusting

Directions:

• In a large bowl mix the flours with the sunflower seeds, wheat germ and salt.  Add the walnuts and raisins and mix again.
• In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix the yeast, honey and warm water until well incorporated.   
• Add the yeast mixture to the flour and knead by hand.  When a dough has formed turn onto a surface sprinkled with bread flour and start kneading. 
• Add a little extra water if needed to produce a soft but not too sticky dough, or add a little flour is the dough is too sticky.  Continue kneading  until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed with a finger.

• Place in a large bowl, brush the top with a little vegetable oil and cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel.  

• Leave in a warm place and let rise until the dough has almost doubled in size.  For me, it took 4 hours.  It was a very cold day, with the temperature around 20°F.  The kitchen was warm, but I think the low outside temperature had an impact on the time it took for the dough to rise. 

• Lightly dust with white bread flour and knead again, pressing down on the bubbles that have been created in the dough.
• Shape into loaves, and lay on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with a little bread flout.  Sprinkle the loaves with a little more flour and score them.

Score the loaves and let them rise again...  Then in the oven they go and the whole house smells wonderful!

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• Preheat the oven to 325°F
• Place the tray on the middle shelf of the oven, spray the interior of the oven with a quick spritz of water (or place a small ovenproof dish filled with warm water on the floor of the oven).  
• Close the oven door and immediately raise the temperature to 350°F.

Done!!!

• Bake for 30–35 minutes or until crisp and dark golden in color.