The Perfect Loaf - a Bread Machine Recipe
I finally got the top of my perfect loaf of whole grain, nutty bread to stop falling at the top. Here is the successful recipe:
Best Bread Machine Whole Grain Nut Loaf
I use an Oster bread machine, model 5838.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbs butter, with salt
¼ cup honey
1 ¼ cups half and half cream
3 tbs sunflower seeds
2 tbs flax seeds
1 tbs amaranth seeds
2 tbs wheat bran
2 tbs wheat germ
¼ cup almond (or soy) flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
¼ cup dry milk
1 tsp active dry yeast
INSTRUCTIONS:
1 Coat kneading paddle of machine in butter. Add in rest of butter.
2 Add honey and half and half.
3 Place the dry ingredients on top of the liquid ingredients in order from coarsest ingredient (i.e. seeds) to finest ingredient (i.e. flours and dry milk).
4 Make a small yeast well in the top of the dry ingredients and put yeast carefully into this well, not letting it touch the liquid ingredients.
5 Set bread machine to the Basic setting and the Light crust and wait until it beeps 3 hours later.
6 Quickly remove the loaf from the pan and allow it to cool on a rack (so the bottom of the loaf doesn't get icky).
7 Slice into 12-13 slices with wonderful electric knife and enjoy!
Servings: 13
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
Ready in: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 serving
Percent daily values based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 226.52
Calories From Fat (32%) 73.40 % Daily Value Total Fat 8.48g 13% Saturated Fat 3.57g 18% Cholesterol 15.69mg 5% Sodium 45.38mg 2% Potassium 186.76mg 5% Carbohydrates 32.37g 11% Dietary Fiber 3.19g 13% Sugar 6.55g Sugar Alcohols 0.00g Net Carbohydrates 29.18g Protein 6.84g 14%
Cooking Tips: Remember, this bread doesn't contain preservatives, so you might want to refrigerate it.
Comments
Sandra
healthy alternatives
Any suggestions for replacing the half and half with a suitable but healthier option?
Adelle Frank
Half and half substitutes
Great question! Perhaps fat-free half and half would also work? Although the fat is kind of important in this recipe, so you might need to experiment.
jjeffries
I'm still not having much
I'm still not having much luck getting my paddle out of the bread despite buttering it. I hate the irregular shape hole in this otherwise perfect loaf. Any suggestions?
Adelle Frank
A few suggestions for stuck paddle
I can see how you might be frustrated with the hole left in your almost-perfect bread!
You might check your manual to see when each step of the cycle starts. You could then remove the paddle before the final rising/kneading cycle begins in your machine. If you remove it before the last rising cycle, you should have a nicely shaped loaf (although there might still be a post that leaves a smaller hole, even if you remove the paddle). Many machines have a short kneading cycle right before the baking cycle starts, so you'd need to decide whether to remove the paddle before the last rising or the last kneading.
On the other hand, if you can live with the paddle hole, you might try a canola spray on the paddle instead of butter.
mmmj
I'm wondering what amaranth
I'm wondering what amaranth seeds even are? I've never used them in my bread making. Shall I be looking for them in the bulk spice section or prepackaged in the organic area or? If I can't find them, what would be a substitute?
Adelle Frank
Amaranth: definition, location, substitution
Definition
Amaranth is basically a grain that is very high in complete protein and, I believe, is gluten-free. It's was a traditional food plant for a number of indigenous peoples in what is now Mexico and is still a food plant in Africa. For more, check out Wikipedia's article on Amaranth.
Where can you find Amaranth seeds?
In natural and health food stores or in a similar section of your big local grocery store. You could also buy it online, if you wanted.
Subsitutions for Amaranth seeds in this recipe
You could subsitute pretty much any seed or unprocessed grain (such as whole oats or bulgur wheat) for this portion of the recipe and it should work. The purpose of these seeds is to add additional protein, make a higher fiber content, and add interest (they create a nice sprinkling of yellow dots of color in the bread).
Rebecca
yeast well
What in the sam hill is a "small yeast well"? Is this something that people with bread machines know about?
Adelle Frank
yeast well definition
Think of it like the "well" you make in a heap of mashed potatoes before you pour gravy into your edible volcano of potatoes and gravy.
A "small yeast well" is a small pit or indentation - almost like a dry pond - that you make in the middle of your dry ingredients where you put the yeast. It protects the yeast in a bread maker and keeps it from getting prematurely moist or hot.
Thanks for your inquiry!