Five Grain Bread

This isn't necessarily fast or easy (though if you've got a decent food processor, it can do a great deal of the work; if you don't have a decent food processor, then what's wrong with you?  Go get one!), but it's certainly good.  Even the husband likes it, and he's not so much with the grains.  This is originally a Country Living recipe, but I've adapted it to make it vegan.  It didn't take much adaptation at all, and the resulting loaf is amazing.  It makes a HUGE loaf with a dark chewy crust and light airy inside. It is quite yummy, and everyone loves it.  In fact, Drew requested this particular loaf, so here it is.

Five Grain Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups bread flour (If, like me, you don't tend to have bread flour on hand, you can use regular all purpose UNBLEACHED flour plus one tablespoon of wheat gluten per cup of flour.)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup cooked brown rice (can use cooked quinoa instead)
• 1/4 cup vegan brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 cup "buttermilk", warmed to 100 degrees (Once again, if like me you don't tend to have buttermilk on hand because you think it's a vile vile creation and you don't drink dairy anyway, you can make your own--It's one tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to one cup milk. I used white vinegar and organic soy milk.  Be sure to let it sit for about five minutes before you use it.)
• 3/4 cup (add more as needed) spring water, warmed to 100 degrees
• Olive oil for coating bowl
• Olive oil or soy milk for brushing loaf

Directions:

Make the dough:

1.  In a large bowl or food processor fitted with metal blade, combine the flours, cornmeal, 1/4 cup oats, wheat germ, rice, sugar, yeast, and salt.

2.  In a small bowl, combine the agave and buttermilk and stir into the dry mixture with a wooden spoon, or pulse into a course meal with the food processor.  It should look like this when it's mixed correctly.

3.  Using a wooden spoon to mix by hand, add the water 1/4 cup at a time until a stiff dough comes together, or process until dough comes together and rides around the bowl with the blade.  Add the water SLOWLY.

4.  On a work surface lightly dusted with whole-wheat flour, knead dough by hand until glossy and elastic, about 10 minutes, or process in food processor for 45 more seconds.

Proof the dough:

1.  Coat a large bowl with the vegetable oil.  It doesn't take much--just lightly mist the bowl.

2.  Shape dough into a ball and place in the bowl, turning dough to coat all sides.

3.  Cover bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 to 11/2 hours.  (Because my house is really freaking cold, bread does not rise properly just on a counter top.  I turn on the oven light and let it rise in there.  It works like a charm every time!)
 
Form the loaf:

1.  Punch down the dough and shape into a tight ball.

2.  Return dough to the floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

3.  Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal.

4.  Shape the dough into a 10-inch oval, tapering the ends, and place on the baking sheet.

5.  Cover with damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size -- about 1 hour.
 
Bake the bread:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mist loaf with olive oil or brush with soy milk.

3.  Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon rolled oats.

4.  Using a sharp knife, cut 3 diagonal slashes in the top of the dough.

5.  Bake in the lower third of the oven until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped--50 to 60 minutes.

6.  Cool on a rack.

Serve at room temperature or toasted.
Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!