Multigrain - 7 Grain Bread or Rolls - CI

By mariannefeldman

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/2906-multigrain-bread

Makes two 9 by 5-inch loaves. Published March 1, 2006.

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/3174-multigrain-dinner-rolls

Don't confuse 7-grain hot cereal mix with boxed, cold breakfast cereals that may also be labeled "7-grain." Our favorite brands of 7-grain mix are Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills. Leftover bread can be wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 3 days; wrap with an additional layer of aluminum foil and the bread can be frozen for up to one month.

Ingredients

• 6 1/4 ounces 7-grain hot cereal mix , 1 1/4 cups, (see note above)
• 20 ounces boiling water (2 1/2 cups)
• 15 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (3 cups), plus extra for dusting work surface
• 7 1/2 ounces whole wheat flour (1 1/2 cups)
• 4 tablespoons honey - try 5 tbs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon table salt - use full tbs
• 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, (unsalted) ( I toasted the seeds that went into the dough)
• opt: 1 tbs vital wheat gluten - used
• opt: lecithin
• opt: milk powder
• ....
• topping
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats
• sesame seeds

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place cereal mix in bowl of standing mixer and pour boiling water over it; let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture cools to 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 dough forms ball, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (added more water to make a soft dough); cover bowl with plastic and let dough rest 20 minutes. Add salt and knead on medium-low speed until dough clears sides of bowl, 3 to 4 minutes (if it does not clear sides, add 2 to 3 tablespoons additional
all-purpose flour and continue mixing); continue to knead dough for 5 more minutes.
Add seeds and knead for another 15 seconds.
Transfer dough to floured work surface and knead by hand until seeds are dispersed evenly and dough forms smooth, taut ball.
Place dough into greased container with 4-quart capacity; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

3. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and pat into 12 by 9-inch rectangle; cut dough in half crosswise with knife or bench scraper. Follow illustrations 1 through 3 below to shape loaves and coat with oats; cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. (Dough should barely spring back when poked with knuckle.) Bake until internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire rack before slicing, about 3 hours.

For rolls:
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray two 9 by 9-inch baking pans with nonstick cooking spray.
Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and cut in half crosswise with knife or bench scraper.
Cut each half into thirds, then into thirds again, to make 18 even sized pieces of dough.
Gently roll each piece in circular motion to make round, then roll one side of dough in oats & sesame and place in baking pan, oat side up (I dipped in egg whites beaten w/ water first).
Repeat to fill both baking pans with nine rolls each.
Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. (Dough should barely spring back when poked with knuckle.)
Bake until internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove rolls from pans and cool on wire rack before serving, about 2 hours.

TECHNIQUE

Multigrain Dinner Rolls


Bake rolls in a tightly packed dish to minimize the amount of crust on each roll.

STEP-BY-STEP
Getting the Loaf into Shape


1. With short side facing you, starting at farthest end, roll dough piece into log. Keep roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go.


2. To seal loaf, pinch seam gently with thumb and forefinger. Spray loaves lightly with water or nonstick cooking spray.


3. Roll each dough log in oats to coat evenly. Place loaf seam-side down in greased loaf pan, pressing gently into corners.

RECIPE TESTING
Loaves' Labors Lost

We wanted a multigrain bread with great flavor and a light, fluffy texture. Few of the recipes we found came through on both counts. Here are two of the offenders.


LIKE A BRICK: Great flavor, but a laundry list of ingredients weighs the loaf down into a dense, brick-like solid.


LIKE WHITE BREAD: Fluffy sandwich-style texture, but so little grain it's almost like plain old white bread.