The grains in this recipe are uncooked and give the finished bread a nice crunch. If you prefer a softer, moister bread, soak the grains overnight or cook them completely before adding them to the bread dough.
Bird's Bread
2 cups bread flour
1 cup stone ground whole wheat flour
1/4 cup barley
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup quinoa
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. instant yeast
2 cups water
1 Tbsp. agave or other natural sweetener
1 Tbsp. sunflower oil (you can also use canola oil, peanut oil, or melted butter)
2 tsp. salt
- In a large bowl, mix together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, barley, millet, quinoa, and yeast.
- Add the water, agave or other sweetener, oil, and salt and mix until a rough, sticky dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter top and knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add extra flour while kneading, if the dough gets too sticky.
- Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and allow to rise at room temperature for about two hours, or until doubled in bulk.
- After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down gently and divide it into two parts. Form each part into a loaf shape and transfer each loaf to a lightly oiled loaf pan or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and let rise again for 45-60 minutes. Dough will rise about one inch and will spring back slowly when touched.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake loaves in the center rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until their internal temperature read 190 degrees. Loaves will sound hollow when tapped and have a golden brown color.
- Remove loaves from their pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or freeze for later use. Enjoy!
