My Mama would wake up at the crack of dawn everyday to bake us whole wheat bread. Of course she would start every week with grinding the wheat berries to make the whole wheat flour that would eventually become beautiful bread. So about once a year I pay homage to my mother and bake a loaf of bread, starting with the grinding of the wheat. 
J helped this time around. When he wasn't mumbling about Mario (and other WII related things) he totally got into turning 'popcorn' into flour. For anyone who loves bread as much as me, you have to make this. It is my all time favorite. Of course it's a Cook's Illustrated recipe given to me by Sally.
Easy Multigrain Sandwich
1 ¼ cups 7-grain hot cereal mix (Not the cold cereal kind. Try Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Mill brands. Usually found in the baking isle by the oatmeal.)
2 ½ cups boiling water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon table salt
¾ cup unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats
- 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 med. bowl.
- 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 fours, ½ cup at a time, and knead until dough forms ball, 1 ½ to 2 min; cover bowl with plastic and let dough rest 20 min. Add salt and knead on med-low speed until dough clears sides of bowl, 3-4 min (id it does not clear sides, add 2-3 tablespoons additional all-purpose flour and continue mixing.); continue to knead dough for 5 moer min. Add seeds and knead for another 15 sec. Transfer dough to floured work surface and knead by hand until seeds are dispersed and evenly and dough forms smooth, taut ball. Place dough unto greased container with 4-quart capacity; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, 45-60 min.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 9x5 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and pat into 12x9 –inch rectangle; cut dough in half crosswise with knife or bench scraper. Roll dough piece into log. Keep roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Seal loag by pinching seam gently. Spray loaves lightly with cooking spray. Roll each dough log in oats to coat evenly. Place loaf seam-side down in greased loaf pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in sixe, 30-40 min. Bake for 35-40 min. Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire rack before slicing, about 3 hours.
