Baking homemade bread is an experience I have recently incorporated into our lives on a much larger scale than before. I turned to making our own loaves out of necessity and have begun to really enjoy the practice. A hot slice of bread right from the oven is enough incentive to allow for the time it takes to make a loaf or two every few days.

Our bread buying initiative became very limited after we decided to exclude certain ingredients from our diet. My husband had already perfected a bread recipe, so we decided to rely on our own ability at mastering dough rather than trust a company to make affordable bread with ideal ingredients for us. We are able to buy flour in bulk at a discount and stock up on yeast and other ingredients when they are on sale, which has drastically reduced the amount of money we spend on bread. The savings as well as the peace of mind that comes with knowing each ingredient that goes into a baked loaf is ample reason to consider making the switch to homemade bread.

Brian’s Homemade Bread

3 cups lukewarm water
1 ½ tbsp salt
2 tbsp yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
¼ cup flax seed (I like to use ground flax seed)
½ cup sunflower seeds (salted and roasted is best)
¼ cup millet
½ cup oats
¼ cup honey
1/8 cup oil
cornmeal

Mix the first three ingredients, then add the following ingredients and mix well with a spoon or spatula. Cover bowl with clean towel and allow to rise for about 2 hours. Flour kneading area and pour dough onto it. Knead until elastic, adding flour until moderately easy to work with. Shape loaf (you can divide mixture in two to make smaller loaves) by turning edges under to form a circle or oval. Place loaves on cooking sheet or baking stone covered with corn meal. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and allow the loaves to rise a little while the oven is preheating. Make a few scalloped cuts on the top of the loaves with knife and place in the oven for about 40 minutes. Remove and let the loaves cool on a baking rack.