Seven Grain Wheat Bread

Did you know that not all seven grain cereals are created equal?  They’re made up of different varieties of grain and different ways of being processed.  We like to eat 7 grain cereal for breakfast that’s kind of a cracked wheat variety and being smart, we decided to purchase a supply.  The outside of the bag said 7-grain cereal and the inside was like rolled oats, only seven different kinds of rolled grains.  Larry doesn’t like rolled grains, so I disguise them in the bread . . .

Seven Grain Wheat Bread

1/2 cup butter

2 cups milk

2 1/2 cups water

2 Tablespoons yeast

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons salt

2 cups 7 grain cereal

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

4  1/2 cups white flour

1 egg and 2 Tablespoons milk mixed together

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the milk and water and heat to the temperature of a nice hot bath.  In the meantime, in a large bowl combine the sugar, honey, salt, and vanilla.  Sprinkle the yeast on top of this mixture, add the milk mixture and let the yeast dissolve and get bubbly.  Stir in the wheat flour and then add the white flour one cup at a time.  Turn out on a floured counter top or board and knead in another 1/2 cup white flour.  Place dough ball back into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double.  Punch down and shape into 3 loaves.  Place loaves into greased bread pans.  Let rise until 1″ over the top of the bread pan and brush with egg and milk mixture.  Sprinkle with seven grain cereal.  Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

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