Wholemeal Multigrain Bread Questions & Recipe

[Raupe]

So I finally decided to make my own bread. I would love to make healthy
wholemeal multigrain bread. But I have a few questions:

1. Do I NEED a breadmaker or is it just as nice in the loaf tin in the oven? (I have only bottom heat - stupid oven) I have a tiny kitchen and can't even fit my food processor in it. So do I really have to buy more bulky equipment?

2. Is it worth money-wise? Is it cheaper or more expensive to make it from scratch? (I'm a full-time student and kind of broke ) I know flour is cheap, but what about buying all the seeds? Exxy?

3. Does anyone have a good recipe? If so, would you mind sharing? Pretty please

4. Do I need to invest in 'good' (read: more exxy) flour or are they all the same ()?

4. Once it's baked -how do you best store it?

Big thank you in advance!!

[~Stoked~]

Sorry Raupe, can't help you but i want to know too!!

BUMP!

[Raupe]

Hey Stoked! That's cool.

I'll it again.

Anyone???

[dustyblue]

Nope, you definitely don't need a machine. I don't even use a food processor to make the dough!

My main recipe is:

Mix 1 tblspn dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and half a cup of warm water (water has to be warm to get the yeast going, but not boiling).

Add this to 4 cups plain flour (I use any old plain flour, works fine) and a good pinch of salt, and work through with your hands, adding more water to make a dough. Kneed for 2 mins or so until it comes together nicely in a ball.

Leave to sit somewhere warmish (not in the fridge) for 2 hours. Resting it for this long makes up for not kneeding it much. After 2 hrs punch the dough down to remove the air in it, and kneed again for 2 mins.

For grainy bread, you can buy seeds and bread grain mix at health food shops. You add about .75 cup of grain at this stage & kneed it through.

Place in an oiled tin (or you can shape into a log or rolls or whatever and place on an oiled tray) and rest another 30 mins. Brush the top with water (that helps it crust up) and bake at 180 for 35 mins.

Takes time but is so worth it!

[dustyblue]

Oh I should've said- for wholemeal bread I use 2 cups plain flour & 2 cups wholemeal. Using all wholemeal is possible but makes for very dense, heavy bread.

[Raupe]

Thanks heaps, dustyblue!

Will have a try next week (need some shopping money first )!