Bread Gifts: 7-Grain Bread Mix

Are you looking for a healthy gift for that special baker on your list? This healthy, no-knead bread mix, made with a mixture of seven seeds and grains, makes a perfect gift for experienced and aspiring bread-bakers alike. I'm giving this bread mix to my mom for Christmas. She likes to bake bread but prefers the no-fuss method.  She's also into eating heart-healthy foods so this is just perfect for her.  Shhhh ... don't tell her!

This bread is delicious toasted and spread with butter or jam. It has a crusty outside and a chewy inside with a somewhat nutty flavor. It also makes great sandwich bread.  The recipe for the bread and bread mix is from Kneadlessly Simple by Nancy Baggett.  The recipe is also featured on the Fleishmann Yeast site.

Here are some other Bread Gift ideas:

• Quick breads make wonderful gifts
• Delicious and easy Cranberry Pecan Bread 
• Other Homemade Bread Gifts

Going with The Grain Bread Mix
Don't forget to include the 7-Grain Bread Recipe along with this bread mix.

Makes: 1 quart of mix, yielding 1 large loaf, 12-14 slices
Prep Time: 30 minutes

• 3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached white bread flour
• ¼ cup (1.25 ounces) whole wheat flour (I used freshly milled white whole wheat flour)
• ¼ cup brown rice flour  (I used freshly milled brown rice flour)
• 2 tablespoons rolled oats or quick-cooking (not instant) oats
• 2 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons each sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and flax seed, mixed together
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal, preferably yellow
• 1 envelope Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast
  
  

Directions

Set out a completely dry clear glass or transparent plastic 1-quart or 1-liter jar, along with its lid. Set out a square of heavy-duty aluminum foil to use as a funnel. (Or use a funnel, if you have one.)  I have a funnel from all of the canning I've been doing so I'm all set.

First, I milled the rice flour from some brown rice grains.

That's my soup recipe in the background. I was making homemade turkey noodle soup the same night I prepared the mix.  I forgot to move it out of the way before I took the photo.  The soup actually goes really well with this bread.  Just a side note - no extra charge.

Isn't it cool how it just magically turns into flour!

Then, I mixed the poppy seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds together.

Then I weighed the bread flour because I've found with these no-knead recipes especially, that I have to go by weight rather than use the measuring cup.  I don't have a digital scale yet.  That's definitely on my list.

Add the white flour to the jar using the funnel or foil.

Rap the jar on the counter to even and compact the layer.

Thoroughly stir together the whole wheat flour, brown rice flour, oats, sugar, salt, and all but 1 ½ tablespoons of the seed mixture.

 

 

Add to the jar; rap it again to even the layer.

Put the remaining seeds and the cornmeal in a small plastic bag; close tightly. Push the bag and the yeast envelope into the neck of the jar.

If it will be shipped, push crumpled wax paper into any extra space at the top. Attach a sheet or card with the instructions for making the bread to the jar.

Add some pretty ribbon and Holiday fabric and voila, there you have it!  A pretty and practical gift for that special baker on your list.

STORAGE: The unopened mix will keep for up to 1 ½ months unrefrigerated, 3 months refrigerated.

Source: Copyright © 2009 - ACH Food Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

This is a wonderful and healthy gift to give to your friends and family that enjoy baking.  Just don't forget to include the 7-Grain Bread Recipe with the jar of mix.

Happy Baking!
Cathy