Whole Wheat Honey Flax and Sunflower Seed Bread

When my life gets busy, the first thing to go is homemade bread. Sometimes I wish I could barricade myself inside my kitchen and just bake, with no worries in the world besides how high my dough will rise and whether I should have let that loaf cool longer before biting in (I never wait). Bread baking requires a time commitment that I realize not everyone can give on a regular basis. I've learned how to fit the process in around other tasks I need to accomplish. For example, on a morning off I might make my dough and then let it rise while I take a trip to the gym. When I get home I form it into a loaf and put it in the pan for its second rise (meanwhile I'm taking a shower, cleaning the bathroom, starting the laundry, etc). Then while its baking I'm catching up on my homework. When lunchtime rolls around I have a still-warm loaf of fresh baked bread to make my sandwich, and it's fantastic. But that's definitely not every day.

Last week (before I started school again) I had a leisurely day I dedicated to this bread. It's whole wheat, sweetened with a hint of honey, and speckled with nutritious flax and sunflower seeds. Soft, hearty, and nutty. There's a lot of possibilities here. You could make this with a variety of nuts and seeds (say sesame, poppy, or pumpkin). You could use butter, olive oil, or grapeseed oil instead of canola. Sugar or agave instead of honey. Get creative. This recipe is perfect just the way it is, but it's open to adaptation.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cups warm water (100-110 F)
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour + extra for kneading
1/4 cup sunflower seeds + extra for sprinkling on top
1/4 cup flax seeds + extra for sprinkling on top
2 Tbsp. canola oil

1 egg, beaten + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash

DIRECTIONS
1. Dissolve honey in warm water. Add yeast and let proof for 10 minutes, until bubbly.

2. In a large bowl, combine salt, flour, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. Pour in yeast mixture and oil. Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, adding more flour as necessary.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth. Place in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, cover, and let rise about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

4. Punch dough down and form into a log. Place in a lightly greased bread pan, cover, and let rise another hour.

5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush top of loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. (If the top is browning too fast you can cover it with aluminum foil partway through cooking.) Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf.

(Adapted from All Recipes)