Whole Grain and Mixed Seed Bread

While I make dough for pizzas about every six weeks, it is many years since I made proper bread, and I recalled it as being time consuming and with results that usually disappointed in some way, and since there is a good local baker there didn't seem much point.

But a few days ago I fancied some bread rolls with a dinner and thought I'd make some using wholemeal flour. I used the recipe on the flour packed and the results were excellent. So then I used the remainder of the flour to make a loaf, and ditto.

The recipe used dried instant yeast, and a 10 minute kneading before putting in the tins and allowing to rise then baking it. No punch down and second kneading.

Preparation time, about 15-20 minutes including kneading.

Yesterday I couldn't get the same flour, so I got a seeded whole grain flour, containing wheat and malt flours with mixed seeds, and made two loaves and two long rolls

The above picture is the result. The bread is delicious both as toast and for sandwiches

[Jenise]

Beautiful loaves, Peter! But how interesting, no second rise. Makes me wonder how any bread would change if it went through a third rise, or a fourth, since your recipe suggests the second rise can be done without.

I always understood that knocking down, kneading again and letting it rise again was to get a better, finer 'crumb' i.e. texture, but the texture of the bread I've just made with with different flours is excellent, and comparing a slice against the shop bought loaf you can't tell a difference.

Regarding extra proves -- how long does the yeast stay active? Will it keep rising indefinitely?

Once could experiment, but it was keeping the dough somewhere and doing the knockdown and the second rise was what I found tedious about breadmaking.

Here, after a a fairly casual 10 minutes of kneading, the dough goes into the bread tins -- or on a baking tray for the rolls -- then I can clean up the basin and kneading board, put everything away and I'm finished. And in 1.5 - 2 hours when the dough has risen just stick them in the oven.