Four Grain Batter Bread

My husband LOVES bread. The problem with store bought bread is, just like everything else these days, is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. They say it's fine in moderation but what they don't say is that they have managed to put it into just about everything you buy pre-made. So making your own bread is a good alternative. The reason most people don't want to make their own bread is the time it takes to mix, knead, let rise, make into loaves, let rise again, and then bake. This recipe only took 1 hour and 15 minutes total. Only 1 rise cycle in the pan, no kneading and a quick bake time. Very nutritious version below was modified from the original recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook. The recipe called for wheat germ and quick cooking oatmeal. I didn't have either on hand today, didn't want to go to the store so I used extra wheat flour, bran and a little flaxseed. Dave and Josh had warm slices before I sliced the rest into sandwich thick slices, put into bread sacks saved from previous loaves I bought at the store, and froze 1/2 of it. Yum!!!

Four Grain Batter Bread
from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

Prep time=15 min.; Proof=30 min.; Bake=25 min.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 c. all purpose flour

2 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 pkg dry yeast (.8 oz)

2 c. milk + 1/2 c. water (warmed to 120 - 130)

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. bran

1 T. flax seed

Mix AP flour, salt, sugar, soda and yeast in a large bowl. Add heated milk/water mixure with an electric mixer until all dry ingredients mixed with liquid, beat for 3 minutes. Stir in whole wheat flour, bran and flaxseed. Add more AP flour if needed to make batter stiff. Grease bottom and sides of either 2 regular loaf pans or 1 long loaf pan. (I use cooking spray) Put batter in the pan(s), round tops of loaves by patting with floured hands. Sprinkle with a light dusting of cornmeal. Cover with damp cloth and let rise in warm place until batter is 1 inch below the top of the pan or approximately 30 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 25 minutes or until tops of loaves are light brown. Remove from pan(s) to wire rack to cool. Approximately 16 slices.