Uber-Seeduction Pistachio Pumpkin Seed Bread

Uber-Seeduction Pistachio Pumpkin Seed Bread

I came up with this recipe, well, as usual: by tinkering.  When I was a kid, my mom used to make fresh brown bread.  She used a bread machine, as it was all the rage in the late 80s-early 90s (dating myself!), but the house smelled so wonderful.  I really came to love dark, chewy, warm bread.  As an adult, I wanted to make it more healthy, so I began adding all sorts of "super" foods and good things to it.  Today, I think I made it the best way possible: I added nuts, pistachios to be specific.  If you want a healthy, amazing bread... here you go.

*Note: this has A LOT of stuff in it.  I make it often, so I bought larger bags, etc. of things.  However, if you don't want to put the cost in up front, go to your local health supermarket (or in our woods... even Safeway) and go to the bulk food section.  You can buy what you need for a fraction of the cost.

Ingredients:

1 package of dry active yeast (you'll need a couple teaspoons of sugar and 1/4 cup warm water to activate)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup spelt flour

1 tablespoon earth balance or butter, softened

3/4 cups water

1/3 cup honey

decent drizzle of molasses

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon flax seeds

1 tablespoon millet

1 tablespoon quinoa

1 tablespoon chia

2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup smashed pistachios

1/3 cup dried blueberries (you could use dried cranberries or any other dried fruit too)

1/4 cup rolled old fashioned oats

Nutmeg (to taste)

Cinnamon (to taste)

White ginger (to taste)

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk and 2 teaspoons water (for egg wash - optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl (or your mixing bowl if you have a stand mixer) place the dry yeast, warm water and sugar together.  In about 3-5 min. it should start bubbling up.  You'll know that it is active if it does.   During that 3-5 minute time period:

In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together (flours, seeds, nuts, oats, salt and spices).  I usually give a shake or two of each spice.  If you are in a bind, or don't want to buy all of them, just buy pumpkin pie spice.  It basically has all of it in there.  Whisk together.

Once the dry ingredients are together and mixed, go back to your mixing bowl.  Add the honey and the molasses and softened butter to your yeast mix.

If you are using a stand mixer, use your dough hook.  If you are doing this by hand, have a large bowl. Start adding the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a bit at a time.  Allow to mix (or mix yourself with a spoon at first).  Alternate the dry ingredients with the remaining 3/4 cup of water.   I usually get it started with the dry first, then add a bit of water, then dry, then water until they are both fully mixed.  Mix in the stand mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes.  If the mixture is really goopy and not forming a good dough ball this is what you have to do:

Get out a spatula and form a ball with the dough.  Then start kneading the dough by hand.  Do this for several minutes.  If you need to sprinkle more water or flour into the mix to get a springy but moist consistency, go for it.  At the end, it should be like this:

You can let this dough rise a couple of ways.  Here is how I do it.  I keep it in the mixing bowl (metal) and place it in a warm spot (like in front of our bay window or on top of the stove if the stove is warm).  I let it rise for about 2-3 hours.  It won't rise that much.  Sorry.  Too dense.  After rising, punch it down and place in a buttered bread dish:

Allow this to rise for another 30-40 minutes.  During this time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Brush the egg wash on your bread and place in the middle rack of your oven for 30-35 minutes.  Remove from oven to cool on a cool surface or cooling rack.

Now... enjoy!!  This is amazing warm with a bit of earth balance on it.  YUM.

Alternatively, if you are like me... toast it in the morning.. then spread a bit of earth balance or butter and a wee bit of honey on it... it is DIVINE.