Homemade 9-Grain Cracked Bread

A delicious healthy loaf of bread great for sandwiches!

2 cups boiling water

1 cup 9-grain cracked cereal

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons organic canola oil or melted butter

2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 envelope or 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Boil water in a tea kettle or pot.  Measure out 2 cups of the hot water and pour over the cracked cereal in a large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.  Add the honey and oil or butter. 

In a large electric bowl fitted with a dough hook mix the flour, yeast and salt.  

Add the cereal mixture to the flour in the bowl fitted with the dough hook and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Add an additional 1/2 cup of flour if it is too sticky.  Let knead for about 6-8 minutes.  Cover and allow to rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.

Place dough onto floured surface and knead with your hands a few times.  Roll out into a rectangle shape.  Roll with hands from one end to the other, pinching of the end and tucking in the outside edges to make a loaf shape.  Place in a prepared loaf pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick oil.  Cover and let raise until doubled, about 40-60 minutes more. 

Heat the oven to 350` and bake the loaf of bread for 45 minutes.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then flip out onto a wire rack and continue to let cool for another hour before serving.