Whole Wheat-Amaranth-Millet Bread

Millet is a round yellow grain that looks like birdseed and has a nearly complete range of amino acids.

You can either grind millet into flour or add it to the dough whole.  I chose to use it whole and lightly toast it by heating it in a skillet for a few minutes until the grains turned a golden brown.

This loaf also contains whole wheat flour and amaranth flour, both of which I grind myself. I’ve found that grinding your own flour at the point and time of use makes a significant difference in the quality and flavor of the finished loaf.

I use SAF instant yeast and store it in the freezer. This recipe uses 1-1/2 teaspoons of yeast so pour that amount into a small cup, put the large container back in the freezer, then set the small bowl in a warm spot to come up to temperature. My favorite trick is to soak a washcloth in water and heat it in the microwave for two minutes. I then set the wahscloth on the counter and place the small bowl of yeast on it for about 5 minutes.

You will probably need to adjust the amount of water. I live in Phoenix, AZ where it is very dry and almost always have to add extra liquid to published bread recipes. If you live in a more normal climate you will probably find that 1-1/4 cup of water is sufficient.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups warm (approximately 90F) water
3 tablespoons honey
12.75 ounces (by weight) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup millet, lightly toasted
1-1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup King Arthur Flour Bakers Special Dry Milk
1-1/2 tablespoons King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Bread Improver
1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Put the ingredients into the breadmaker pan in the order shown above. I set the Zojirushi breadmaker to the Basic Wheat cycle and let it go. When it’s done remove the pan from the breadmaker and set it on a cooling rack to cool for about 15 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and let it continue to cool.