Walnut Sunflower Wheat Bread

One of the best things in the world is fresh-baked, homemade bread. It took me a little while to appreciate the different texture of my homemade breads compared to the bland, snow-white wonder-bread stuff (I only got to eat that classic white bread when I was at summer camp), but I love it now. The walnuts and sunflowers add a great texture to this bread.

This bread only takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time, so it would be perfect to make while decorating the house on the Friday after Thanksgiving, when you will be at home for a 4-5 hour stretch doing various holiday activities.

Wheat Nut and Seed Bread
Yield: 1 loaf. From King Arthur Flour

1 1/3 cups (10 5/8 ounces) lukewarm water
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) olive oil
5 tablespoons (3 3/4 ounces) honey, molasses or maple syrup
4 cups (16 ounces) King Arthur Premium Whole Wheat Flour or 100% White Whole Wheat flour
1 tablespoon King Arthur Whole-Grain Bread Improver, optional
1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) sunflower seeds (feel free to use a bit more if desired)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) walnuts, chopped (feel free to use a bit more if desired)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Combine all of the ingredients, and mix them till you have a shaggy dough. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead till fairly smooth. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for about 2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk. 

Gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" bread pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap (or a clear shower cap), and allow it to rise for about 2 hours, till it's crowned about 1" to 2" over the rim of the pan.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil for the final 20 minutes of baking. Yield: 1 loaf.