Recipe: Four-Grain Batter Bread

Four-Grain Batter Bread
Newsgroup: rec.food.recipes/Janie McKinney

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Holiday Baking (No. 16)
Makes 2 loaves (16 slices each)

Cornmeal
4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 packages regular or quick active dry yeast
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal, uncooked

Grease 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches; sprinkle with cornmeal.

Mix 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, the sugar, salt, baking soda and yeast in large bowl. Heat milk and water in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very warm (120 to 130 degrees F). Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

Stir in whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oatmeal and enough remaining all-purpose flour to make a stiff batter. Divide batter evenly between pans. Round tops of loaves by patting with floured hands. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until batter is about 1 inch below tops of pans.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake about 25 minutes or until tops of loaves are light brown and sound hollow when tapped. Immediately remove from pans to wire rack; cool.

Whole Wheat Batter Bread:
Increase whole what four to 2 cups. Omit wheat germ and oatmeal. Stir in 1 cup raisins with the whole wheat flour.