Millet bread

 This is the bread of the birds and bees.  Well, not really.  However, it does contain millet which is something that I never thought would be in my diet.  I remember hanging clumps of millet in my parakeet's cage when I was a kid, and that's where I thought that my exposure to millet would end. But then I had to go and buy Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day and discover for all of mankind that millet is in fact palatable. 

Apparently Bob's Red Mill already discovered this, so I bought a bag of millet at the store.  This bread is great.  It has a nice dense crust and there is just enough millet in the bread to be evenly distributed in each and every bite.  It tastes heavenly when dipped in  honey (that's where the second half of the birds and the bees comment comes from).  You can put dried fruit such as cranberries or raisins in this bread, but you really don't need to.  Don't eat this if you have a date over and you have gaps in your teeth, because the millet will get lodged in there.  Rating 8/10 on its own, 9/10 when smothered in honey.

Recipe from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
1 cup millet
4 cups whole wheat
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt (I only used about 3/4 of that)
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
3 3/4 cups lukewarm water
3 cups of mixed dried fruit (optional)

Toast the millet in a small pan over medium heat until it has turned a deep gold color-constantly shake and stir it!

Combine the toasted millet, flours, brown sugar, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-qt bowl, large food processor, or stand mixer.

Add in the water and fruit.  If you are doing this by hand don't knead- use a spoon to combine everything. Food processors use the dough attachment, and stand mixers use the paddle.

Cover and allow to rise and collapse (about 2 hours)

Refrigerate for at least 24 hours in a lidded (not airtight) container.  The millet needs this time to soak up the moisture.  Use within seven days.

To use dust flour over the surface of the bread and remove a 1lb ball of dough.  Sprinkle it with more flour and shape into a ball, then elongate into an oval.  Cover and let rest for 90 minutes.

30 minutes prior to baking preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a baking stone placed inside.

Before placing the dough in the oven use a pastry brush to coat the top of the loaf with water and with a bread knife slash 1/4 inch parallel cuts across the top.

Place in the oven, pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler pan and close the oven door quickly, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until nicely browned and firm.