Instructions

Note: if you are new to bread baking, I highly recommend you watching the video below to see how to make it!

1. PROOF YEAST: Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until the yeast dissolves. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes. If it is slightly frothy and you can see bubbles forming on top, then your yeast is active. If you don't see any activity, your yeast is likely too old or your water was too warm and your yeast is not alive.
2. MIX DOUGH: In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt, rolled oats, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. Stir until well combined. Add the oil, honey or agave, and water/yeast mixture into the bowl. Use a silicon spatula or mixing spoon to stir until the dough starts to come together. It will be very wet. Use your hands to finish mixing the dough until there are no dry patches of flour left. I like to do this by grabbing the dough with my whole hand and squeezing and pinching all over to make sure there are no hidden pockets of dry flour. Cover the bowl with a shower cap, plastic wrap, or a damp towel and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
3. STRETCH AND FOLD: During the next hour, you will do 4 rounds of stretch and folds about every 15 minutes. This is a gentler way of developing the gluten structure without kneading and allows for more moisture and whole grains in the bread which will give it better texture. The video gives a good demonstration of stretch and folds, but to do this: get your hand wet and scoop underneath the dough pulling up on one side. Stretch the piece of dough up as far as it will go without tearing and fold it down over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and do another stretch and fold. Go all the way around the bowl until the dough is holding into a more structured ball. Cover the bowl and let it sit for about 15 more minutes before doing your next round. Do this a total of 4 times.
4. FERMENT (1ST RISE): Cover the bowl after your last round of stretch and folds and let it sit at room temperature until double in size and filled with air. This will take about 30 more minutes if using quick rise yeast and 1 hour if using active dry yeast.
5. SHAPE: Grease one or two standard loaf pans (8.5 X 4.5 X 2.5- 1 lb loaf pans) pans on the sides and bottoms. Turn the dough out onto the lightly floured surface and lightly push the air out of the dough with the palm of your hand. Cut the dough into two equal pieces if making a full batch. Gently pat each piece of dough into a rectangle (about the shape of the loaf pan). Tightly form each piece of dough into a loaf. (Watch the video tutorial for details about how to properly do this.)
6. PROOF: Place the formed loaves into the pans and gently press down on them with the palm of your hand to ensure they evenly fill the pan. Cover the shaped dough and let them proof at room temperature until the loaves are beginning to crown the pan. This will take about 1 hour for rapid rise yeast and 2 hours for active dry yeast.
7. BAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F (180 C). If you want a shiny brown crust, mix 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water and brush it on the tops of your loaves. Alternatively, you can brush them with oil or spray with non-stick spray. I also like to sprinkle a few oats over the top of the loaves. Bake loaves on the center rack for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. The center of the loaves should read 190-200 F (87-93 C) when fully baked.
8. Let cool on baking racks for at least 2 hrs before slicing with a serrated knife. Slicing into a loaf of bread before it is cooled can cause it to have a gummy texture and to stale more quickly.
9. STORE cooled bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for 4 days. Alternatively, you can slice the loaves and place them in the freezer in a freezer bag. Toast to refresh. Refrigerating bread will cause it to stale more quickly.