Dill Multigrain Dark savory bread

Dark breads are always healthier option for breakfast than white breads. One thing which we were missing here in India and we liked during our stay in Germany was these varieties of breads. Typical European breakfast would be combination of multiple varieties of breads, cut fruits, eggs, cereals, milk / juice. Many of the breads will be dark, thick, hard and filling and are made of either whole wheat or rye (very dark bread). A nice spread of marmalade (or any jam), cheese or chocolaty spreads make them very tasty.

Recently a neighbour gave us lot of dill leaves which were very fresh. My husband is not a big fan of them, but he likes dark bread! I took the challenge of finishing the leaves without wasting. I prepared vada (snack), Palya (stir fry); what next? Baking with them was the answer. I tried brown bread couple of times earlier and result was not bad. So this time choose this with small twists. I had jowar flour in my pantry, which was again sitting there for quite some time as roti making was not my cup of coffee!!

This bread made my day very happy as it was very good and it remembered us the German bread. Moreover, my hubby liked it! Oh, are you asking me to stop the story and come to the topic!?? Will do, please note down.

Preparation time: 1-2 hours

Baking time: 25 - 30 minutes

Yields: 300 - 350 gms of bread

Ingredients:

Jowar flour – ½ cup

Ragi/ finger millet flour – ½ cup

Whole wheat flour – ½ cup

Maida/ white flour – 1 cup

Dill leaves – ¾ - 1 cup (tightly packed), Washed and dried with a towel

Dry active yeast – 1 tsp

Sugar – 2 tsp

Milk – ¼ cup

Water – ¼ - ½ cup

Salt – ¼ tsp

Baking soda – ½ tsp

Carom seeds/ Ajwain/ om kaalu – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

Ghee/ oil – 2 tbsp

White sesame/ til/ Ellu – 1 tsp (Optional)

Method:

Step 1: Preparing yeast

• Take lukewarm water, add 1 tsp sugar and dissolve. Sprinkle dry yeast from top and stir vigorously to mix well. Set aside for 5 minutes and allow yeast proofing. (Or follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.)
• The solution should be cloudy and frothy after five minutes. If not, discard and prepare again.

Step 2: Preparing dough and allow rising

• Chop dill leave fine.
• Take the above prepared active yeast solution in a wide mixing bowl. Add Milk and remaining sugar.
• Add the chopped dill leaves & flours one by one. Add baking soda, salt, chilli powder & carom seeds on top of the flour. Add water as required, combine and knead this well to prepare soft dough by adding oil or ghee.
• If it is too sticky, add little flour. If dough looks too dry, sprinkle little water. Set aside for an hour, covering the bowl with clean & wet kitchen towel.
• The dough will rise and become almost double the initial size after an hour.

Step 3: Baking

• Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Dust the loaf pan or baking tray with a tsp of flour.
• Press and knead the dough lightly on a floured surface once again. Roll over white sesame seeds so that whole bread is covered by it from outside. You can use any method below (1) or (2)

1. If using loaf pan: Place the dough in a loaf pan and bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until the color becomes brown and bread becomes harder from outside & inserted fork comes out clean.
2. If you are using a cake tray and not loaf pan (which I used): Divide the dough into two portions and bring each of them to two loaf shapes. Place them in the tray side by side leaving little space in between and sides. Bake for 25 minutes or until done as instructed in (1). It took 25 minutes to bake in my oven (convection mode)

• Allow the bread to cool as it is after baking. Slice and serve warm with any spread or plain with tea.

Enjoy this as breakfast, brunch or filling snack.