Delicious Whole Wheat Multigrain Bread With Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Bread comes in many shapes and sizes, but my favorite form is a delicious, soft, chewy loaf of whole wheat multigrain bread. Its flavor and texture is incomparable to that of white bread, and it has many nutritional benefits because of the addition of whole wheat flour, oats, and flax seeds. A delectable way to enjoy it is along side a bowl of soup, where my favorite is creamy chicken and wild rice soup.

The bread could also be used to make toast for breakfast or used for sandwiches, and let me tell you, it is delicious either way! The dough could also be used to make buns for burgers or hot dogs. It is only limited by your imagination!

This bread recipe makes enough dough for one 9x5 inch loaf pan if dense chewy bread is preferred, or if a lighter, fluffier type of bread is your thing, the dough can be divided into two 8x4 inch loaf pans. It works well to make the bread ahead of time (the day before or in the morning), so that it is ready for eating along with the soup. Alternatively, if you don't have a loaf pan, wish to bake it on a baking sheet, or go creative and make it in a bundt pan, that will work just as well; just note the baking time may need to be increased or decreased depending on how the dough is formed. (Baking times for other methods will be covered in the baking step.)

For the soup, it makes enough to feed a family of five for dinner, plus leaves another several servings of leftovers for the next day. The soup tastes just as good, if not better the next day and will give you a healthy and delicious meal without any work required (aside from warming up the soup).

This is an in-depth tutorial on how to make my favorite bread and soup with many details. I hope the tutorial is easy to follow and that you should have no problems following it. Let's get started!

Step 1: Making the Bread:

This bread recipe makes enough one 9x5 loaf pan or two 8x4 loaf pans.

Overview of Steps:

1. Mixing together all ingredients at first

2. Followed by 15 minutes of rising time

3. Then kneading the dough for about 5-10 minutes

4. Letting it rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour)

5. Separating the dough into pans with another 30 mins of rising

6. Baking in the oven at 350 for about 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2/3 cup flax seeds (milled works best but whole will work just as well)

1/3 cup poppy seeds

2 cups hot water

2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry or instant yeast (1 packet of instant yeast)

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose (or bread flour optional if you like chewier bread) + about 1/2-1 cup more for kneading

1 Tbsp. olive oil + 1 Tbsp. more for greasing bowl

1 Tbsp. butter for greasing pan (oil or spray can be used instead of butter)

1 Tbsp. sugar or brown sugar

1 tsp salt

Extra Ingredients (Mix-Ins):

1/2 cup oats (These will be added towards the end and are optional but recommended. You could also use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit. Put whatever you want in it but the total volume of mix-ins should not exceed 1 1/2 cup. You are only limited by your imagination!)

Utensils/Tools:

1 medium/large mixing bowl (a 4-5 quart bowl is big enough, I used a 5 quart bowl)

2 cup glass liquid measuring cup (will go in microwave)

Measuring cups (1 cup 1/2 cup, and 1/3 cup)

Measuring spoons (1 Tbsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp, and 1/4 tsp)

1 9x5inch loaf pan (or other types of pans/containers to bake the bread)

(Optional) Basting Brush to spread water on top of dough before baking to give it a glossy look/texture.

Step 2: Adding Flax and Poppy Seeds

Add 2/3 cup of flax seeds and 1/3 cup of poppy seeds to the mixing bowl.
Other types of small grains can be used such as multigrain cereal mix, but there should be a total of about 1 cup.

Step 3: Pour Hot Water Over Seed Mixture

Start by filling adding 2 cups of water to a glass measuring cup.
Microwave on HIGH for about 2:30 (2 minutes 30 seconds) or until water is near boiling temperature.
Pour the 2 cups of hot water into the seed mix and stir, then wait for the mixture to cool down between 105°F-115°F for active dry yeast, and around 120°F for instant yeast. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
Be patient! If the water is too hot, it may kill the yeast.

Step 4: Adding Yeast, Part of the Flour, Brown Sugar, and Salt

After the seed and water mixture has cooled down, sprinkle the 2 1/4 tsp of yeast over the mixture.
Add 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp salt.
Stir until the mixture becomes smooth.

Step 5: Adding Remaining Flour

Add the remaining 1 cup of whole wheat flour, then mix.
Add the 2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing in between each addition of flour. (If you ever add too much flour in at once by accident, add a splash of milk or water to balance it out.)
By this point, your dough should be coming together into a dense, sticky mess and too hard to mix with a spatula.
Cover with a damp kitchen towel, then let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Keep the flour and the measuring spoon out because we will need it for kneading the dough in the next step.

Step 6: Kneading the Dough and Adding Mix-Ins

After the dough has risen for 15 minutes, take the towel off the bowl and get your hand and arm ready for a workout! We will be kneading some dough!
This is also the time to add any large mix-ins if desired. In this recipe I am adding 1/2 cup oats. You could add whatever you want such as seeds, nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit. Make sure the total volume of mix-ins doesn't exceed 1 1/2 cups.

Usually one would put the dough onto a counter/worksurface to knead in the mix-ins. But No! We will keep the dough in its container which keeps it contained and also a counterspace doesn't have to be cleaned afterwards.
Knead the dough (add your mix-ins to the dough if using them) with one hand by grabbing the underside of the dough with your fingertips, folding it in half on top of itself, then using your weight to smoosh it down. After that rotate the dough or the bowl and repeat. Make sure to work the dough very well and getting all parts of the dough worked.
Knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how you like your bread. Kneading the dough stretches and strengthen the dough, and produces gluten, which allows the dough to rise and produce pockets of air inside.
When the dough gets too sticky to work with while kneading, sprinkle a small amount of flour over the dough (about 2-3 tablespoons at a time) and continue to knead. Make sure you don't add too much flour, as this can make the dough dry and tough.

Step 7: Preparing the Dough for Rising

The dough should be smooth, soft, and elastic after kneading, and should rise/puff back up when poked.
Drizzle a little bit of oil down the sides of the bowl (1-2 Tbsp total), and use the dough to spread the oil around to coat the bottom and the walls of the bowl. Also turn/rotate the ball of dough so that it is also coated in oil. This step will keep the dough from drying out while it rises, and ensures it won't stick to the bowl.
Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Step 8: Separating the Dough Into Loaf Pans

After the dough has had time to rise, get your pan(s) greased and ready for the dough.
Take a stick of butter from the fridge and peel the wrap back so one end is exposed, and grease the pan, making sure to get all sides, corners, and edges.

Punch the dough down and get it out of the bowl into both of your hands. Knead it in between your hands for 20 seconds.
Shape the dough into the shape of the loaf pan if using one 9x5inch pan, or separate it into two equal pieces if using smaller 8x4 inch loaf pans.
Cover the loaf pan(s) with a damp towel, then let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Step 9: Baking the Bread

After the bread has risen for about 30 minutes, preheat an oven to 350°F
When the oven is about 5 minutes from being preheated, spread water on top of the dough with a basting brush. This will give it a glossy finish on the top and is optional.
This is also optional, but seeds or grains can be added on top of the bread to give it more flavor and texture. I added caraway seeds.
Put the bread in the oven at 350°F on a rack in the middle for about 40-45 minutes. If using smaller loaf pan's such as a 8x4inch, reduce the baking time to about 30 minutes.

Check the bread after 30 minutes and if it has already browned enough, cover with foil to prevent burning.

Step 10: Bread Is Done!

Take the bread out after it has finished baking. Cover it with a towel to keep warm and set it aside.
Next up is to make the creamy chicken and wild rice soup.

Step 11: Making the Soup

This soup recipe makes about 8-10 servings.

Overview of Steps:

Pre-cooking wild rice (takes about 45 minutes)

Slicing Vegetables and Chicken

Pre-cooking the chicken partially

Sautéing the vegetables

Adding chicken, broth, wild rice, spices & herbs, and simmering for 10 minutes

Making a roux to add to the soup

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked wild rice (prepared according to package instructions)

2 chicken breasts , chopped into 1 inch cubes

1 onion , chopped

4 ribs celery , diced

3 large carrots , diced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 quart chicken broth or stock (will also fill up the can halfway with water and add to soup.)

For the Roux:

1/2 stick butter (4 Tbsp) , melted

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup milk

Spices and Herbs:

Salt , to taste

Black Pepper , to taste

1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 1 clove minced garlic)

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried sage

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (dried dill can be used - 1/4 tsp)

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (dried parsley can be used - 1/4 tsp)

Step 12: Pre-Cooking Wild Rice

Since wild rice takes a long time to fully cook, we will start with that first.

Prepare Wild Rice according to package instructions, or here are instructions listed below:

Rinse 1 cup wild rice in water a few times, or until water becomes clear when rinsing.
Add 1 cup of wild rice and 3 cups of water to a small pot.
Bring to a steady boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 45 minutes.
Wild Rice is fully cooked when kernels puff open, (kind of like popped popcorn). If you prefer chewier rice, reduce cooking time by about 5-10 minutes.

Step 13: Preparing Ingredients

After the rice is starting pre-cook, we can begin preparing the carrots, celery, onions, and chicken.

Vegetables:

Wash, then peel carrots and chop them up into about nickel-size coins, and about 1/8" - 1/4" thick.
Wash celery, cut them down the middle length-wise then chop them up into pieces about 1/8" - 1/4" thick.
Peel the outer layers of an onion, cut the ends off, then dice it into small pieces.
Put all vegetables on a plate or in a large bowl, to keep them contained before cutting the chicken.

Chicken:

Cut chicken in one inch cubes, on a large cutting board to keep the mess contained.
The chicken will be added to the pot and pre-cooked in the next step.

Step 14: Pre-Cooking Chicken Cubes

Add a layer of oil to a large pot, and preheat it for about 30 seconds on medium/high heat.
Add the chicken cubes to the pot and pre-cook them just enough so that there isn't any pink left on the outside of the chicken cubes.
Make sure to stir/turn the chicken every 30 seconds or so.
After chicken is pre-cooked, move it to a plate with paper towels to rest before sautéing the veggies.

Step 15: Sautéing Vegetables

After the chicken has been pre-cooked and removed from the pot, we will sauté the carrots, celery, and onion.

Add the chopped carrots, celery, and onions to the pot.
Stir veggies every 20-30 seconds.
You may need to add more oil, if you notice that there isn't much visible on the bottom of the pot. If there isn't enough oil, the veggies may burn.
Veggies will be done once the onions start to turn translucent/opaque, or about 5-7 minutes.

Step 16: Adding Chicken, Broth, Wild Rice, Spices & Herbs

Add the pre-cooked chicken back to the pot with the veggies.
Pour in a 1 quart can of chicken broth (stock can be used instead. It is essentially the same as broth) and add 2-3 cups water. (You can use the empty can of chicken broth to fill with water.)
Add the pre-cooked wild rice. If it still has a few minutes left to go, don't worry, it will finish cooking when added to the soup.
Add your spices and herbs: salt, pepper, garlic powder (fresh garlic can be used instead), thyme, sage, Italian seasoning, parsley, and dill.
Stir the pot, turn heat up on high to bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 17: Final Step: Making the Roux

We can re-use the pot that cooked the wild rice for making the roux. Just give it a quick rinse and it should be good to go.
Melt 1/2 stick butter (4 Tbsp) in the small pot.
Slowly add 1/3 cup of flour to the melted butter about 1 Tbsp at a time.
Stir well and make sure the flour is incorporated before adding each consecutive tablespoon of flour.
Once the butter and flour are combined, add the 1-1/2 cup milk about 1/4 cup at a time and making sure the milk is incorporated before adding more.
Once all of the butter, flour, and milk have been combined into a thick, gravy like mixture, add it to the soup and stir together well.

(Optional:) Give the soup a taste test and check the vegetables and rice for tenderness. If you would like those to be more tender, let the soup simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Congratulations! The soup is done! Now it's time to eat :)

Step 18: It's Dinner Time!

This delicious bread recipe of mine pairs really well with my favorite soup recipe include in this Instructable. I hope you had fun along the way and that this was an easy way for you to experience my ways of eating bread. The bread works perfect to make toast in the morning or for sandwiches as well.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to comment on this Instructable, and I will do my best to get back to you:)

This is my entry in the bread contest.

Yours Respectfully,

Alex