The news out there about flax seed is nothing but good. High in omega 3 fatty acids, it is really the only way to get these healthy fats without eating seafood.

This was my primary reason for trying flax seed. My wife is allergic to shellfish so our seafood diet is sparing at best. I decided to start using flax seed in many of my recipes.

In seed form, flax seed isn’t very beneficial, however ground up you can reap all of the benefits.

I buy the seeds and put then in the freezer. I grind up about a cup at a time (in a coffee grinder) and save it in the freezer as flax seed can spoil quite fast.

Since the local stores around here have really lousy bread, I decided to start making my own. It really isn’t very difficult and you can freeze your prepared bread dough to use later when you want fresh baked bread.

Here is my current favorite bread using ground flax seed:

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups all purpose white flour.
2. 1 cup ground flax seed.
3. 1 packet active dry yeast (not the rapid rise).
4. 1 teaspoon of salt.
5. 2 tablespoons of honey.
6. 1 teaspoon of sugar.
7. 2 eggs.
8. 1 cup milk.
9. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter.

Put the cup of milk and the butter in a small sauce pan and melt on LOW until butter is melted. You do not want it any warmer than 110 degrees. Basically, when you stick your finger in it, and the temperature feels comparable to the forehead of a young child with a mild fever, and the butter is melted, you should be all set.

Using a mixer with dough hooks (you can do this by hand with a wooden spoon, but it will take much longer) add the honey and sugar. Add the milk and butter and mix well with a whisk and then add the package of yeast (mix).

Let the yeast proof for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, get a large glass bowl and spray it down with oil. Take one egg and beat it. Set egg aside. Flour a surface where you will be working the bread. Use about 1/4 cup of flour.

Once the yeast has really started foaming (about 10 minutes total), add one cup of flour and start the mixer. Slowly add the cup of ground flax seed. At this point, add the teaspoon of salt, and the beaten egg. Slowly mix in the remaining flour and using a spatula or wooden spoon, help the mixer mix all the ingredients.

Once mixed, scrape the mixture out onto your floured surface. You should knead the bread for about 5-10 minutes until the dough is somewhat elastic, using extra dough as needed. Usually with bread, you want it almost as elastic as pizza dough, but with the flax seed, this really isn’t possible as it has a harder texture. You should be able to stretch the dough without it breaking. Pull off a small ball of dough and roll it in your hands and flatten it. Slowly pull it apart and if you can double the size of it without breaking it, you should be good.

Knead it into a ball and roll the ball in your oiled glass bowl. When the dough is completely covered in oil, put the seam side down. Note the size of the dough ball.

If you have a gas oven (with a pilot light), just cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place it in the oven. DO NOT turn the oven on. The pilot light will provide enough heat for the yeast to work without killing it. Take care not to let the cloth drape anywhere near the pilot light.

If you have an electric stove (like I do), usually under one of the back burners (normally the left back burner) you should notice a hole that goes into the oven. This is the oven exhaust. If you have ever burned anything in the oven, you have probably seen the smoke rise from this burner. You want to turn the oven on its LOWEST setting, and then place the bowl of dough, covered with the damp cloth OVER the burner that has the exhaust. This should provide enough heat for the yeast to rise. DO NOT turn on the burner!

Let the yeast rise until doubled in size, which is usually about an hour. While you are waiting, grease a loaf pan with a spray.

Take the dough out and put on your floured surface and knead for about 2-3 minutes just to get all the gas out of the dough. Yeast produces carbon dioxide when it eats, this is why bread is so porous.

Shape into a loaf and place into the loaf pan, seam side down. Cover with the towel and put it back where you let it rise in the bowl. You should also set your remaining egg (in the shell) somewhere warm. A warm egg is beaten easier.

Let rise until the center of the loaf is about a half inch above the rim of the loaf pan. You do not want it to spill over the loaf pan, otherwise your bread will be very leafy on the edges. About 40 minutes to an hour depending on heat.

Preheat the oven to 350, and while it is heating, take a cookie sheet and place on the bottom rack. Fill the sheet with hot water. This will steam the bread while it is cooking and make for a softer crust. Cut the dough down the center length wise with a knife about 1/4 inch deep. Beat the warmed egg and brush over the entire loaf.

Place in the oven and cook for about 40 – 45 minutes or until browned and when you pluck it with your fingers, it has a hollow sound. Take out and let rest on a wire rack for 40 – 45 minutes. Slice it. Finished!

If this is the first time you have made bread, do not worry if it doesn’t come out right. You may have to feed the birds with your first couple tries until you get it right. Considering how cheap dough, yeast and eggs are, you can be allowed a few mistakes. Even a rabbit drops a piece of grass from time to time. 🙂

If you want just regular white bread, omit the flax seed and replace it with a cup of flour.

To make two loafs, double everything EXCEPT the yeast and the salt. Let the yeast proof about 5 minutes longer than for one loaf.

You can freeze one loaf (before cooking). After the dough rises in the bowl, knead for a couple minutes and form a ball. Cut the ball in half and shape on half into a loaf and place into the loaf pan. Make sure the dough doest not touch any side of the loaf pan. IMMEDIATELY take the roll out of the pan and wrap in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer. If the dough rises a lot before it freezes, the frozen version will not fit in your loaf pan. When you want to thaw it out, put it in the loaf pan and set somewhere warm (you can use the oven method we described above for rising dough) for about 4 1/2 – 5 hours. Then bake as usual.