I’ve been mentioning peanut butter a lot lately. Well, here’s something to put it on — Bran Cereal Bread. It’s a fairly simple yeast bread made with All Bran cereal. I found the original recipe on the All Bran site.
The only issue with the original Bran Cereal Bread is that it calls for 9 cups of flour, 3 packs of yeast and makes two giant loaves. It takes us forever to finish just one loaf, so I scaled the recipe down to (about) 1/3 and made it in one 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Perfect results!
The other change was to use bread flour instead of all-purpose and to use the dough hook on my stand mixer for kneading. The bread has just a touch of sweetness, but I wouldn’t call it sweet. It’s perfect for sandwiches, but especially perfect for peanut butter toast or peanut butter sandwiches.
Bran Cereal Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 2/3 cup bran cereal
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt Morton kosher
- 1 package dry yeast
- 2 1/2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 cup very warm water 120 to130 °F
- 4 teaspoons full flavored molasses
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine 1 cup of flour,cereal, sugar, salt and dry yeast. Add butter.
- Gradually add water and molasses to cereal mixture and beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Add another cup of flour. Beat at high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough additional flour to make stiff dough. Switch to the mixer’s dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spray an 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a strip of parchment (optional).
- Roll or just pat the dough into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle, then roll it up into a cylinder. Set it in the pan and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until done. Remove from pans. Cool on wire rack.
Anna
Hi Lee,
I think it would be fine. I’ve never actually heard of whole wheat bread flour, but I guess it’s a high gluten whole wheat flour? With the extra gluten, that should be fine. Also, you’ll probably need to add more water. Definitely go by how your dough feels rather than my liquid measurements. Use them as a guide, but if you change up the flour it will probably change the liquid amount. Thanks for the question. I need to make this one again soon.
Lee R
can you use while whole wheat flour or whole wheat bread flour for 1/2 of the all purpose?
Sue
It worked out just fine in the bread machine! I’m putting molasses on the grocery list so I can try it again next week and get the darker color you got.
Anna
I can’t wait to hear the results!
Sue
I went directly to the kitchen, iPad in hand and put this together in the bread machine. I had to substitute for the molasses. I used bran flakes since they were on hand. I suppose with those substitutions it isn’t this recipe at all but if it makes a tasty loaf my husband will be pleased. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Sue
Gosh! I was going to make some bread for my husband today. I wonder if it would work in a bread machine?
Adam
Looks fantastic. Bread is still on my bucket list, and you know I love anything involving cereal :). I’m wondering if this will work as well with flakes as it seems to with twigs. There are always a tonne of cereal dregs in those boxes.
debbie
Oh I love this!!!!