Assorted nuts & fruits bread

While having lunch with 2 friends last week, we decided to bake our own fruits and nuts bread with wholemeal flour. Though I have baked quite a few breads, this is the 2nd time I am using wholemeal flour. With the different dried fruits, nuts and wholemeal flour, this is a hearty type of bread. We used the recipe from here and added sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds,walnuts, raisins, orange peel, cranberries and wolfberries in the bread. Please feel free to substitute the nuts and fruits with your favourites.

For friends who are Catholic, you may consume this bread for fasting during the season of Lent. Due to its heartiness, it can sustain one for a bread and water fast.

Multi nuts & fruits bread
3 cups wholemeal flour 
4 cups bread flour 
1 packet instant yeast 
1/2 cup of lukewarm water 
2 cups of very hot water 
1 beaten egg 
1 Tablespoon Salt 
2 Tablespoons Sugar or Honey 
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil 
1 teaspoon of butter 
1 cup dry fruits (raisins/orange peel/cranberries/apricot) 
1 cup nuts (walnuts/pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds/almonds)
1 cup Plain Oats (I substituted it with more nuts and fruits)

1) Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and wait for a few minutes for it to become bubbly.

2) Combine the flours and make a well in the center. Slowly pour the yeast solution into the well and mix in the flours.
3) Mix the egg, salt, sugar, olive oil, butter, dried fruits and nuts together. Add into the flour and yeast mixture. Slowly add in the hot water bit by bit and knead the dough. Stop when the dough comes clean from the bowl.
4) Knead the dough till it becomes elastic. Leave the dough in a oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place to double (I set the oven on the lowest temp and put the bowl on the door of the oven for about half hour)

5) Punch out the air and let the dough double again.

6) Flour both hands and shape the dough into desired sizes. You may use a knife to make some cuts on the bread if desired
7) Leave the shaped breads for half hour and brush some egg or milk on the bread. Bake at 180 degs C for 25-35 minutes till golden brown.

For those who find the bread hard, you can substitute the wholemeal flour with plain flour. The bread will be softer.