MINNESOTA WILD RICE BREAD

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice to boiling water and cover. Cook over very low heat until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Stir yeast into 1/3 cup warm water and let stand 5 minutes. Stir together milk, butter, honey, salt and oats. Add cooled wild rice to milk mixture.
• Stir together rye flour, whole-wheat flour, bran and 3 1/2 cups of the unbleached flour, using a wooden spoon. Stir in milk and yeast mixture until soft dough forms. Add more of the unbleached flour as needed.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead until soft and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl and turn so that the top is greased. Let rise 2 hours. Punch dough and shape into two loaves. Place in 2 greased 9 1/2 by 5 1/2-inch pans. Let rise again, about 1 hour. Bake for 45 minutes. During last 15 minutes of baking, brush loaves with 1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water and sprinkle with sunflower seeds.