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Happy Go Stuckey

Tethering Grace & Togetherness

On Waiting Well (and a recipe for Multi-Grain Sunflower Bread.)

February 27, 2017 by HappyGoStuckey 20 Comments

As bleary-eyed new parents we went through a long waiting period. It was eighteen months of compulsively checking emails and grabbing the phone on the first tone of the first ring. We were waiting for a job, a direction, a next step. The wait was longer than either of us expected and we ran out of things to do “in the mean time.”

One particular Thursday, I crossed our welcome mat at 5:15 and covered the ten steps to the kitchen to see that Lance had taken up bread making.

In between trail hikes with Baby Lucy on his back and a huge stack of job applications, he had challenged himself to master the yeast and flour to produce something predictable. The air was thick with the scent of time well spent.

 

The simplicity of bread is one that we often miss. Flour, Water, Yeast and Time. Nothing more really, but nothing less. Unfancy ingredients blend together with a comfortable wait and give us fluffy, seedy slices of gluten. Regardless of the flour you select, the wait is what truly matters. If you don’t have the time, you won’t have very good bread.

That particular waiting period ended with a bang and a whirlwind move to the city we call our home, but it definitely wasn’t that last wait of its kind. We’ve waited many times since then with various results. I know we will always wait towards something.

I adore having something to look forward to, almost more than I enjoy the thing itself.
But when the thing is not certain to ever actually arrive, that’s when I struggle. I love waiting towards a block on my planner— but waiting in the unknown can be truly lonely.

And still— I confess that I wish I were better at this thing of waiting. If only I could preach to my soul a little earlier in the process before endless anxious striving becomes my daily to-do list.

Do you struggle with this? We may not wake up in the morning planning to exhaust ourselves from the inside out, but we do it anyway. We know what striving feels like. We recognize the way it leaves us bare and peace-less all in a matter of minutes– minutes in which we try to take control.

No matter the thing we’re waiting on, it’s all the same. It is leaning too much on what I want to know and not leaning enough on that which I already do. It’s forgetting the truth that we aren’t meant to strive our way through the wait. 

Because, friend? We are not meant to endlessly strive through the wait. No matter what we might do with our hands while waiting, it matters that our hearts are practicing rest.

When I forget to remember that these details are not up to me, time standing at my kitchen counter helps. I watch yeast bloom or onions caramelize and the task is good for my waiting process.

I’m not sure about good things coming to those who wait; but I know there is a good God who holds all our waits in His hands. He holds them all.

This bread is a tangible reminder to my heart of this very thing.
And, it makes two large loaves; just in case you have a friend that also needs to be reminded of the good in the waiting. 

 

Print
Friar Stuck's Multigrain Sunflower Bread
Author: Cynthia Stuckey
Prep time:  3 hours
Cook time:  40 mins
Total time:  3 hours 40 mins
Serves: 2 loaves
 
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups water (105°-115°F) (567 grams)
  • 
5 ½ cups King Arthur Bread Flour (788 grams)
  • 
5 tablespoons vegetable oil (70 grams)
  • 5 tablespoons honey or brown sugar (42 grams)
  • ⅔ cup hulled sunflower seeds (90 grams)
  • 1 cup rolled oats (uncooked oatmeal) (114 grams)
  • 5 tablespoons sesame seeds (40 grams)
  • 
5 tablespoons flax seeds (50 grams)
  • 3 teaspoons salt (20 grams)
  • 
6¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (20 grams)
Method
  1. Combine the yeast and the water together for approximately 5 minutes. I often toss in a pinch of sugar; I find it helps the yeast to bloom better.
  2. After about 5 minutes, add the oil, salt, and sugar. Using the dough hook on your stand mixer, mix the ingredients together on a low speed for about a minute.
  3. After about a minute you will begin to add the flour. You will do this in three installments. Add the first installment of flour and give it a minute to begin to incorporate into the liquid mixture. Once it has incorporated well, add the second. Repeat this with the third and final mixture. Increase the speed of the mixer to about medium. At this point the dough should begin to form and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  4. Add the oats, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and flax seeds to the mixture. If you have made any additions to the recipe, such as oat bran, wheat germ, etc., add these now.
  5. Allow the dough to knead for a few more minutes, no more than about five.
  6. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Knead it and shape it into a ball. Deposit the ball in a lightly oiled bowl for approximately 2 hours or until the ball has doubled in size.
  7. After 2 hours, remove the dough from the bowl and punch it down. If you are only making one loaf, shape it to the size of your loaf pan and cover. If you are making a double recipe, divide the ball into equal pieces. Shape each to the size of your loaf pan and cover.
  8. Allow the bread to rise for about 45 to 60 minutes, until it’s crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. During this time, preheat your oven to 350°F.
  9. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 190°F. You can test for doneness by thumping the bottom of the loaf; if it sounds hollow, it is done.
  10. Remove the loaves from the pans and place them on a cooling rack.
3.5.3226

(*You might recall the story of our wait mentioned here, if you’ve read Simmer. This bread is PERFECT with any one of those soups!) 

 

Finding Perspective in a South African Garden.
What I Learned (Winter Edition.)

Comments

  1. Tara says

    March 3, 2017 at 10:41 am

    Love this so much! Your writing is good for my soul!

    Reply
  2. Christin says

    March 3, 2017 at 12:51 pm

    Love this! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Aimee Kollmansberger says

    March 3, 2017 at 1:12 pm

    This was beautiful to me. “Wait” is my word for 2017, and I love that you said, “We are not meant to endlessly strive through the wait. No matter what we might do with our hands while waiting, it matters that our hearts are practicing rest.”

    My heart is practicing rest by practicing Sabbath this year. Leaving all the undone on Saturday and entering in after dinner. It’s made all the difference.

    Reply
  4. Lauren says

    March 3, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    Thank you for this perfectly timed reminder. We are in a season of waiting (thank you, Navy) and I find myself fretting over where we might live, what changes we will face, how the kids will handle an uproot, etc. This is not the way I’m meant to wait. Thank you for speaking truth into me today.

    Reply
  5. Susan Shipe says

    March 3, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    Cynthia, not exactly the same but similar…I love the planning and process of an event or a room makeover more than I like the actual event or new room! I love the process of planning a trip and then the trip itself can be ended with perhaps a tad of disappointment. Like I said, a little similar but not!!! We are gluten free but if we weren’t? We’d be breaking this bread in a heartbeat!!!

    Reply
  6. Tasha says

    July 31, 2019 at 5:16 pm

    Two years later, your story is still touching heart’s. Thanks from a mom temporarily stuck in striving. Thanks for making me cry when I thought would be making bread while I “wait”.

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      November 22, 2019 at 10:26 am

      Tasha, I hate that I am just now seeing your kind words. I am so grateful this post found you in a place where you needed it. So glad to hear from you. –Cynthia

      Reply
  7. Roshni says

    February 15, 2020 at 10:19 pm

    Made this bread today. Thank you for such a delicious recipe!!

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      February 16, 2020 at 11:41 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s definitely one of our most favorite tried and true standards!

      Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      April 10, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      You are so welcome! Glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  8. Lauren Mac says

    April 2, 2020 at 1:02 am

    The recipe says it makes 2 loaves. Do you use the 8×4 inch bread pans, or the larger pans? I did not see that anywhere.

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      April 10, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      Hi Lauren. I use larger pans– it makes two larger loaves.

      Reply
  9. Suzanne says

    April 10, 2020 at 3:33 pm

    This looks so good! Does the bread have a strong taste or is it good with just about anything?

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      April 10, 2020 at 3:35 pm

      I think it’s great with anything– my people love it with honey butter, jam, or nutella. 😉

      Reply
  10. Vanessa says

    April 10, 2020 at 3:33 pm

    Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      April 10, 2020 at 3:34 pm

      Hi Vanessa! It does keep for several days– but I often freeze the second loaf. It will keep up to several months in the freezer if you wrap it well!

      Reply
  11. Pamela Torpy says

    June 6, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    Can I use whole wheat flour to make this bread?

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      June 24, 2020 at 1:30 pm

      Hi Pamela! I think you can* sub some of the flour for whole wheat, but you will definitely get a denser texture.

      Reply
  12. Trixie says

    August 29, 2020 at 11:43 pm

    FWIW: Flaxseed needs to be ground in order for the nutrients to be available.

    Reply

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Hey There!

I'm Cynthia and I'm so glad you're here. I am an introvert with an extrovert's love of gathering people together. I love good books and capturing moments. Whether you visit me here or on my own front porch, I'll be the one holding the Iced Coffee for us both.

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happygostuckey

Throwing it back but not way back: remember last y Throwing it back but not way back: remember last year when we *discovered* the whipped, frothy, goodness of Dalgona Coffee?

I made it again today for the express purpose of seeing if it would still work with less sugar and I rather like my lightened up version!

(Tip: in my opinion, it makes enough for two— especially because I use instant espresso— so it’s pretty strong! Not warm where you are yet?  Tap the little flag to save this post for later.)

✨Whipped Coffee✨ 
2 TBS. instant espresso
2 TBS. cold water
1 TBS. maple syrup or simple syrup
1-2 glasses of ice and milk

Whip/ Beat the espresso, syrup, and water with an electric beater, immersion blender, or hand-held milk frother until frothy and light in color. Scoop over the milk and ice and enjoy!
🪡Do I seamstressed to you?🪡 Really though, 🪡Do I seamstressed to you?🪡 

Really though, after completing my first embroidery project, I feel like it might just be the cheapest, prettiest, stress relief out there. I am officially a believer in relaxing this way. And PS, if I can do it, you can.

Thank you, @thebarmyfox for bringing this lovely art into my life!
Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all the answers, yet.

While you sit in a season of waiting,
the calendar can often be a cruel companion, reminding you that days go by, weeks, months— with what feels like very little change in the right direction.

Perhaps you can easily assent to: 
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but you strain to see just how it will be when: “...a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

Wherever you and I are today— whether we wander, wait, stand firmly planted, or some pressed together combination of all three — we can take heart.

We are not alone.
And this will not be wasted.
What seems to be an unending blank space, an indefinite pause, is a space for new things.

Long before all is made right, and whether or not it all is tied up neatly with a perfectly crafted bow— we can know this:

We do not have to know the outcome to be faithful today.

✨Joy is not disregard for reality as much as it is obstinacy against despair.✨
Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. T Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. There. I said it. These days I’m gravitating to the true & the beautiful as rest for my weary self... and I wonder if you are too.

So much so, that I’m starting a new little offering, it’s called “The Feast: Wonder for the Weary” and the first issue goes out this weekend. It’s a bit more personal (okay this first one is WAY more personal. 🤭) It will be a little bit of everything, all with the goal of offering REST to both the feasters & foragers alike. If you’re already a subscriber— no need to do anything, if not— click through my bio to “keep in touch” and join the feast.✨
We are a people of both lament and praise. We hol We are a people of both lament and praise.

We hold questions without answers— yet we hold them in hands already full of good things.

We hold our daily bread, our daily gifts, and we hold the daily closeness of the God Who Sees.

The God who is no stranger to our lament, and Who Is the reason for our every hope.
He does not grow weary of our asking. Of our need to be told again, He will. 

You friend, are not invisible.
You are seen and cared for by the God who does all things well. (Even when they feel anything but.)
Married love ambition: making the kids roll their Married love ambition: making the kids roll their eyes at our “gushy-ness” as often as possible. 

President & CEO of the Lance Stuckey Fan Club— in every season, but especially on days like today.
Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty k Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty kitchen.😍🌧📚

On this chilly Saturday, we spent entirely too long browsing for books at our library and then all came home to a fire, mochas, and cocoa, respectively. Of all the things we do not know at this very moment, we know the gifts abound, and are worth counting.

PS, if you haven’t spread whipped cream on a foil-lined baking sheet to freeze, and then cut out cute shapes with cookie cutters to top your coffee or hot cocoa, may I suggest you get thee on that at once.
“If God sends us on strong paths, we are provide “If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes.” — Corrie Ten Boom

✨File under, things to save in a fire.✨

The prayer journal pictured here contains six months of the hard & the sweet.
Six months of prayers asked & answered for ourselves and for others.
Six months of seeing through prayer, not how it changed our circumstances necessarily but how it changed us.

I always appreciate a record like this— being able to clearly see the paths we are led down, rocky though they may be? Priceless.

The ways God has come near us & drawn us to Himself again and again are written on these pages and I’ll treasure it forever.

Also pictured: Psalms Illuminated Scripture Journal. Highly recommend. Thank you always, @allifarnell
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it th “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

While scrolling through my photos today, my heart was heavy to realize how far back “before” was.

Before masks and distancing, before loss, before other, more personal bits of hard. Multitudinous change, neither all bad nor all good.

With our free time, we’ve introduced our girls to Tolkien, Bilbo, Frodo, and especially Samwise the Brave. They are officially hooked and we are delighted to watch them discover another world where evil doesn’t win, and the courage of the small matters much. {they close their eyes at the Orcs and we haven’t had a nightmare yet!}🤞🏻😂😬
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