Multigrain Seed Bread

Sarah’s parents recently got us a subscription to Eating Well magazine, and they recently had an article on no-knead breads. While we all enjoyed the no-knead bread Sarah made, we’ve been getting more into whole grains lately. Enter Eating Well’s Seeded Multigrain Boule:

The recipe contains, as the editors put it, “everything but the kitchen sink,” including pepitas, flaxseed, oats and ground brown rice. The bread is unbelievably good, though, and this is the second huge loaf we’ve made. It’s paired well with homemade sausages and soup, but also makes great toast and grilled cheese. Our plan for tonight is tuna melts.

While I love fresh bread, I’m not a fan of kneading, even with the stand mixer. All you do is mix up the ingredients and let them sit.

Seeded Multigrain Boule
(from Eating Well)

Makes 1 very large loaf, 16 slices

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 24 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

1/2 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice, preferably brown basmati
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, plus 3 tablespoons, divided
2 cups unbleached bread flour (see Note), plus more as needed
1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
4 tablespoons roasted pepitas or sunflower seeds, divided
3 tablespoons flaxseeds, preferably golden, divided
3 tablespoons poppy seeds, divided
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, divided
2 1/4 teaspoons table salt
1 1/4 teaspoons instant, quick-rising or bread-machine yeast
2 1/2 cups ice water (see Tip), plus more as needed
3 tablespoons clover honey or other mild honey
2 tablespoons liquid egg substitute or 1 beaten egg white, for glazing

1. Mix dough: Grind rice in a blender or coffee mill (a food processor won’t work) until mostly powdery but with some fine bits remaining. Transfer to a 6-quart (or larger) bowl. Thoroughly stir in 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, 2 cups bread flour, oats, wheat germ, 2 tablespoons each pepitas (or sunflower seeds), flaxseeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds, the salt and yeast. Thoroughly whisk 2 1/2 cups ice water and honey in a medium bowl. Vigorously stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides and mixing just until the dough is thoroughly blended. The dough should be moist and somewhat sticky, but fairly stiff. (The seeds will absorb moisture, stiffening the dough as it stands.) If the mixture is too dry, stir in just enough additional ice water to facilitate mixing, but don’t overmoisten. If the dough is too wet, stir in just enough bread flour to stiffen slightly. Lightly coat the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
2. First rise: Let the dough rise at room temperature (about 70°F) for 12 to 18 hours; if convenient, stir once partway through the rise. For convenience (and improved flavor), you may refrigerate the dough for 3 to 12 hours before starting the first rise.
3. Second rise: Generously coat a 4– to 6-quart Dutch oven (or similar ovenproof pot) with oil. Coat the bottom and sides with 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour. Vigorously stir the dough to deflate it. If it is soft, stir in just enough flour to yield a firm but moist dough (it should be fairly hard to stir). Transfer the dough to the pot.
4. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour over the dough; pat and smooth it in. Firmly tuck the sides underneath all the way around to form a round ball of dough; dust with more flour as needed. Brush the loaf with egg substitute (or egg white) and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons pepitas (or sunflower seeds) and 1 tablespoon each flaxseeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds over the top (it will be heavily coated). Using well-oiled kitchen shears or a serrated knife, cut two 1/2-inch-deep concentric circles in the top of the loaf, one about 2 1/2 inches out from the center, the other 3 1/2 inches out. Put the lid on the pot or tightly cover with foil.
5. Let rise at warm room temperature until the dough is double the deflated size, 1 1/4 to 2 1/4 hours. (For an accelerated rise, see Tip.)
6. 20 minutes before baking: Position a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 475°F.
7. Bake, cool, slice: Reduce oven temperature to 450°. Lightly spritz or sprinkle the loaf with water. Bake, covered, on the lower rack until the top is lightly browned, 50 to 60 minutes. Uncover and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until an instant-read thermometer registers 204–206°), 15 to 25 minutes longer. Cool in the pot on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the loaf out on the rack and let cool to at least warm before slicing

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Time is almost always a friend to bread dough–the flavor improves–and, with the low indoor winter temperatures, you don’t have to worry about letting this sit too long. The maximum stated first rise stated above is 12 hours, but I did close to 20 each time. 

I’m looking forward to making some of the other no knead breads in the issue as well.