Aromatic Multigrain Bread with Coriander and Fennel #Breakbakers

 

Our BreadBakers theme this month focuses on multigrain breads.  This is a recipe I happened to find in a book I've had for a while, and adapted just slightly.  (Ancient Grains for Modern Meals).  It has the ease of a bucket bread and provides a delicious porridge bread crumb.  The crumb is moist, chewy, and filling, but not dense and heavy.  It uses the traditional bread spices for a whole grain German bread loaf and has great flavor and texture.  I love it toasted, hubby has been nibbling on it just plain, and it is recommended to be enjoyed with cheeses and cold cuts as well.

Aromatic Multigrain Bread with Coriander and Fennel
makes one 2-pound loaf

2 cups (8 oz) whole grain kamut or spelt flour (I used fresh ground sprouted kamut, sifted)
1 cup (4.6 oz) bread flour
1 cup (3¾ oz) whole grain rye flour (I used fresh ground)
~½ cup (2 oz) medium grind millet meal (fresh ground)
¼ cup (1¼ oz) flax seeds
½ tbsp each, coriander, fennel and caraway seeds, lightly crushed
1½ tsp fine sea salt (8-9g)
¼ tsp instant yeast
⅓ cup (~2.2 oz) 9 grain cereal mix (or equivalent 6-10 grain, as available), soaked and drained
2 cups (16 oz) cold water
1 small spoonful sourdough starter, optional*
cornmeal or semolina meal for dusting

*If using additional sourdough starter, less time will be needed for fermenting.

Start the dough the day before you plan to bake.  Soak the cereal grain mix in 1 cup of hot water for 30 minutes.  Drain with a fine sieve.  In a large bowl or dough bucket, whisk together all the dry ingredients.  Add the soaked cereal, sourdough if using, and about 90% of the water.  Mix the dough together.  It should be wet and sticky like a thick oatmeal.  Add the remaining water if needed.  (This dough is fairly forgiving, and I used all the water with my fresh ground flours.)  Cover loosely with a lid or plastic wrap and let ferment at room temperature for about 12 hours.  During this time, fold in the edges of the dough to the center a few times, every hour or so.  (Use wet hands to avoid tearing the gluten.)  A coil fold would work as well.  At this point, the dough can be left overnight, or if the dough is looking quite vigorous, can be fermented in the refrigerator to slow it down and build flavor.

 The next day, generously flour a work surface.  Scrape the dough out onto the counter.  With well floured hands, fold in the sides, left, right, top, and bottom into the center.

 Transfer the dough, seam side up, to a well floured banneton, or seam side down on a lightly floured piece of parchment large enough to pick up the sides around the loaf.  (The banneton helps maintain the shape of a high hydration loaf.)  Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for about an hour.

 After 30 minutes, preheat oven to 475ºF and place a Dutch oven or cast iron lidded pan into the oven to heat up.  After an hour, the dough should be risen, a finger pressed lightly will leave a dimple that stays.  If is springs back, wait another 10 minutes.

Gently turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and score as desired.  With heavy potholders, remove the baking pan from the oven and carefully transfer the loaf, on its paper, into the center of the pot.  Pour a couple tbsp water outside the paper and quickly close the lid.  Return the pot to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 425ºF and carefully remove the lid.  Bake for another 20-25 minutes until the crust is a deep, chestnut brown and the internal temperature is 205ºF.  

Carefully remove the loaf from the pot to a wire rack to cool.  Do not slice until it has finished cooling or the crumb may be gummy.  The loaf may be reheated and sliced after it has cooled.  The crust will be firm right after baking, and soften with air humidity after a day.

Be sure to check out the rest of the multigrain bakes:

• Aromatic Multigrain Bread with Coriander and Fennel from A Messy Kitchen
• Dhapate - Multigrain Flatbread from Sneha’s Recipe
• Easiest Multigrain sourdough Bread from Zesty South Indian kitchen
• Fluffy Multigrain Pancakes from Food Lust People Love
• Multi-Grain Dinner Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Roasted Potato Multigrain Bread from What Smells So Good?
• Spelt, Barley, and White Wheat Rustic Loaf from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.