Multigrain Crusty Bread

I can't tell you enough how much I love bread. I love the way it feels and I love the way it smells. I love how it changes shape, and texture throughout the whole process. I could spend my life baking bread and it would not be a life wasted. It's those early mornings in a bakery that deter me from making it my career.

I have been making bread regularly for the past 6 months or so? I can't even remember how long it's been now but what I can tell you is I have no idea at all when the last time is that I bought bread from a store. I did however buy bread and buns from the farmers market over the summer. Other then that though, I've been baking up my own bread! Mostly I make whole wheat as it's delicious, quick and easy but it does get boring always doing the same thing.

I have a book of Fast Breads and in it there is a section of refrigerator breads. The first time I made a dough from that book it went horribly wrong and it made me apprehensive to go back to the book. This book also explains how to make the bread using a mixer which I do not have thus makes me question what it is I am doing. However, I thought about what happened and I realized I just can't trust the book I have to trust my instincts. With this new confidence I tried again with two successes. Well three now.

This loaf of bread turned out wonderfully. The center is soft but full of flavour with the different seeds and flours in it. The crust is tough but not sharp or crunchy. The shape of the loaf is not my best work, but I think that will come with practice. I also really need to invest in an oven thermometer to find out my true oven temperature. Overall, I am so pleased and I can't wait until I can make more bread, and I think it's about time I get fancy and try some more complicated ones.

Multigrain Crusty Bread

from Fast Breads by Elinor Klivans

(the original recipe makes 2 loaves I only made one so I cut all the ingredients in half)

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1/2 cups bread flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds

1 tbsp steel-cup oats

1 tbsp cornmeal

1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1/2 tbsp wheat bran

1/2 tbsp oat bran

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp of yeast

1 1/8 cup warm water

(water should be warm but not scalding or it will kill the yeast.)

1. In a small bowl pour in the water  and sprinkle the yeast. set aside.
2. toasted your sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds in the oven. Do this by pour the seeds on a pan and putting them in a 350 degree oven for 10 mins or until you can smell them and they have goldened. remove from oven and allow to cool.
3. While toasting the seeds you can combine all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl and light stir or whisk so they are evenly mixed.
4. Check on your yeast. The water should be cloudy, and the yeast dissolved. Sometimes I give it a little stir to help it fully dissolve.
5. Pour the seeds into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and lightly stir.
6. Make a hole in the center of your dry ingredients and pour in your water/yeast.
7. Using a wooden spoon fold in the wet and dry ingredients into each other thus forming a shaggy dough. set this aside for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb some of the excess liquid.
8. Once it has rested dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for 10 minutes. The dough is going to be soft and a little sticky. Add enough flour to it to stop from sticking to the counter as you kneed.
9. Now that you are done kneeding place the dough lightly floured bowl, and sprinkle a little flour over the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight, or up to 2 days.

"Rise and shine sleepy head" your dough awaits.



10. Remove the bowl containing your dough from the fridge. The dough will have puffed up but it is unlikely to double.
11. Removed the dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. At this point you can either make a long loaf, or a boule. (I made a boule for something different) 
12. To form the boule pat the dough down into an 8inch circle. Then bring the edge of the top and bottom of the circle to the center. Then the left and right edges of the circle together. Press all the edges together.  Repeat of the remaining edges and Press all the edges together. Place the boule in a bowl lined with a clean kitchen towel that has been floured. with the seams up and cover the dough. Let rise for 45 minutes. Once again the dough will look puffy but will not double.
13. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees while you are waiting for the dough to rise. Get a metal pie plate.
14. Tip the risen dough onto a pan. the seams should now be down.  Prepare the topping (1/2 tbsp of each: sunflower seeds, steel-cut oats, cornmeal, toasted sesame seeds, oat bran) brush the dough lightly with water and sprinkle of the topping. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
15. Put the metal pie pan (I used my cast iron skillet) in the oven on a lower rack 5 minutes before the bread is ready to go in.
16. Place the bread in the oven. Pour 2 tbsp of water into the metal pie pan, this will generate steam to make the crust crispy. Bake the bread for 25 minutes. the dough will rise about 2 inches during the baking process.
17. Removed from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

and voila you did it. and I did it. we all did it. and we are all living in a world with beautiful multigrain, crusty, artisan bread that was easy and delightful and yummy for morning breakfast sandwiches.