50% whole grain seeded loaf
Ingredients
200g bread flour
200g whole wheat flour
1/3 cup mixed seeds
8-10g salt
15g olive oil
9-12g honey
320g water
100g active starter
Process
Into a bowl or food bucket placed on a digital scale, add 200 grams each of bread flour and whole wheat flour. Add 1/3 C. mixed seeds. I use sunflower kernels, chia, flax seed, flax meal, poppy, black and white sesame seeds, fennel, caraway, and anise. Calculate 2% to 2.5%, depending how much salt you like in your bread. Add the salt. I usually add 10g (2.5%). Add just about a tablespoon or 15g olive oil. If you want increased browning, add a bit of honey or agave nectar. I recommend 80% hydration for this dough, but if you go lower, try not to go below 75%. The seeds especially will soak up hydration, but whole wheat flour is also quite “thirsty.” Add your starter, about 25%. I end up using 100g.
Mix everything together with your wetted hands, a bowl scraper or the handle end of a wooden spoon, just until all flour and seeds are incorporated.
Every half hour to hour, stretch and fold the dough. It’s fine to space these S&Fs out to once an hour because seeds can cut the gluten strands, so your dough really needs to recover each time. Be gentle with this dough.
After about 3 1/2 – 4 hours, you’ll feel the difference. The dough will be supple, even with the seeds. After the last S&F, wait at least a half hour before shaping your loaf. Shape it well, creating tension to the top of the loaf.
After shaping your loaf and placing it in a dough basket (banneton), let it stay at room temperature, covered or encased in a plastic bag for an hour. I do recommend a fabric-lined banneton, sprinkled with rice flour or brown rice flour, especially at 80% or higher hydration. After an hour at room temperature, refrigerate it overnight or 8-12+ hours.
Preheat a covered clay baking vessel or Dutch oven at 500F for about an hour.
Tip your loaf over onto parchment, score as you like, then transfer into your baking vessel. Bake covered for 15 minutes at 500. Reduce the heat to 450F. Bake covered another 15 minutes. Remove the cover, and continue baking for about 10 minutes until your loaf acquires your desired crust color. Despite the small bit of olive oil added, its not enough enrichment to be completely cooked through at 190F internal temp. You need it to reach 210F in the center.
If after it acquires your desirable crust color it hasn’t reached the optimal internal temperature, cover the vessel and continue baking, checking every 5 minutes whether it has reached optimal inside temperature.
Let your loaf cool to room temperature or at least 3 hours before slicing with a sharp, long serrated bread knife.
I like to freeze my loaf for extended storage. To make it easier to separate frozen bread slices, I like to place a square of parchment between the slices.
It certainly need not be frozen for 1 or 2 days. After the 2nd day, it is best to freeze it to maintain the freshness. Frozen slices thaw in about 15-20 minutes, covered with plastic so they don’t dry out. Frozen slices toast well, right from the frozen state.