There are so many different types of bread. Soft bread, chewy bread, fancy bread and basic bread, but there is one thing common to all of them… they are delicious.
Today, we are baking up a hearty multigrain bread that is super simple to bring together and requires just a little extra time instead of any fancy kneading skills.
This loaf has a great crust and a chewy interior filled with grains and seeds. It is a protein rich bread made with simple, healthy ingredients that you are going to love.
Let’s get started…
If you have made any of my other bread recipes, it will be no surprise to you that I am about to suggest you weigh your ingredients. It is the easiest way to insure that you have success.
Begin by placing 200 grams of a good multigrain mix into a large bowl. You can use any mix that you love. Today, I am using a fruit free muesli mix, but any whole grain mix will work.
Pour 2 cups of hot water over the grains and set them aside to hydrate for about an hour.
Once the grains have been hydrated, add 500 grams of bread flour (or about 4 1/4 cups, spooned and leveled), 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of instant yeast and 1 tablespoon of honey. Mix until all of the flour has been incorporated.
The dough may feel like it is going to be too dry at first, but when you use your hands to start working the dough a little in the bowl (some light hand mixing/kneading), you should have an elastic, tacky feeling dough once all of the ingredients have been completely incorporated.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for about 12 hours. This is what the dough should look like after 12 hours.
After the first rest, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a round loaf. The dough will be soft and a little sticky, but we are just looking for a loosely round shape for now. Transfer the loaf into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for another 90 minutes.
Thirty minutes before the second rest is finished, place a wide dutch oven, braising pan or bread baking crock onto the center rack of your oven and begin preheating to 450 degrees.
Once your doughs second rest is done and the oven and baking vessel is fully preheated, carefully transfer the baking vessel out of the oven and place it onto a heat proof surface.
This baking vessel will be super hot, so be careful when you remove the lid. Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of the vessel and then gently slide the dough from the greased bowl into the preheated vessel.
Use a sharp knife or bread lame to create a shallow line or two into the top surface of the loaf. Place the lid back onto the vessel, return it to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes covered in a 450 degree oven, remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown.
If you are unsure that your loaf is fully cooked, it should sound hollow if you knock on the bottom of the loaf or you could use a kitchen thermometer to check that the interior temperature of the loaf has reached 205 degrees.
Once your loaf is fully baked, transfer it onto a cooling rack and let it cool fully before slicing.
The cooling time on this loaf is pretty important. The main reason for allowing bread to cool is that you are giving the super hot loaf time to redistribute the moisture slowly and naturally. If you have ever sliced into a hot loaf only to find it oddly gummy inside, it may seem like it is underbaked, but it may be that you cut into trapped moisture too early.
Moral of the story… let it cool. It’s worth the time. I promise.
The texture of this bread is absolutely fantastic. The crust is chewy, the interior of the loaf is tender and all of those grains and seeds create little bursts of texture that you will love.
The flavor of this bread is wonderful too. Hearty, earthy and satisfying. I love lightly toasting a thin slice and smothering with butter to enjoy with my scrambled eggs at breakfast.
If you are looking for a wonderful multigrain loaf that is easy to make and stays tender for days then you have to give this loaf a try…
Multigrain Bread
Ingredients
- 500 grams of bread flour (about 4 1/4 cups)
- 200 grams of a multi wholegrain mix
- 2 cups of water, hot
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon of honey
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups of hot water with 200 grams of multigrain mix in a large bowl and set aside to soak for 60 minutes
- Add 500 grams of bread flour along with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of instant yeast and 1 tablespoon of honey and mix until all of the flour has been incorporated
- Knead for a few minutes until the dough feels elastic and slightly tacky
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 12 hours
- About 90 minutes before baking, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently form it into a 10” round
- Transfer the shaped dough into a large lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic and rest in a warm place for 90 minutes (this dough will not rise much during the second proof)
- 30 minutes before baking, place a Dutch oven or covered bread baking crock onto the center rack of your oven and preheat to 450 degrees
- After 30 minutes of preheating, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven, place it onto a heat proof surface and set the lid aside
- Carefully add a sheet of parchment paper into the base of the dutch oven and transfer the shaped dough over it (see further instructions above), use a sharp knife or bread lame to add several shallow slashes to the top of the loaf, add the lid and place back into the 450 degree oven
- Bake for 30 minutes covered and then remove the cover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown with an internal temperature of 205 degrees
- Transfer the loaf onto a cooling rack to cool before slicing
- Store leftovers at room temperature in a bread bag or wrapped tightly with foil
