Sourdough Multigrain Bread from "Advanced Bread and Pastry"
Multigrain sourdoughs have a delightful complexity of flavor, wonderful texture and phenomenal keeping quality because of the moisture retained in the soaker, as well as the effect of the levain. They are delicious fresh-baked, but their flavor only fully develops after a day or two when the distinctive flavors of the grains and seeds have had a chance to meld.
I had made Jeffrey Hamelman's 5-grain Levain from “Bread” [1]a number of times. Hamelman describes the flavor as “delectable,” which is not an over-statement. So, although my original intent was to make the Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread from Michel Suas' “Advanced Bread and Pastry” this weekend, when I saw his formula for “Sourdough Multigrain Bread” a few pages later, I couldn't resist it.
Levain |
|
|
Ingredient |
Amount (Lbs & Oz) |
Bakers' % |
Bread flour |
2 5/8 |
95 |
Medium rye flour |
1/8 |
5 |
Water |
1 3/8 |
50 |
Starter (stiff) |
2 1/8 |
80 |
Total |
6 1/4 |
230 |
-
Mix all ingredients well with a DDT of 70ºF. (Tip: First mix the water and starter completely. I find a dough whisk is great for this. Then add the flours and mix thoroughly.)
-
Ferment 12 hours at room temperature.
Soaker |
|
|
Ingredient |
Amount (Lbs & Oz) |
Bakers' % |
Flax seeds |
1 1/2 |
39.13 |
Sunflower seeds |
1 1/2 |
39.13 |
Rolled oats |
1 1/2 |
39.13 |
Sesame seeds |
1 1/2 |
39.13 |
Water |
3 7/8 |
100 |
Total |
9 7/8 |
256.52 |
-
Toast the Sunflower and Sesame seeds for 4-6 minutes at 350ºF to bring out their flavor.
-
Suas says to soak the seeds and oats for at least two hours. I soaked them overnight.
Final Dough |
|
|
Ingredient |
Amount (Lbs & Oz) |
Bakers' % |
Bread flour |
10 1/8 |
65 |
Whole wheat flour |
3 7/8 |
25 |
Medium rye flour |
1 1/2 |
10 |
Water |
11 3/8 |
72.8 |
Yeast (instant) |
1/8 |
0.16 |
Salt |
3/8 |
2.53 |
Soaker |
9 7/8 |
59 |
Levain |
6 1/4 |
40 |
Total |
2 lb |
274.49 |
Method
-
Make the levain the night before baking and ferment it overnight, as above.
-
Mix the flours, water, yeast and salt.
-
Add the levain and mix thoroughly.
-
Mix to medium gluten development, then add the soaker and mix only until incorporated. DDT is 75-78ºF (24-25ºC).
-
Ferment for 2 hours.
-
Divide into two equal pieces and pre-shape into loose balls.
-
Rest the pieces, covered, for 20-30 minutes.
-
Shape as bâtards. (Gently pat each ball of dough into a disc. Fold the right and left sides to meet in the middle. Then, roll the pieces up, away from you. Make sure the seam is sealed as you roll the loaves into bâtards and place in well-floured bannetons or on a floured couche.)
-
Cover tightly and proof f
or 60-90 minutes at 80ºF.
One hour before baking, pre-heat the oven to 500ºF with a baking stone and your preferred steaming method in place.
When the loaves are expanded by 75%, transfer them to a peel and to the baking stone.
Immediately steam the oven and turn the temperature down to 460ºF.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature is at least 205ºF and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped.
When the loaves are fully baked, turn off the oven, but leave the loaves on the stone with the oven door ajar for 5-10 minutes to dry the crust.
Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack, and cool thoroughly before slicing.
This bread has a crunchy crust and chewy crumb. There is a distinct but mild sourdough tang, and the flavor of the oats and seeds is very present. Compared to Hamelman's 5-grain Levain, Suas' bread has a higher proportion of seeds, and I toasted the sesame and sunflower seeds darker than I had for Hamelman's bread. Suas also uses a firm starter while Hamelman uses a liquid starter, which accounts for the relative sourness of Suas' bread.
While the comparisons are interesting, I can't say either is “better.” Both are outstanding breads and highly recommended.
David
Submitted to YeastSpotting [2]