Pumpkin Seed Multigrain Bread
Makes:
two 9 × 5-inch (2 L) pullman loaves
Serves:
12 to 16
Prep Time:
30 minutes, plus rising
Cook Time:
1 hour, plus cooling
Category:
Recipe from Set for the Holidays
Appetite for Random House, 2018
NOTES: Freshly baked bread is tops, of course, but you can store this bread, well wrapped, on the counter (do not refrigerate) for a few days. It even makes great toast for a few days after that. Or freeze it, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before slicing to serve.
The bread you use for the soaker will influence the flavour of the baked bread. A dark rye will add deep flavour (and colour), while a fluffier Italian loaf will result in a lighter, milder-tasting loaf. Pumpernickel adds a nice hint of sweetness.
Ingredients
Starter:
- 2½ cups (300 g) dark or medium rye flour, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1¼ cups (310 mL) lukewarm water
- 1 tsp instant dry yeast
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp honey
Soaker:
- 3 cups (140 g) torn-up pieces of day-old bread, including crusts (white, whole wheat or rye bread)
- Boiling water, to cover
Dough:
- 4 cups (600 g) bread flour
- 2½ cups (375 g) whole wheat flour
- 1 pkg (2¼ tsp/8 g) instant dry yeast
- ½ cup (125 mL) coffee or strongly brewed tea, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp (32 g) fancy molasses
- 1 Tbsp (15 g) fine sea salt
- 1 cup (170 g) cooked wheat, spelt or rye kernels (“berries”)
- 2 cups (240 g) roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup (40 g) flax seeds
- 1 egg whisked with 2 Tbsp (30 mL) water, for egg wash
Sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds, for sprinkling
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
For the starter, place the rye flour, water, yeast, pepper and honey in a medium bowl and stir by hand to make a thick paste. Sprinkle a little rye flour on top (this prevents a crust from forming), wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and set on the counter for at least 12 hours but no more than 24 hours.
Step 2
For the soaker, place the torn-up bread pieces in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let sit until cooled to room temperature. Squeeze the excess water from the bread into a bowl. Set aside the bread and reserve 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the soaker liquid for the final dough.
Step 3
For the final dough, place the bread flour, rye flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment and give it a quick stir. Add all of the starter, the reserved soaker liquid, the squeezed-out bread, the coffee (or tea), molasses and salt and mix on low speed for 5 minutes, until evenly combined.
Step 4
Add the cooked grain kernels, and the pumpkin and flax seeds and continue to mix on low speed for another 10 minutes (the dough will be sticky, but this length of time develops the elasticity of the dough). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap without it touching the dough and let the dough rise at room temperature for just 30 minutes (it will only rise a little).
Step 5
Grease two 9 × 5-inch (2 L) loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface, dust the dough with flour and divide it in half. Flatten each piece with your hands and then roll them up into a loaf shape. Place each loaf in a loaf pan and cover with a tea towel. Let rise at room temperature for 1 hour until almost doubled in size.
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds. Use a serrated knife to score a line down the length of the loaf. Bake the loaves for 1 hour, until the tops are a deep brown. Immediately turn them out of their pans to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Serve warm (they will still be quite warm, even after an hour) or at room temperature.
