10 Recipes Every Cook Should Know: Multigrain Bread

Multigrain bread is more beneficial than white bread because whole grains are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and provide you with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Baking with whole wheat flour and whole grains can seem intimidating at first, but try our simple recipe to get the perfect loaves every time!

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

Grain Soaker

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons water, 80°F
1 cup mixed grains

Final Dough

1 1/2 cups water, 80°F
1 tablespoon honey
3 1/4 cups bread flour
2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Sesame seeds, as needed for garnish

Directions

Make the grain soaker by mixing the ingredients together. Cover and allow it to soak at room temperature overnight.
To make the dough, put the water and honey in the bowl of a mixer. Combine the flours with the yeast, add them to the bowl, then add the salt. Place the bowl on a mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix on medium speed for 8 minutes, making sure to scrape down and flip the dough over twice during the mixing process. Add the soaker in two additions, mixing on low speed for 1 minute and on medium for an additional minute. At this point, the dough will have some gluten development and feel slightly tacky. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl large enough for the dough to double in size and cover with plastic wrap.
Allow the dough to rest and ferment in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until when lightly touched the dough springs back halfway.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Fold it into thirds, then place it back into the bowl, re-cover it, and allow it to rest for another 15 minutes, until when lightly touched the dough springs back halfway.
In the meantime, prepare the bowls or trays for fermentation. If making rounds, you will need plastic bowls lined with a heavy-duty paper towel, white cloth napkin or white kitchen towel. The lined bowls should also be floured (unless seeds are being applied to the loaves). If making oblong loaves, line a standard baking tray with a white cloth napkin or white kitchen towel and flour the cloth (unless seeds are being applied to the loaves).
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide it into two 24-oz pieces.

FOR OBLONG LOAVES, shape each dough piece into a round. Place the rounds seam-side up on the work surface, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and allow them to rest for 10 minutes. Then shape each dough into a 10-inch oblong.

Place the dough in a warm place and allow it to rest and ferment for 45–60 minutes, until when lightly touched the dough springs back halfway.
Twenty minutes before the end of the final fermentation, preheat the oven to 475°F with a baking stone. Ten minutes before baking the loaves, place a tray filled with 3 cups of warm water below the baking area in the oven to help produce steam.
Place the loaves seam-side down on a peel with parchment paper or baking tray and spray the tops and sides of the loaves with water. Let the loaves sit for 5 minutes before scoring. Using a sharp razor held at a 45-degree angle to the dough, score the top of each loaf with 1 lengthwise cut about ¼–½ inch deep. After scoring, spray the loaves with water again. This will help with the steam in the oven and also allow the loaf to expand evenly.
Transfer the loaves to the baking stone and immediately reduce the temperature to 450°F. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the water tray and parchment paper. Reduce the heat to 425°F and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more. This will allow the loaves to finish baking and form a crust. If the crust isn’t thick enough at the end of the baking time, turn the oven off and leave the bread in the oven with the door cracked open until the crust is dark in color and firm.
Remove the bread from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

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