Easy Artisan Multigrain Loaf

This tasty loaf has been our go-to for homemade bread.

Related Post: Report Card (3 April 2011)
A Chris and Amber collaboration, based upon Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
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Ingredients

• 1.5 tablespoon yeast
• 3-4 cups warm water
• 3 1/4 cups wheat flour
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup wheat berries
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 1/4 cup Bulgar wheat
• 2 tablespoons salt

Directions

If using active dry yeast, stir into the warm water and allow to bloom (5-10 minutes).  In a large mixing bowl, add flours, wheat berries, flax seed, bulgur wheat, and salt (if using instant yeast, also add); stir to combine.  Add the yeast mixture (or just water if using instant yeast) to the flour mixture; stir with a wooden spoon to combine.  There should be no dry/floury spots, but you don’t want to develop gluten, so don’t over stir or kneed.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap or lid and let rise at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or until doubled.  (For reference, the loaf I made rose for 4.5 hours because I was busy – you can’t mess this bread up.)

After initial rising, tightly cover dough and place in refrigerator until ready to bake (or skip and go onto next step to bake immediately).  Dough can stay in the refrigerator for up to two weeks before baking.

When ready to bake, tear off a grapefruit or larger piece of dough and gently fold edges under itself to to form a boule.  Place boule on a well-greased baking pan, dust top with flour, and cover loosely with a towel.  Let rest for at least 45 minutes.  After rest period, preheat oven to 450F.  Slash the top of the loaf with a sharp knife, to help the bread get maximum “oven spring” in the first few minutes of baking. Place bread/baking pan on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and a second baking pan full of water on the lower shelf.  Bake for 15 minutes before removing the pan of water.  Bake bread for another 15-30 minutes, depending upon the size of your loaf.  A finished loaf will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

This recipe makes two medium-sized boules – more than enough bread for a week at our house.