Sourdough Bread with Seeds and Grains

Ingredients

• 100 g grain of choice (rye, spelt or wheat)
• 40 g linseed
• 30 g sesame
• 30 g sunflower seeds
• 600 g water
• 400 g sourdough
• 200 g water
• 200 g rye flour
• 300 g wheat flour
• 20 g sea salt
• 2 tsp bread spice

Method

Soak your grain and seeds the day before. Boil the grain of choice in 500 ml water for 45 minutes until tender but not mushy — you want the grains to retain structure and contribute texture, not collapse into paste. Drain well. Combine the linseed, sesame, and sunflower seeds in a separate bowl with 100 ml cold water and leave both covered overnight (13–16 hours). The seeds and grain will absorb water and soften, becoming easier to distribute through the dough and releasing their oils into the crumb as they bake.

The day you bake, refresh your sourdough starter in the morning so it's at full strength by the time you mix. Drain any excess water from the grain and seed mixture — this prevents the dough becoming wet and slack. Combine the drained mixture, 400 g active sourdough starter, 200 ml water, rye flour, wheat flour, sea salt, and bread spice in a bowl. Mix until all flour is hydrated, then knead for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes on a stand mixer. The dough should be slightly sticky but hold its shape — the grain and seeds will feel loose within it at first, but bread-bulk-fermentation will bind everything as the gluten develops.

Bulk ferment in a warm place (25–30°C) for 5 hours. Work the dough gently every hour with a stretch-and-fold, turning it over itself to build strength without degassing it completely. You're looking for the dough to increase by roughly 50 per cent and feel airy when poked — it should spring back slowly rather than collapse.

Shape into a round, place seam-side up in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a tea towel, and rest for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat a Dutch oven to 250°C for 45 minutes. Score the loaf generously on top — the seeds and grains will resist the blade, but a confident deep cut ensures proper bread-oven-spring. Turn the dough into the Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on to trap steam. Remove the lid, reduce heat to 150°C, and bake for 50–60 minutes until the crust is deep mahogany and the base sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing — the crumb is still setting.