The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Multi-grain Sourdough

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Multi-grain Sourdough

I get a kick out of trying new types of flours and grains in my bread baking.  I frequently shop on-line at King Arthur Flour and like to try new and different products when I can.  I've read many recipes on The Fresh Loaf using soakers and have tried a few recipes from Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread book with mixed results.  I decided the other day to try my own formula using a multi grain soaker from my baking supply bin and also used some of my existing refreshed sourdough starter mixed with some rye, whole wheat and first clear flours.  The results were surprisingly good considering I had no idea what to expect.  The final bread had a great nutty sour flavor with a nice thick crust and moist crumb.

Ingredients

Soaker

2 oz. Rolled Oats

2 oz. Malted Rye Berries

2 oz. Barley Flakes

1 oz. English Malted Wheat Flakes

1 1/2 Cups Boiling Water

Final Dough

15 oz. White Starter recently refreshed

3.5 oz. Whole Wheat Flour

3.5 oz. Medium Rye Flour

4 oz. First Clear Flour (you can substitute bread flour or High Gluten Flour)

2.5 Tsp. Salt

6 oz. Water, 90 degrees F.

Directions

Mix all ingredients for soaker in a bowl and add boiling water.  Let it sit for 2-3 hours covered until the grains are soft.

After 2-3 hours add the soaked grains along with the remaining liquid in your mixing bowl and add the flours, salt and remaining water and mix for 2 minutes.  The dough should come together in a shaggy mess and should be relatively moist at this point.  Let it rest for 5 minutes and mix for 4 minutes more on medium low-speed.

Remove dough from mixing bowl to work surface and do a stretch and fold.  You may need to wet or oil your hands and the work surface since the dough will still be very sticky at this point. Form the dough into a ball and let it rest uncovered for 10 minutes.  Let the dough rest uncovered for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes do another stretch and fold and cover the dough with a moist lint free towel or plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Do another stretch and fold two more times letting the dough rest 10 minutes each time.  After the last stretch and fold put the dough into an oiled bowl and cover it tightly.

Let the dough sit in your bowl for 2 hours at room temperature.  It should only rise slightly at this point.  After the 2 hours are up put in your refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days.

When ready to bake the bread take your bowl out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for around 2 hours.  After 2 hours shape the dough as desired being careful not to handle the dough too roughly so you don't de-gas it.

Place it in your bowl, banneton or shape into baguettes.

Let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours covered with oiled plastic wrap or a moist cloth.

Pre-heat oven with baking stone (I use one on bottom and one on top shelf of my oven), to 500 degrees F.

Slash loaves as desired and place empty pan in bottom shelf of oven.

Pour 1 cup of very hot water into pan and place loaves into oven.

Lower oven to 450 Degrees and bake for 25 - 35 minutes until bread is golden brown and internal temperature reaches 200 degrees.

Shut the oven off and leave the bread inside with the door slightly open for 10 minutes.  This will help dry the loaves out and keep the crust crunchy.

Let cool on cooling rack and enjoy!

This post has been submitted to the Yeast Spotting Site here: http://www.wildyeastblog.com/category/yeastspotting

Comments

spsq's picture
spsq

I love hearty breads.  So much taste.....

goodforbusiness's picture
goodforbusiness

Your crumb looks incredible! Well done!

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks...appreciate the comments.

I was very happy with the crumb.

Song Of The Baker's picture
Song Of The Baker

I didn't realize, I had your bread and this posting of yours bookmarked on my laptop long before I joined this site.  Just noticed it was yours isand!  I sooooo want to try this one out soon.  I had my eyes on it for a long long time :) Good job

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks!

I hope you enjoy it.

Let me know how it comes out.

Regards,

Ian

Syd's picture
Syd

That looks like a lovely moist loaf packed with flavour.

Nice baking,

Syd

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Appreciate the kind words.  It was very moist and flavorful.  Thanks Syd.

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

You've outdone yourself this time with the rustic!  Very nice crust and crumb.  With so much starter compared to flour, this has to be sour a great tasting and  textured bread, as well as, one that is better toasted with butter.  We seem to be on a similar path this week :-)  I'm starting to retard my starter to see what happens.  Thanks for the recipe too.

Isand66's picture
Isand66

It came out better than I could have hoped for.  I have made breads with soakers before with mixed results and I figured I would just give it my best shot.  I prefer breads made with a high percentage of starter and this one didn't dissapoint.  I look forward to reading about your next adventure.  I'm trying to make a rye bread with some dark beer and hopefully it will come out well enough to post it. 

Regards,

Ian

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

2 of my favorite things besides bourbon and tequila.

Isand66's picture
Isand66

right about now!  I was trying to make a pizza on my kettle weber with my Kettle Grill attachment (allows you to get your grill up to 700 - 800 F) and I was using my other birthday present, the Super Peel.

Well let's just say one pizza is in the compost heap and the other one didn't fare much better!  :(  I am a glutton for punishment and should have stopped after the first one wouldn't come off of the peel since I didn't have enough room to manuver..

Anyway....I need some drinks now.....

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

with pizza on the grill when the crust gets black before the cheese has a chance to even get soft much less melt.  The only thing I use vodka for is meat, marinades (if I am out of everything else) and limoncello.   It just doesn't have any flavor at all, good or bad, so what's the use?  

Isand66's picture
Isand66

I just got the Kettle Pizza attachment for my birthday present from my wife.  It actually creates heat up to 700-900 degrees and chars the top of the pizza because of the way it is designed.  It really works well.

http://www.kettlepizza.com/KettlePizza-How-It-works-s/1822.htm

I like to drink vodka mixed with some cranberry juice!

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

really cool Ian.  It's like a mini wood fired oven !  Very nice.  Sadly, I burn mine no problem on the gas grill so I use the oven for mine.  It's given me an idea though for my gas regenerating stove I build out of huge hominy can and a 56 oz can of re-fried beans.  It's the best BBQ and smoker I have ever owned and it was free!  I'm pretty sure I could get a small 12" stone for it and turn it into a pizza oven too.  It works on 1/4" twigs and 4 charcoal briquettes.  Amazing heat from that beast  throw some wood chips on top you have a smoker and I can see a Pizza oven too .......

Isand66's picture
Isand66

I love your homemade smoker/grill!  I wish I was as handy as you!  I have a gas weber, a kettle weber and a smoker all store bought.  Let me know if you ever try converting your smoker to a pizza oven.

Regards,

Ian

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

smoked chicken breast for dinner tonight.  Very low environmental impact  :-) Here are some pix's

That's some YW semolina orange turmeric bread next to that chicken !

Isand66's picture
Isand66

I Love smoked chicken or just about anything smoked...and the bread looks. Great too!

Thanks for sharing.