December 3, 2011 - 6:01pm
Looking for a heavy, hearty multigrain recipe
So when I go backpacking I'll often bring a really dense multigrain loaf because I find it tends to stay moist longer, but I've always bought it in the past. I'd love to be able to make my own or experiment with it. I've mostly been baked french loaves (batards, pain rustique, etc..) and haven't delved into whole grains too much. My refernence point for any of you that might be local is Niedelov's Bakery in Chatanooga TN--their Multigrain has been my staple.
Any suggestions would be great!
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multigrain w/ a very nice grain bill, and adding some pate fermentee helps keep it fresh longer. If interested, I can post the recipe (the actual recipe is already on my blog, but not w/ the added PF).
Initial recipe is altered-scroll down for my notes:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20163/great-whole-grain-cereal-loaf
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http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/21367/multigrain-bread-ala-america039s-test-kitchen
Great loaf-not a pumpernickel-type whole grain since the grains are rolled. If you want a whole grain berries, look in the left "Favorite Recipes" column on this page and on the bottom is "Struan Bread". I haven't made it but many rave about its whole grain goodness. Make sure you read some posts about it as I believe there are some tips to make sure it is not tooth breaking in its wholeness!
Great suggestions all, thanks for the help. GermanFoodie, I'd love to see your recipe, can you post a link?
Clazar, I don't really, or haven't really done much work with sourdough, think there's a way to make yours without active starter?to the multi-grain recipe on my blog, The German Foodie.
http://wp.me/p1WLi3-3a
It originally came from "The Cheese Board Collective Works" with some minor modifications by me. The latest one, not mentioned in the link, was that I added 80 g of pate fermentee to each loaf, so 160 g total. This bread has a tendency to dry out fast otherwise, and the PF kept it moist longer. I would imagine you can swap out part of the bread flour for, say, whole wheat, but in that case I'd add some extra gluten - I'm assuming w/ all the grains in it, things would get too crumbly.
If you are a sourdough baker and love multi-grain breads, you must try Hamelman's "5-grain Levain." It's a delicious bread and has terrific shelf life.
My other thought for good keeping would be a high-percentage sourdough rye. Hamelman's a good source for these, although there are numerous examples of other formulas posted by TFL members, notably Mini Oven, ananda, hansjoakim and hanseata (screen names).
David
I also bake a 7-grain version by adding both pumpkin seeds and polenta (coarse corn meal) to the soaker with a proportionate increase in the soaker water. It is one of our household favorites.
OldWoodenSpoon
I am not familiar with the bread you referenced.
But, this is a bread that is very dense and full of wonderful grains and sunflower seeds. I have tweaked it many times and I will share my findings if you are interested. Millet is what makes this whole wheat darling a contender in the keeping category. In the post there are two recipes, look for the one with the millet.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/25603/whole-wheat-raisins-jacques-pepin
Happy Holidays
Suzy
Thanks for even more suggestions? Has anyone tried a multigrain loaf that has included quinoa?
I first learned to use quinoa from Reinhart's"Whole Grain Breads" (WGB) book. Borrowed the book from the library, (something you might like to do too) so cannot quote from it. When using quinoa, I rinse, then cook the quinoa and add it to the 'soaker'. Figuring out how much this contributes to the hydration worried me at first but these days I go by the feel of the dough so don't get too anxious about such things any more. If you are going to be making whole grain breads you will be wanting to learn about soakers, WGB is a good place to start. His 'Struan' formula is very adaptable to various grains/seeds and he provides a range of suggestions/usage levels etc.
Actually my favourite multigrain is the Hamelman 5 grain levain too, but I think the knowledge I gained from WGB held me in good stead once I had Hamelman's book.
I would also encourage you to try sourdough, the bread has much better keeping qualities than those made with commercial yeast. For getting a sourdough starter going Debra Winks threads here on TFL PJ Solution 1 and PJ Solution 2 will help much more than Reinhart's complicated explanation.
Note too Hamelman's story of his late 70's Long Trail hike when he sent parcels to the post offices along the trail, including in each naturally leavened 90% rye bread made with 3 stage builds, wrapped in foil. The last box was 5 weeks old by the time he collected it, the loaves were still moist and delicious and mould free. Perhaps your library will have his book "Bread" too.....
for the wonderful advice!