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 Submitted by dmsnyder on December 21, 2007 - 4:22pm Hamelman's Multi-grain LevainOn Fleur-de-Liz's strong recommendation, I made Hamelman's Mult-grain Levain yesterday - a double recipe, in fact. Not incidentally, this was the first bread I've mixed and kneaded using my new Bosch mixer. (See my previous blog entry for details.) I had a slice ... well, two slices actually ... for bedtime snack last night and some more, toasted, this morning.
This was a very heavy dough because of the high proportion of seeds and grains in the soaker. The calculated hydration was 98%. Once kneaded, it acted like a "normal" dough of 68% or so to me. It was still on the sticky side of tacky when I formed the boules.
The bread baked up with a nice looking crust, but, presumably because of the high water content, it softened during cooling. Toasting crisped it up nicely, though. The crumb was moderately open, and it was nice and chewy. The taste was very nice. It has 2/3 bread flour and 1/3 whole wheat, not counting the bulgar I substituted for 1/2 of the cracked rye called for in the recipe. It had a pronounced whole wheat flavor with an overlay of flavors from the sunflower and flax seeds. The rolled oats, which were in the soaker, contributed to the aroma more than to the taste.
This is a very good bread, but I can't say it is going to be a personal favorite. Of course, the competition for places on my favorites list gets stiffer every week it seems.
 Hamelman's Multi-grain Levain
 Hamelman's Multi-grain Levain crumb David
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Picture Perfect
Absolutely beautiful! Picture perfect!
~TableBread
http://tablebread.blogspot.com
De Gustibus
David:
You did a wonderful job on Hamelman's Multigrain loaves. The crumb looks just perfect!
I am sorry that this formula didn't just knock you out as it did me. I think it's a wonderful recipe that I have come back to quite often. Obviously, it's not your staple bread -- but for those who enjoy whole grain breads with tons of seeds (the kind of bread that sticks in your teeth!), this is really superb. It also has excellent keeping qualities. Surprisingly, people who are not whole grain bread fans have enjoyed it. It is also a very nutritious loaf.
How do you think it compares to Hamelman's Seeded Sourdough?
You did a great job! You might find that the flavors develop more over time.
Liz
There's no accounting for it.
Day old bread
Kept it simple
David:
I've eaten Hamelman's Five Grain Levain just toasted and enjoyed it. I love it with really good butter spread thinly. It is also divine with a nutty flavored cheese, like Emmenthaler, melted on it for lunch. I usually don't adorn my breads with anything more than butter or cheese.
But, as has been said, it is all about personal taste, and this one doesn't seem to grab you.
Liz
Overnight retardation
David:
One further thought on this bread -- I retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator after shaping to bring out a more flavor. Am wondering if you did this or did you proof and bake?
Overnight retardation
Hi, Liz.
I did not cold retard the loaves. I needed to have them baked the same day.
I have repleanished my seed supply and may make the multigrain sd again this week, if there is room in the fridge to retard it.
David
beautiful loaf...
David,
That is a thing of beauty. I've been interested in exploring whole grain loaves more, and this is one to try, now that I see what you've done here. Thanks for posting it. There are so many books and recipes, so it's hard to tell what to try. I love Hamelman's book, but I was more focused on some of the technique discussions in the book and on his miche recipes. This is another facet of his repertoire in the book that I had missed until now.
Bill
Thanks