Artisan Whole Grain Bread

Living in the United States made me explore many types of bread. And some of them were really good. Here I want to talk about the artisan whole grain bread. I usually buy this bread at a local grocery store If I run out of my own (this doesn’t happen often:). And I don’t feel guilty at all. It contains healthy and great ingredients, and it is also very delicious. It is made with sourdough starter and small amount of yeast. And if you mix it all together in the morning, by lunch time you will have hearty and delicious loaf of bread. 

The recipe was adapted from the book “Bread” by Jeffrey Hamelman.

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter 

• 20g sourdough starter
• 100g water
• 90g all purpose flour or bread flour 
• 10g rye flour 

Soaker

• 115 g any grains and seeds you love. I was using whole wheat berries, barley, millet, flex seeds, sunflower seeds.
• 135g hot boiling water
• 3g salt 

Dough

• 165g bread flour (66%)
• 85g stone ground whole wheat flour (34%)
• 95g water (38%)
• All soaker (253g)
• 188g levain
• 5g salt (2%)
• 1g dry yeast( 0.4%)
• Extra seeds to cover the dough

Directions 

Starter

• 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let sit at room temp 74-78F until in about 8-10 hours starter reaches its peak (triples or more in volume).
• Learn how to make starter from scratch here.

Soaker

• 10 pm  pour hot boiling water over the seeds, cover, let them soak overnight.

Dough

• 8 am mix water with yeast, flour, all soaker and sourdough starter, cover, let it rest 30 min for autolyse.
• During the autolyse the flour absorbs the water, becoming fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
• 8:30 am add salt . Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or with KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 minutes until well incorporated and gluten will get stronger, The dough should come up together,
• Let ferment the dough for 1 hour and 30 min at 76F/24C

Preshaping Sourdough 

• 10 am Transfer the dough on to a work surface and dust its top with flour. Flip the dough over so the floured side faces down. 
• Fold the dough onto itself so the flour on the surface remains entirely on the outside of the loaf. This will become the crust. 
• Place the dough round on a work surface and let it rest for 30 minutes uncovered.

Shaping Sourdough 

• 10.30 am Dust the dough with whole wheat flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over on to a work surface so the floured side faces down. 
• Starting at the side closest to you, pull the right 2 corners of the dough to the left, then fold them up into half of the dough. Repeat this action on the left side too.
• Finally, roll the dough. Shape it into a smooth, taut roll.
• Spray it generously with water and roll it in the mixture of seeds, or just regular oats.
• Generously sprinkle proofing couche with whole grain  flour to prevent sticking.
• Now transfer shaped dough onto a proofing couche sealed side up. Clip both sides of couche with clips to help it to hold its shape. 
• Let the dough to proof for 1 hour at 78F/25C(could be little more). It could take little more or less time( depending on the temperature on your kitchen)
• Perform poke test to check the readiness. Give the dough a gentle but assertive poke. If the dough springs back right away, let it rise for a few more minutes. If the dough springs back slowly, like it’s waking up from a long nap, and your poke leaves a small indentation, it’s ready to go.

Baking

• 11-11.30 am Preheat your oven to 500 F, place a challenger pan with the lid inside for 45 minutes – 1 hour.
• Flip the dough over on a parchment paper, score it with a sharp knife or a scoring lame.
• Transfer it on to the hot cast iron pan, cover with lid (to create steam for a beautiful and crusty crumb).
• Bake at 500F for 15 minutes with lid on.
• Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 450F. 
• Bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.
• Enjoy 

Enjoy!

Artisan Whole Grain Bread

1727kcal

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Prep 30 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Rise & Rest Time 12 hours hrs

Total 13 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Adapted from master baker Jeffrey Hamelman, this Artisan Whole Grain Bread is a hearty, deeply complex loaf. By combining a mature sourdough starter with a tiny helper pinch of yeast and a pre-soaked mix of ancient grains and seeds, you can bypass the traditional long overnight fridge stay and have a magnificent, seed-crusted bakery loaf ready in time for lunch.

Servings 1 loaf

Cuisine Global / Whole Grain Artisan

Ingredients

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The Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)

• ▢ 20 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 100 g Water
• ▢ 90 g All-purpose flour or bread flour
• ▢ 10 g Rye flour

The Overnight Nutritious Grain Soaker

• ▢ 115 g Grains and seeds mix (Such as whole wheat berries, barley, millet, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds)
• ▢ 135 g Hot boiling water
• ▢ 3 g Salt

The Fast-Action Main Dough

• ▢ 165 g Bread flour (66%)
• ▢ 85 g Stone-ground whole wheat flour (34%)
• ▢ 95 g Water (38%)
• ▢ approx. 253g All of your prepared overnight grain soaker
• ▢ 188 g Active overnight liquid levain
• ▢ 5 g Salt (2%)
• ▢ 1 g Dry yeast (0.4% – Instant or active dry)
• ▢ Extra seeds or regular rolled oats (Reserved strictly for coating the exterior crust)

Equipment

• ▢
  Large Mixing Bowl
• ▢
  Stand Mixer (Optional, can be easily kneaded by hand)
• ▢
  Proofing Couche or heavy canvas kitchen towel
• ▢
  Baking Vessel (Ideally a Challenger Bread Pan or heavy cast iron Dutch oven)
• ▢
  Sharp Knife or scoring lame
• ▢
  Spray Bottle (For water misting)
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Night Before – Starter Activation & Grain Scalding

1. 10:00 PM: In a clean glass jar, add your 20g of starter culture to 100g of water and whisk together. Add the 90g of white flour and 10g of rye flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it ferment at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until it triples in volume and peaks.
2. In a small heatproof bowl, weigh out 115g of your favorite raw grains and seeds. Pour 135g of hot boiling water and 3g of salt directly over them, cover tightly, and leave to soak on your counter overnight.

Next Morning – Same-Day Autolyse & Bulk Rise

1. 8:00 AM – The Autolyse: In your large mixing bowl, combine 95g of water with 1g of dry yeast, all 188g of your active overnight levain, and your entire container of grain soaker. Dump the 165g of bread flour and 85g of stone-ground whole wheat over the wet mix. Stir until a shaggy mass forms, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes for an automated autolyse.
2. 8:30 AM: Add the remaining 5g of salt. Turn your mixer onto low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or if using a KitchenAid mixer, run it on speed 3 for 5 to 6 minutes) until the dough strengthens, builds elasticity, and holds together cleanly.
3. Cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment for 1 hour and 30 minutes at a warm room temperature of 76°F (24°C).

Seed Rolling, Couch Proofing, and Hot Pan Bake

1. 10:00 AM – Preshaping: Tip the expanded dough out onto your workspace and dust the top lightly with flour. Flip it over so the floured side faces down, and gently fold the dough onto itself so the raw flour remains entirely on the outside. Round it into a loose ball and let rest uncovered for 30 minutes.
2. 10:30 AM – Final Shaping & Seed Coating: Dust the dough round with a bit of whole wheat flour, flip it over with your scraper, and flatten it slightly. Pull the right corners over to the left and fold them down into the center; repeat this structural folding movement across the left side as well.
3. Roll the dough down tightly away from you, shaping it into a perfectly smooth, taut roll.
4. Spray the exterior skin of your shaped roll generously with water using a spray bottle, then roll it directly through a shallow dish filled with extra seeds or rolled oats until it is heavily coated.
5. Generously dust your proofing couche or heavy towel with whole grain flour. Transfer the seed-crusted loaf onto the couch seam-side up, clip the sides securely to hold its shape, and let proof for 1 hour at a warm 78°F (25°C).
6. 11:00 AM: While the dough finishes rising, place your Challenger pan (or heavy cast iron pan) inside your oven and preheat thoroughly to 500°F (260°C) for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
7. The Launch: Verify readiness with the poke test (your finger should leave a small indentation that springs back slowly like it is waking from a long nap). Flip the proofed loaf gently onto a sheet of parchment paper so the seeds face up. Score the top crown cleanly with a sharp knife or lame.
8. Drop the dough onto the smoking hot iron base, drop the heavy lid down to trap the steam, and bake at 500°F (260°C) with the lid on for exactly 15 minutes.
9. Carefully lift the lid off, lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and continue baking bare for an additional 20 minutes until the crust turns a rich, deep golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing!

Nutrition

Calories1727kcalCarbohydrates345gProtein60gFat11gSaturated Fat2gPolyunsaturated Fat5gMonounsaturated Fat2gCholesterol12mgSodium592mgPotassium958mgFiber27gSugar1gVitamin A22IUVitamin C0.3mgCalcium102mgIron13mg

Notes

• The Quick Same-Day Sourdough Blueprint: Unlike typical artisan breads that require a tedious 12 to 16-hour cold storage stay in your refrigerator to develop structure, this hybrid formulation leverages a tiny 1g pinch of commercial dry yeast alongside your levain. This enables a quick 90-minute bulk rise and a 60-minute final proof, allowing you to mix the grains after breakfast and enjoy a fresh loaf by lunch.
• Why the Boiling Water Soaker is Crucial: Heavy ancient grains and raw seeds are highly hygroscopic, meaning they pull moisture away from their surroundings. Scalding them with boiling water in step 2 fully softens their tough outer bran shells and saturates them with water beforehand. Skipping this step means the dry seeds will siphon water directly out of your flour matrix, leaving you with an unmanageable, dry, and dense loaf.
• Skipping Yeast for an Overnight Option: If you prefer a traditional, slow baking schedule to get an even deeper sourdough tang, you can easily alter this recipe. Simply omit the 1g of dry yeast entirely during step 3. Let your primary bulk fermentation extend for a longer 3 to 5 hours on your counter, shape the loaf, and slide it into your refrigerator to cold-retard overnight before baking the next morning.
• Securing a Perfect Seed Crust Attachment: To ensure your rolled oats and decorative seeds stick permanently to the loaf without falling off in a messy pile when you slice it, pay close attention to step 9. Misting the taut skin with a fine spray of water creates a tacky starch surface on the exterior layer that acts like a natural glue, locking the seeds tightly into place through the oven rise.

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