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Artisan Whole Grain Bread

Artisan Whole Grain Bread

1727kcal
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Prep 30 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 12 hours
Total 13 hours 5 minutes
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

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

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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