Multigrain Boule Recipes

MULTIGRAIN BOULE

Steps:

• Make the starter: Stir together flours, yeast, and water with a rubber spatula in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at cool room temperature until it has risen slightly and is bubbling, 12 to 15 hours.
• Make the dough: Whisk together flours, wheat germ, seeds, and yeast in a large bowl. Add water and starter, and stir with spatula until mixture comes together in a slightly sticky, loosely formed ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Gently turn dough onto an unfloured work surface. Sprinkle with salt.
• To knead: Gather dough, lifting it above work surface. Hold one end of dough close to you while you cast the other end in front of you and onto surface. Pull the end of dough in your hands toward you, stretching it gently, then fold the dough in half on top of itself. Repeat: Lift, cast, stretch, and fold. Knead the dough until it is smooth, supple, and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a dough scraper to clean the surface as needed, adding the scraps to the dough. (Dough will be very sticky, but avoid adding more flour until the end, when it may be necessary to add a very small amount. Add the flour to your fingers, not the dough.) Form dough into a ball.
• Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise at cool room temperature for 1 hour. Gently turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface. (Do not punch dough to deflate.) Fold dough into thirds, as you would a business letter. Then fold it in half crosswise. Return to bowl, cover, and let rise until it has almost doubled, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Gently turn dough onto lightly floured work surface. Spread into a rectangle that's roughly 12 by 8 inches. Fold dough into thirds, as you would a business letter, pressing seams with your fingers.
• Roll up dough tightly, starting at 1 short end. Gather edges, and gently pull and tuck them underneath the dough to create a round shape, pinching to seal.
• Place dough on the work surface. Cup hands around dough, and rotate it in circles until a smooth, taut ball forms.
• Place dough, smooth side down, in a colander lined with a generously floured linen towel. Cover loosely with a piece of oiled plastic wrap, and let rise at cool room temperature until it has almost doubled and a floured finger pressed into the side leaves a slight indentation, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Place a skillet on oven rack adjusted to lowest position and a baking stone on middle oven rack. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Turn boule out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Just before baking, use a lame or a razor blade to make 4 slashes on top of dough in the shape of a pound sign. Pour 1/2 cup hot water into skillet in oven. Slide bread and parchment onto baking stone.
• Reduce oven to 400 degrees. Bake, rotating halfway through, until bread is deep golden brown, sounds hollow when bottom is thumped, and interior registers 205 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 65 to 75 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Bread is best the day you make it, but it can be wrapped in parchment and then foil, and stored at room temperature overnight (or frozen for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature before serving).

MULTIGRAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Soak 1/3 cup bulgur in 1/2 cup warm water for 20 minutes; set aside. Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle or dough-hook attachment. Add butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups water and 3 tablespoons honey. Whisk flour with salt; add 3 cups to yeast. Mix on low speed until smooth. Mix in soaked bulgur, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup flaxseeds, and 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds. Add remaining 4 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a ragged, slightly sticky ball. Butter a large bowl.
• Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Transfer to prepared bowl; cover with plastic wrap.
• Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubles in volume (it should not spring back when pressed), about 1 hour. Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough; divide in half.
• Shape 1 dough half into an 8 1/2-inch-long rectangle (about 1/2 inch thick). Fold long sides of dough in to middle, overlapping slightly. Press seam to seal. Transfer dough, seam side down, to pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush tops of loaves with egg wash (beaten egg white mixed with water), not butter, and sprinkle with oats and sunflower seeds. Dab tops with egg wash to help adhere. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drape loaves with plastic. Let stand until dough rises about 1 inch above tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing.

MULTIGRAIN BUNS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the whole wheat flour, oats, 1 egg, sesame and sunflower seeds, oil, butter, sugar, salt, caraway, vinegar and 2 cups all-purpose flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Shape into 18 round balls; roll each into a 4-1/2 in. circle. Place on grease baking sheets. Beat egg yolk with water; brush over buns. Sprinkle with oats. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. , Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans.