Seeded Multigrain Bread

This seeded multigrain bread recipe uses a poolish—a simple mixture of flour, water, and a touch of yeast that ferments overnight. The poolish adds a wonderful depth of flavor and enhances the loaf's texture, creating a tender, airy crumb. If you're looking to elevate your bread baking but aren't quite ready for a sourdough starter, starting with a poolish is an excellent next step.

The process is convenient and straightforward: mix up the poolish and soak the grains the evening before, and you'll have everything ready to bake the following day. For this recipe, we used a hearty 7-grain cereal mix with whole grains like wheat, rye, oats, triticale, and flaxseed. Feel free to substitute or create your own blend if you have similar grains on hand. Baking with the Brod & Taylor Baking Shell helps create a crispy, artisan crust, bringing rich flavor and professional quality to your homemade bread.

Seeded Multigrain Recipe

Yield

1 loaf

Suggested Timeline

Day 1: 
  ・8pm: Mix the poolish and soaker
Day 2:
  ・8am: Mix the dough
  ・9am–12:00pm: Bulk ferment the dough
  ・12:00pm: Shape the dough
  ・12:20–1:20pm: Proof the dough
  ・1:20–2:00pm: Bake

Ingredients

Poolish:

Soaker:

Dough:

Equipment

Instructions

Day 1

Mix the Poolish.
The night before making the dough, prepare the poolish and the soaker.

To make the poolish: In a small bowl, combine the water, bread flour, and yeast. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let it ferment overnight at around 72°F for 10-14 hours.

Soak the Grains.
In a separate small bowl, weigh out the cereal, seeds, and a pinch of salt. Add warm water and stir to combine. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight

Day 2

Set up the Proofer.
Set the Proofer to 80°F (27°C) and put the water tray in the middle of the warming plate. Pour ¼ cups (60 ml) of water into the tray and place the rack on top of it.

Mix the dough.
Add the water, yeast, and poolish to bowl of a stand mixer, stirring to combine.

Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour. Mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes until all the flour is hydrated, forming a rough dough. Cover and let rest for 30-45 minutes.

Add the salt and the soaker.
Mix on low for 2 minutes until incorporated. Then, increase to speed 2 and mix for 5 minutes, until the dough begins to pull away from the bowl sides. The dough will feel somewhat tacky but strong when stretched.

Bulk fermentation.
Place the dough in a greased container, and put it in the Proofer. Bulk ferment at 80°F (27°C) for about 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.

Before bulk fermentation

After bulk fermentation

Using your fingertips, gently press the dough into a rough rectangle with the long side facing you. Fold the left side of the dough toward the center, then repeat with the right side.

Grab the bottom edge of the dough and gently roll it away from you. When you reach the top edge, pinch the seam together to seal the cylinder.

Place the dough seam-side up in a floured oval banneton

Final Proof.
Place the banneton into the Proofer and allow it to proof for 1 hour.

Preheat the Oven: While proofing, place the Bread Steel in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C).

Bake.
Turn the dough out onto a floured peel or parchment paper. Score with a sharp knife or bread lame.

Slide the loaf onto the hot steel, cover with the Baking Shell, and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes.

Remove the shell and continue baking at 450°F for another 18-20 minutes, until the crust is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.