Seed bread

Photographer: Adam
makes 1 loaf

I’ve got a real love affair with bread, have all my life. Our little farmers’ market down here in Dunedin has a bakery which produces the most beautifully textured bread with a crunchy outer crust – when Friday rolls around I am already excited about getting up early on Saturday morning just to secure my favourite loaf. When I just cannot wait for Saturday, this is the recipe I turn to, a great flavoursome loaf thanks to the addition of many different seeds.  This bread is perfect with a little cheese and a wee glass of wine or with lashings of butter and sweet fruit jam – enjoy!

INGREDIENTS


3 tbsp honey
330g lukewarm water
190g lukewarm milk
16g dried yeast
650g high-grade white flour
100g rye flour
30g pumpkin seeds
30g sunflower seeds
30g sesame seeds
30g chia seeds
30g flax seeds
20g flaky sea salt
Spray oil

METHOD


1. Warm the honey to make it liquid and add the water and milk.
2. Sprinkle over the yeast, stir and set aside for 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer combine flours, seeds and salt. Add in the liquid and mix lightly using a dough hook or with a wooden spoon if mixing by hand.
4. Once the wet and dry ingredients have come together to form a shaggy dough continue to mix for about 5 minutes on a medium-low speed, or by hand on a lightly floured bench. The dough should be in a ball shape but still slightly sticky. Add a little more flour only if necessary.
5. Turn dough out onto a floured bench and continue to knead until you have a soft, supple ball of dough.
6. Place dough in a large lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
7. The next day, place the dough somewhere warm for a couple of hours to proof.
8. Remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface shape the dough into a round cob shape. Transfer the dough to a baking tray, lined with baking paper, mist with spray oil and loosely cover the loaf with plastic wrap.
9. Proof the dough a second time, until the loaf has doubled in size.
10 Preheat your oven to 180°C on bake.
11. Brush or mist the loaf with water and use a sharp knife to cut a cross-hatched pattern in the surface of the loaf.
12. Place loaf in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until it is a rich golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack before serving.