Four Grain Soaker Pan Bread

Ingredients

The Hot Soaker

Four grains, four different appetites for water. The 140g here covers all of them with a little to spare, and that spare is already figured into the dough water below.

• 35g (3 tablespoons) steel-cut oats
• 25g (2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon) coarse cornmeal or polenta
• 20g (1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons) millet, hulled and raw
• 10g (1 tablespoon) whole flaxseed
• 140g (½ cup plus 2 tablespoons) boiling water
• 1g (⅛ teaspoon) fine sea salt

The Dough

A straight dough. No poolish, no starter, no overnight anything if you don't want it.

• 340g (2¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon) bread flour
• 110g (1 cup) whole wheat flour
• 250g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) water (about 95F / 35C)
• 35g (1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons) honey
• 20g (1½ tablespoons) olive oil
• 8g (1¼ teaspoons) fine sea salt
• 5g (1½ teaspoons) instant yeast

The Top

A little of what's inside, scattered on the outside, so the loaf tells you what it is.

• 10g (2 teaspoons) water, for brushing
• 10g (2 tablespoons) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 5g (1¼ teaspoons) millet, raw, for the top

Total flour: 450g

Hydration: 64%

Pro tip: Every one of these four grains sits in a normal grocery store. Steel-cut oats and polenta are easy. Millet is usually in the bulk bins or the natural foods aisle, sold as birdseed in some stores and as a grain in others, and you want the food-grade hulled kind. If you can only find three of the four, add the missing weight to the steel-cut oats and keep the water the same.

Equipment

Method

Make the Hot Soaker

One bowl, four grains, boiling water. An hour gets you there and overnight gets you a little further, so this recipe works whether you planned ahead or didn't.

1. Combine the Grains. Put the steel-cut oats, cornmeal, millet, flaxseed, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and stir them together dry so they're evenly mixed.
2. Pour and Stir. Pour the boiling water over the top and stir hard for 20 or 30 seconds. Cornmeal clumps if you're gentle with it, and a clump of dry cornmeal in the middle of your loaf is unpleasant to bite into.
3. Cover and Cool. Cover and leave it on the counter at least 1 hour, until it's no warmer than lukewarm. Overnight is better if you have the time. It should look like a loose, glossy porridge with visible whole millet grains sitting in it.

Wait: PT1H

Tip: Do not add a hot soaker to your dough. Anything above 100F (38C) going in will push the dough temperature up and kill your control over the rise, and at 130F (54C) it starts killing yeast outright. If you're in a hurry, spread the soaker on a plate to cool it in 15 minutes.

Mix and Rest

Everything in one bowl, then a rest that does the work of five minutes of kneading. This is the laziest productive step in baking.

1. Combine Everything. In a large bowl, stir together both flours, the water, honey, olive oil, salt, yeast, and the whole cooled soaker. Use a dough whisk or a sturdy spoon and mix until there's no dry flour left. It'll be a shaggy, sticky, unpromising mess.
2. Rest 30 Minutes. Cover the bowl and walk away. The autolyse lets the whole wheat bran soften and the flour finish drinking, and it makes the next step dramatically easier. Come back and the dough will already look like dough.

Tip: Aim for 78F (26C) after mixing. Whole grain doughs run cooler than you expect because the soaker has been sitting out losing heat. If your soaker went in cold from the refrigerator, use dough water at 105F (40C) to make up for it.

Develop the Dough

Short bursts of work with rests between them. Grain in a dough shears gluten, so working in stages gets you further than one long grind would.

1. First Round. Turn the dough out onto an unfloured counter and slap and fold for 3 minutes. Pick up one end, slap it down, fold it over itself, turn 90 degrees, repeat. It'll be sticky for the first minute and then start pulling itself together.
2. Rest 10 Minutes. Cover it with the bowl and leave it. The gluten relaxes and reorganizes on its own during this rest, which is why the second round goes so much faster than the first.
3. Second Round. Slap and fold another 3 minutes. Now the dough should be smooth, elastic, and tacky rather than sticky. Check the windowpane test: pull a piece thin enough to see light through. The millet and oats will interrupt the window, so look at the film between the grains, not through the grains themselves.
4. If You Have a Mixer. Instead of the two rounds above, mix on medium-low with the dough hook for 6 to 8 minutes after the rest. Watch for the dough to clear the sides of the bowl and pull cleanly away from your finger.

Tip: Wet your hands, don't flour them. Adding flour to fix a sticky dough changes the hydration you spent all that time calculating. Wet hands slide off dough. Floured hands add flour. It's that simple.

Bulk Fermentation

One rise in the bowl with a single fold in the middle. bulk fermentation moves along quickly here because there's plenty of yeast and plenty of sugar from the honey.

1. Round and Cover. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a lightly oiled bowl or straight-sided container, and cover it.
2. One Fold at 45 Minutes. Give it a single set of folds at the 45 minute mark. Wet your hand, lift one side over the center, turn the bowl, repeat four times. This one set noticeably improves the crumb and costs you 30 seconds.
3. Finish the Rise. Cover and rise another 45 minutes to an hour, until the dough has grown by about three quarters and feels light when you lift the container. Total bulk runs about 1½ hours at 76F to 78F (24C to 26C).

Wait: PT1H30M

Tip: Mark the starting level on the outside of the container with tape. This dough is full of grain that scatters light and hides the rise, and I have watched good bakers underproof this loaf by 40 minutes because they were reading it by eye.

Shape and Pan

One loaf, rolled tight. All the grain in this dough wants to create gaps, and a tight roll is the thing standing in the way.

1. Pat It Out. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and pat it into a rectangle about 9 inches wide, matching the length of your pan, and roughly ¾ inch thick.
2. Roll Tight. Roll it up tightly from the short edge, pinching the seam closed with your thumbs as you go. Press firmly enough to feel any air pockets pop under your hands.
3. Pan It. Set it seam side down in a greased 9 by 5 pan and press it gently into the corners so the loaf rises evenly from end to end.

Tip: If the dough springs back and won't stay patted out, cover it and give it a 10 minute bench rest. Then it'll cooperate. Forcing a tight dough tears exactly the structure you built in the last hour.

Final Proof

About an hour, measured against the rim of the pan. The pan rim is the most honest measuring device in your kitchen.

1. Proof Until Crowned. Cover loosely and proof 50 to 65 minutes, until the center of the loaf sits about 1 inch above the rim of the pan.
2. Poke It. Use the poke test. A floured fingertip pressed into the side should leave a dent that fills back slowly and stops just shy of level. Fast spring back means wait. A dent that stays put means bake it now.
3. Brush and Top. Brush the top gently with water, then scatter the rolled oats and raw millet over it. Brush light. A fully proofed loaf deflates under pressure.

Wait: PT55M

Tip: Start the oven preheat 20 minutes before you think the loaf will be ready. Waiting on a hot oven with a fully proofed loaf on the counter is how a good bake turns into a caved top.

Bake and Cool

Uncovered, moderate heat, and a thermometer to finish. The oil and honey in this dough give it good color without much help.

1. Bake. Bake at 375F (190C) on the lower-middle rack for 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the pan front to back at the 25 minute mark.
2. Watch the Top. The millet and oats on top toast fast. If they're getting dark before 25 minutes, tent the loaf loosely with foil and keep going.
3. Check Internal Temperature. Done is 200F to 205F (93C to 96C) in the center. This loaf holds a lot of bound water, which means it can look and sound finished while the middle is still wet. Use the thermometer.
4. Cool Completely. Out of the pan immediately onto a wire rack, and give it 2½ hours before you cut it. All that soaked grain releases moisture as it cools, and slicing early gives you a dense, damp crumb that isn't the recipe's fault.

Tip: Leave the crust alone if you want a firmer chew that stands up to soup. Brush it with butter straight out of the pan if you want it soft for kids and sandwiches. Same loaf, two different personalities.

Shaping Options

The pan keeps this loaf tall and sliceable. Free-form is possible with a change or two.

One 9 by 5 Pan Loaf (Recommended) (recommended)

About 1000g of dough, which fills a 9 by 5 pan just right. Even slices, good toast geometry.

1. Pat. A rectangle as long as the pan, about ¾ inch thick.
2. Roll Tight. Roll from the short edge, pinching the seam as you go.
3. Pan. Seam side down, pressed into the corners of a greased pan.

Eight Sandwich Rolls

The whole batch as rolls, about 125g each. These are what I'd sell at a market table, because people buy rolls faster than they buy loaves.

1. Divide. Eight pieces of about 125g each, weighed.
2. Round. Round each one on an unfloured spot on the counter so it grips and tightens.
3. Bake. Proof 40 to 50 minutes, then bake at 400F (205C) for 18 to 22 minutes to 200F (93C) internal.

One Free-Form Batard

For a crustier version. Needs steam, and expect a shorter loaf without the pan holding it up.

1. Shape. Fold in thirds like a letter, then roll from the top down, sealing with your thumbs.
2. Proof. Seam side up in a floured couche or towel, 45 to 55 minutes.
3. Bake. Score once down the length. Bake at 425F (220C) with steam for 20 minutes, then 15 to 20 more without, to 205F (96C).

Proof test: Floured fingertip into the side of the loaf. The dent should fill back in slowly and stop a little short of level. Immediate spring back means give it more time. A dent that holds means it's ready right now.

Bake the Loaf

Standard oven, no steam, no covering. A simple bake for a straightforward loaf.

Oven: 190°C / 375°F. Internal temperature when done: 93-96°C / 200-205°F.

Standard Oven Bake (recommended)

One pan, one rack, uncovered from start to finish.

Equipment: One 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, lower-middle rack

1. Preheat. Preheat to 375F (190C) for at least 20 minutes, rack in the lower-middle position.
2. Bake. 40 to 45 minutes, turning the pan front to back at 25 minutes.
3. Tent. Tent loosely with foil if the topping darkens before 25 minutes.
4. Verify. Pull at 200F to 205F (93C to 96C) in the center.
5. Cool. Out of the pan immediately, onto a rack, 2½ hours before slicing.

Convection Bake

A little faster and more even, useful in ovens with a cold back corner.

Equipment: One 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, convection setting

1. Drop the Temperature. Set convection to 350F (175C), 25 degrees below the conventional setting.
2. Bake. 35 to 40 minutes. The fan toasts the millet on top quickly, so check at 20 minutes and tent if needed.
3. Verify. Same target: 200F to 205F (93C to 96C).

Note: Bake to temperature. Of all five loaves in this multigrain series, this is the one most likely to fool you into pulling it early, because the soaker holds so much water that the crust finishes long before the center does.

Storage

• Room temperature: 3 to 4 days in a sealed bread bag or a lidded box. Grain breads hold moisture better than plain white loaves because the soaked grain keeps giving water back to the crumb.
• Refrigerated: Skip the fridge. Bread goes stale faster at refrigerator temperature than it does on the counter.
• Frozen: Up to 3 months. Slice the whole loaf first, freeze in a bag with the air pressed out, then pull slices as you need them and toast straight from frozen.
• Refresh: Sprinkle the loaf with water and warm it at 350F (175C) for 8 to 10 minutes. The crust crisps back up and the crumb softens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I swap the grains for what I already have?

Yes, that's the point of learning the absorption numbers. Keep the total dry grain at 90g and use the table in this recipe to figure the water. Multiply each grain's weight by its absorption rate, add them up, then compare to the 103g this blend needs. If your new blend needs more, add that much extra to the soaker water and take the same amount out of the dough water. Quinoa, barley flakes, cracked wheat, and rye chops all work.

Do I have to use millet? It's the one thing I can't find.

No. Add its 20g to the steel-cut oats and keep everything else the same. You'll lose the little pop of texture that makes this loaf distinctive, but the bread will be good. Sunflower seeds are the closest substitute if you want something that stays firm, and they absorb 80% of their weight so the soaker water still works out.

Why does the recipe say not to add a warm soaker to the dough?

Because temperature control is most of fermentation control. A soaker that's still 120F (49C) will shove your dough temperature well past target, the bulk will run away from you, and the crumb will come out coarse. Above about 130F (54C) you start killing yeast outright. Lukewarm or cooler, every time. If you're rushed, spread it thin on a plate for 15 minutes.

Can I make this without a preferment or a sourdough starter?

That's exactly what this recipe is. It's a straight dough with commercial yeast, which is why it's here alongside the poolish and levain versions in this series. The soaker does the flavor work that a preferment usually does, because soaked grain releases sweetness that plain flour doesn't have. Start to finish in about 5 hours, or under 4 if you soak the night before.

My loaf has a big tunnel under the top crust. What causes that?

A loose roll during shaping, almost always. All that grain interrupts the dough and leaves gaps for air to gather in, and if the roll isn't tight those gaps merge into one big void under the crust. Roll firmer and press out what you feel under your palms. The other cause is a skin drying on the dough during the final proof, so keep it covered.

Is this bread actually higher in fiber than the store version?

About 2g of fiber per slice, which is roughly double a standard white sandwich bread and comparable to most bags labeled multigrain. The difference isn't only the number. The fiber here comes from four whole grains and whole wheat flour rather than from added isolated fiber, and there's 35g of honey in the whole loaf instead of the corn syrup and dough conditioners you'd find on the label at the store.

Can I double this for two loaves?

Yes, double everything straight across, including the soaker and its water. Timing stays about the same, though a bigger dough mass holds its own heat and may ferment 10 or 15 minutes faster, so check the bulk a little early. Bake both pans on the same rack with 2 inches between them and rotate at the 25 minute mark.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice (about 52g)): 145 calories, 27g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 2g fat, 2g fiber, 220mg sodium. Makes 16 servings.