Rustic Multigrain Country Loaf

Ingredients

The Poolish (Night Before)

Equal weights of flour and water with a pinch of yeast, left out overnight. This is where the flavor comes from, and it costs you two minutes of work.

• 180g (1½ cups) bread flour
• 180g (¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) water (about 70F / 21C)
• 0.4g (⅛ teaspoon) instant yeast

The Hot Soaker (Night Before)

Cracked wheat is the thirstiest thing in this loaf. Boiling water takes it from tooth-breaking to tender, and it drinks about 225% of its own weight doing it.

• 60g (⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon) cracked wheat or medium bulgur
• 135g (½ cup plus 1½ tablespoons) boiling water
• 1.5g (¼ teaspoon) fine sea salt

The Cold Soaker (Night Before)

Flax and sunflower go in cool water, not boiling. Boiling water would cook the oils and dull the flavor, and neither seed has enough starch to gain anything from the heat.

• 30g (3 tablespoons) whole flaxseed
• 45g (⅓ cup) raw sunflower seeds
• 75g (⅓ cup) cool water

The Final Dough

Thirty percent whole grain flour on top of everything already in the soakers. Enough to taste, not so much that the loaf turns into a paperweight.

• 240g (2 cups) bread flour
• 120g (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) whole wheat flour
• 60g (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) dark rye flour
• 270g (1 cup plus 3½ tablespoons) water (about 85F / 29C)
• 11g (1¾ teaspoons) fine sea salt
• 2.5g (¾ teaspoon) instant yeast

The Crust

Optional. A wet skin picks up seeds and gives you something to look at.

• 30g (3½ tablespoons) mixed seeds for coating, sunflower and sesame

Total flour: 600g

Hydration: 75%

Pro tip: Cracked wheat and bulgur are not the same thing, but they work the same here. Bulgur is parboiled, so it softens faster and a little more evenly. Cracked wheat is raw and keeps more bite. Either one needs boiling water and a full night. Coarse bulgur is the one to reach for if you want the grain to stay noticeable in the finished slice.

Equipment

Method

Build the Poolish

A wet, sleepy preferment at 100% hydration with almost no yeast in it. The poolish is doing 12 hours of flavor work while you sleep, and it's the reason this loaf tastes like more than flour and salt.

1. Whisk It Together. Whisk the flour, water, and the tiny amount of yeast together until it looks like thick pancake batter with no lumps.
2. Ferment Overnight. Cover loosely and leave it at room temperature for 12 to 14 hours. It's ready when the surface is domed and bubbled and just beginning to sink in the middle. That slight collapse is the signal, not a problem.

Wait: PT12H

Tip: An eighth of a teaspoon really is the whole amount of yeast. Measuring that little is awkward, so here's the workaround: stir ¼ teaspoon of yeast into 2 tablespoons of the poolish water, then use half of that liquid and pour the rest out. More accurate than trying to split a dry pinch.

Build Both Soakers

Two soakers, two temperatures, on purpose. Starchy cracked grain gets boiling water. Oily seeds get cool water. Getting this backwards is the most common mistake in multigrain baking.

1. Hot Soaker for the Cracked Wheat. Put the cracked wheat and salt in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Stir well, cover, and leave it on the counter overnight. It should absorb nearly all the water and swell to about three times its dry volume.
2. Cold Soaker for the Seeds. In a second bowl, stir the flaxseed and sunflower seeds into the cool water. Cover and leave it out overnight. The flax will turn the water into a loose gel. That gel is supposed to happen and it goes into the dough with the seeds.

Tip: Both soaker waters are calculated to be absorbed almost exactly, so there's no free water to subtract from the dough. That's why the final dough water stays at 270g no matter what. If you decide to swap grains, use the absorption table below to figure out the new water and adjust the dough water by the difference.

Mix the Dough

The poolish and the hot soaker go in now. The seeds wait. Seeds and gluten are working against each other, so the less time they spend in the mix, the more structure you keep.

1. Combine Flours, Water, and Poolish. In a large bowl, mix the bread flour, whole wheat, rye, water, the whole poolish, and the whole hot soaker until there's no dry flour anywhere. Skip the salt, the yeast, and the seeds for now. The dough will be sticky and shapeless.
2. Rest 40 Minutes. Cover and rest. This autolyse is where the whole wheat and rye bran soften and the gluten starts organizing itself with no work from you. Forty minutes here saves you ten minutes of kneading later.
3. Add Salt and Yeast. Sprinkle the salt and yeast over the dough and work them in by pinching and folding for about 2 minutes, until you can't feel any grit. The dough will tighten up as the salt goes to work.

Tip: Aim for a dough temperature of 78F (26C) after mixing. Adjust the final water temperature up or down to get there. If your poolish sat somewhere cool overnight, use water at 90F (32C) instead of 85F.

Folds and Bulk Fermentation

Three sets of folds, seeds added at the second one. bulk fermentation at this hydration wants structure built in stages rather than all at once.

1. First Set of Folds. Thirty minutes after the salt goes in, wet your hand and give it a set of stretch and fold. Lift one side up and over the center, turn the bowl a quarter, repeat four times. The dough will feel loose. That's normal at this stage.
2. Second Set, Add the Seeds. Thirty minutes later, pour the whole seed soaker, gel and all, right on top of the dough. Fold the dough over it. It will feel like the gel is sliding around and refusing to mix in. Leave it. Do not force it or knead it in, because that shears the gluten you just built.
3. Third Set of Folds. Thirty minutes after that, fold again. By now the seeds will be evenly distributed and the gel will have disappeared into the dough. This is where the dough finally starts holding a shape and feeling strong.
4. Finish the Bulk. Cover and leave it alone for another 1½ to 2 hours. Total bulk runs 3 to 4 hours at 76F to 78F (24C to 26C). Look for the dough to grow by about 70%, feel puffy and alive, and show a jiggle when you shake the container.

Wait: PT3H30M

Tip: If you'd rather use coil fold than stretch and fold, go ahead. Wet both hands, lift the dough from the middle, let the ends fall under themselves, and rotate. Coil folds are gentler on a seeded dough and I use them more often than not.

Pre-shape and Shape

Two stages with a rest between them. On a seeded dough at this hydration, skipping the pre-shape means fighting the dough during the final shape and losing.

1. Pre-shape. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Using a bench scraper and one wet hand, pull the edges into the center to make a loose round. Leave it uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes to relax.
2. Final Shape. Flip the round over. Fold the bottom third up, the sides in, then roll it away from you into a tight ball, using the counter's friction to build tension across the top. Cup your hands around the base and drag it in a small circle to seal the bottom.
3. Coat and Basket. If you're doing a seed crust, mist the top with water and roll the loaf through the mixed seeds. Set it seam side up in a floured banneton or a towel-lined bowl.

Tip: Rice flour in the banneton, not wheat flour. Rice flour doesn't absorb water and doesn't turn to paste, so a wet grain dough releases cleanly instead of tearing on its way out of the basket.

Final Proof, Warm or Cold

Two ways to finish. Same day if you want bread tonight, cold overnight if you want better flavor and an easier score.

1. Same Day. Cover and proof at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes, until the loaf has grown by about half and feels airy when you press it. Bake as soon as it gets there.
2. Or Overnight Cold. Cover the basket and refrigerate for 10 to 14 hours, then bake straight from cold. This is the version I'd pick. The dough firms up, the flavor gets deeper, and a chilled skin takes a scoring cut cleanly instead of dragging.
3. Check It. Use the poke test. Press the side gently with a floured finger. The dent should come back slowly and not quite all the way. Cold dough always reads firmer than it is, so with the overnight version trust the volume more than the poke.

Wait: PT1H

Tip: Start preheating the Dutch oven 45 minutes before you plan to bake. A cast iron pot needs that long to actually reach temperature all the way through, and an underheated pot is the reason most home boules come out pale and flat.

Bake and Cool

Hot and covered first to trap steam, then uncovered to build crust and color. This is where the loaf earns its ear.

1. Preheat the Pot. Put the Dutch oven with its lid on into a cold oven and heat to 480F (250C). Give it a full 45 minutes at temperature.
2. Score and Load. Turn the loaf out onto parchment, seam side down. Score it with a confident stroke about ½ inch deep, either one long curve or a simple cross. Lift the parchment and lower the whole thing into the hot pot. Lid on.
3. Covered Bake. Drop the oven to 450F (230C) and bake covered for 22 minutes. Don't peek. All the steam you need is coming out of the dough and staying under that lid.
4. Uncovered Bake. Pull the lid and bake another 22 to 27 minutes until the crust is deep brown and the seeds on top have toasted. A pale crust means an underdeveloped flavor, so let it go darker than feels comfortable.
5. Check Internal Temperature. Done is 205F to 210F (96C to 99C) in the center. A grain loaf this wet needs the top of that range. Pulling it at 200F leaves you with a damp center.
6. Cool Completely. Onto a wire rack, and leave it alone for at least 3 hours. Cutting into a hot high-hydration loaf gives you a gummy, pasty crumb, and it's not the recipe's fault. Four hours is better.

Tip: You'll hear the crust crackle and sing as it cools. That's water leaving the crust and the crust contracting around it. It's the best sound in baking and it means you baked it long enough.

Shaping Options

One big boule is the default because it holds moisture best and gives you the most dramatic crumb. Two smaller loaves bake faster and fit smaller pots.

One Large Boule (Recommended) (recommended)

About 1400g of dough in a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven. Thick slices, a proper crust, and it stays good for three days.

1. Pre-shape. Loose round, rest uncovered 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Shape Tight. Fold bottom up, sides in, roll away from you, then drag in a circle to seal.
3. Basket. Seam side up in a rice-floured banneton.

Two Batards

Two 700g oval loaves. Better crust-to-crumb ratio and a shape that slices well for sandwiches. Needs two bakes in one pot, or a baking stone with steam.

1. Divide. Two pieces of about 700g each.
2. Shape. Pat to a rectangle, fold in thirds like a letter, then roll from the top down, sealing the seam with your thumbs.
3. Bake. Same temperatures, but cut the covered bake to 18 minutes and the uncovered to 18 to 20.

One Pan Loaf

If you want the flavor of this dough in a sliceable sandwich shape. About 1000g goes in a 9 by 5 pan and the remaining 410g bakes as a small free-form round alongside it.

1. Divide. One 1000g piece for the pan, then one 410g piece as a small free-form boule.
2. Shape. Roll the big piece tightly from the short edge and set it seam side down in a greased pan.
3. Bake. 375F (190C) uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, to 205F (96C) internal.

Proof test: Press the side with a floured fingertip. The dent should fill back in slowly and stop just short of level. If it springs back immediately, wait. If the dent stays and the loaf sighs, get it in the oven right now.

Bake the Loaf

Dutch oven, high heat, covered then uncovered. The trapped steam is what gives you oven spring and a glossy crust.

Oven: 230°C / 450°F. Internal temperature when done: 96-99°C / 205-210°F.

Dutch Oven (Recommended) (recommended)

The most reliable steam a home oven can produce, because the dough's own moisture gets trapped under the lid.

Equipment: 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven with lid, parchment paper

1. Preheat. Pot and lid into a cold oven, heat to 480F (250C), hold 45 minutes.
2. Load. Score the loaf and lower it in on parchment. Lid on.
3. Covered. Drop to 450F (230C) and bake covered 22 minutes.
4. Uncovered. Lid off, bake 22 to 27 minutes to a deep brown crust.
5. Verify. Pull at 205F to 210F (96C to 99C). Cool on a rack at least 3 hours.

Baking Stone with Steam

For bakers without a Dutch oven, or when you're baking both batards at once.

Equipment: Baking stone or steel, metal pan for water, oven mitts

1. Preheat. Stone on the middle rack, empty metal pan on the bottom rack, 480F (250C) for 45 minutes.
2. Steam. Slide the loaf onto the stone, pour 1 cup of boiling water into the hot pan, and shut the door fast.
3. Bake. 20 minutes at 450F (230C) with steam, then pull the pan out and bake 22 to 27 minutes more.
4. Verify. Same target: 205F to 210F (96C to 99C).

Note: Take this one darker than you think you should. Grain and rye both need real heat and real color to taste like anything, and a pale multigrain crust is a flat multigrain crust.

Storage

• Room temperature: 2 to 3 days cut side down on a board, or in a paper bag. Plastic will soften the crust, so only bag it in plastic once you've given up on the crust.
• Refrigerated: Skip the fridge. Bread goes stale faster at refrigerator temperature than it does on the counter.
• Frozen: Up to 3 months. Freeze whole if you plan to refresh it, or sliced if you plan to toast it. Press the air out of the bag either way.
• Refresh: Run the whole loaf under the tap for a second, then bake at 400F (205C) for 10 to 12 minutes. It comes back close to fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this sourdough instead of using a poolish?

Yes, and it's a clean swap. Replace the poolish with a levain of 40g ripe starter, 160g bread flour, and 160g water built 10 to 12 hours ahead. Drop the 2g of instant yeast from the final dough. Then stretch the bulk to 4½ to 5½ hours and use the overnight cold proof, which sourdough benefits from even more than a yeasted dough does. Everything else stays exactly the same, soakers included.

Why boiling water for the cracked wheat but cool water for the seeds?

Cracked wheat is starch, and boiling water gelatinizes that starch so the grain goes soft and holds onto its moisture through the bake. Flax and sunflower are mostly oil and protein with very little starch, so boiling water gains them nothing and dulls their flavor. Flax also gels better in cool water. Match the water temperature to what the ingredient actually is and you'll get it right every time.

The flax gel wouldn't mix in and the dough looked like it was falling apart. Did I ruin it?

No, and that's exactly what's supposed to happen. Flax gel separates the layers of dough at first and looks alarming. Fold it once and walk away. Thirty minutes later it will have disappeared into the dough completely. The one thing you must not do is squeeze or knead it in, because that tears the gluten and you'll pay for it in the oven.

Can I use all whole wheat instead of the bread flour?

You can, but drop the hydration and expect a much shorter loaf. Whole wheat drinks 5% to 10% more water than bread flour and its bran cuts the gluten network, so a 100% whole wheat version of this loaf with 30% grain on top would be very dense. If you want to push the whole grain higher, go to 40% whole wheat and 60% bread flour first and see how you like it.

My loaf spread out flat when I turned it out of the basket. What happened?

Either the final proof went too long or the shaping didn't build enough tension. At 75% dough hydration with 135g of grain in the mix, this loaf needs a tight final shape and a shorter proof than you'd give a white boule. Try the overnight cold proof next time, which firms the dough considerably and makes the turn-out much less dramatic.

Do I have to score it?

No. An unscored loaf will burst somewhere on its own, usually along the side, and plenty of bakers like that look. Scoring just tells the loaf where to open. If you do score, commit to one confident stroke about half an inch deep. Timid, shallow, hesitant cuts are worse than no cut at all.

How long does this actually keep?

Three days at room temperature, which is better than most loaves, and the soaked grain is why. All that bound water keeps giving moisture back to the crumb. Day two is honestly the best eating. Cut side down on a board, no bag, and it'll be good toast on day four.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice (about 77g)): 175 calories, 32g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 3g fat, 3g fiber, 315mg sodium. Makes 16 servings.