Looking for a rewarding baking project? This hearty five-grain bread is packed with wholesome grains and seeds for a beautifully textured loaf with a crisp crust and soft, nutty crumb. Perfect for sandwiches, toast or simply slathered with butter, this homemade bread is well worth the time and makes two generous loaves to enjoy throughout the week.
Five-grain bread
Ingredients
SOAKER
- 70g rolled oats
- 70g flaxseeds
- 4 tbsp wheat bran
- 4 tbsp polenta
- 285ml water
FINAL DOUGH
- 385g white bread flour
- 235g wholewheat flour
- 60g rye flour
- 1 x 10g sachet instant dry yeast
- 1 tbsp salt
- 475ml water
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1½ – 2 whole eggs
- 535g soaker (from above)
CRUST
- 2 tbsp rolled oats
- 2 tbsp flaxseeds
- 2 tbsp wheat bran
- 2 tbsp polenta
- water, as needed
Instructions
For the soaker, combine all of the ingredients and allow to rest, 12 hours before the final dough is started. Place in a sealed container and leave at room temperature.
For the final dough, preheat the oven to 230˚C. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a stand mixer with a hook attachment. Add the wet ingredients and the soaker, and mix, 10 minutes. Rest at room temperature, 1 hour, then knock down the dough and allow to rest, a further 1 hour.
Combine all of the crust ingredients. Portion the dough into 2 loaves of 700g each, shape and brush with water, followed by the crust mixture.
Allow to rest, 45 minutes, place the 2 loaves in the preheated oven, reduce the temperature to 190°C and bake, 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Also See: Soetbrood (Sweet bread)
Recipe by Togara Mabharani
Styling by Togara Mabharani and Rudi Liebenberg
Photograph by Bruce Tuck
