Seeded Whole Grain Bread

by Chelsea / Breakfast

Dump. Mix. Rise. Refrigerate. Rise. Bake. Eat. image

This seeded multigrain is everything I want in a homemade loaf of bread. It requires just one bowl, minimal mixing, and essentially no current bread-baking skills. This is entry-level bread, people. You can make it even if you’re intimidated by the words knead, proof, and starter, because there’s none of that here. All you need is a few simple ingredients, and time. imageimage

Much like my favorite pizza dough, this bread dough gets its deep, yeasted flavor and perfect-for-toast-texture from a long, slow, cold rise in the fridge overnight. My preferred dough making night is Saturday, so I can have a fresh loaf of bread with Sunday’s breakfast. Really, though, you could do this any night of the week. Slathered in butter, jam, avocado, peanut butter or pesto, this bread does it all. I love the crunch and added nutrition of seeds in my bread, but the recipe would still work beautifully without them. Kevin is a seed skeptic, so I made him a loaf of this bread without the seeds, and everyone was happy. imageimageI’ve been making a version of this bread for years, but this time I made one special addition: molasses. Molasses is an ingredient I always have in my pantry for homemade baked beans. It also adds an unexpected bitter, smoky-sweetness to coffee and desserts. There’s only 1 tablespoon in this recipe, so the flavor isn’t particularly strong; it just adds an extra special something to the whole wheat bread’s flavor and aroma. It also adds a tiny tint of brown to the loaf, like spray-tan for your bread. If you don’t have a bottle of molasses in your cabinet, you can certainly leave it out and double up on maple syrup or honey. I wouldn’t want 1 ingredient to come between you and a loaf of fresh bread.imageimage

That’s the beauty of this bread: it doesn’t just require minimal effort with maximum reward, but it’s so flexible that you can adapt it to suit whatever you have in your pantry. You could go sweet with dried fruit and walnuts, savory with roasted garlic and herbs, or keep it simple and seedy like me. However you choose to flavor this bread, it should turn out deliciously crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and absolutely perfect for toast every.single.time. I love baking it on a cast iron skillet for an extra crispy bottom, but a loaf pan or really any oven-safe dish will work. If you make a loaf of bread this week, leave a comment to let me know how it turns out! Better yet, show me on Instagram with #bakedgreens so I can get inspiration from all your flavor combos! Happy baking, friends! 

 

Seeded Whole Grain Bread

Chelsea Colbath
A dense, hearty, artisan whole grain bread made at home with minimal effort. This bread needs an overnight rise in the fridge, so make dough the night before you want to eat it!
Print Pin It
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups whole wheat flour*
  • 1 3/4 cups warm tap water
  • 1 teaspoon yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon molasses**
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds roughly chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon each of hemp seeds ground flaxseeds, and poppy seeds (or 3 T total of any other seeds)
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions
 

  • 1. In a large mixing bowl (preferably one with a lid) combine all bread ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until fully combined. You can also do this in a standing mixer, if you'd like. Mix with a paddle attachment until a dough forms, about 1 minute. Either way, at this point, the dough will be very wet and sticky.
  • 2. Cover dough and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Mix dough once again with a wooden spoon to form into a rough ball. Cover an refrigerate overnight, or as long as 5 days. If you're trying to squeeze this into one day, make dough first thing in the morning, and allow to chill at least 8 hours in the fridge. The longer, the better, which is why I always choose an overnight rise.
  • 3. When you're ready to bake the bread, take the dough out of the fridge. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball. Place the dough ball onto a cast iron skillet, or any oven-safe dish. You can also form a log and place it in a loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature for 45-60 minutes.
  • 4. If desired, use a sharp knife to make a few slashes in the top of the dough before baking. After at least 45 minutes at room temperature, place the dough into a cold oven and turn to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • 5. Bake dough for 30+ minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Cooking time will vary based on the shape you choose for your loaf of bread. My loaf pan took about 25 minutes, while the round bread in cast iron took about 35.
  • 6. Allow bread to cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, store pre-sliced bread in the freezer. Simply pull out slices and toast as needed.

Notes

*I prefer to use white whole wheat flour, but any wheat flour will work in this recipe, including regular whole wheat, all-purpose, or bread flour.
**Molasses may be left out for a more mild flavor. Substitute it for extra maple syrup, honey, or sugar.
For other bread flavors, omit seeds and add:
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit, the zest from an orange, and a handful of nuts.
1/2 cup shredded cheddar and 1 jalapeno, chopped.
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary and a whole head of roasted garlic.
1/2 cup chopped olives and 1 Tablespoons dried chili flakes.
#, #, #, #, #, #