Harvest Bread

I worked on this recipe for a long time and after seeing the positive reviews from friends family, I decided it was time to share it!  This recipe may feel like it is more work than your standard sourdough loaf, however if you're an experienced baker it will be pretty easy. Keep in mind thanks to the high percentage of starter, flour and seed blend, this dough ferments faster than your regular loaf! You can even use this as a same-day recipe. But I recommend at least 1-2 hours of fridge time because the dough performs better in the oven cold.

Ingredients

• 260 Grams Bread Flour
• 45 Grams Oat Flour ( I used freshly milled)
• 40 Grams Einkorn Flour
• 20 Grams Whole Grain Rye Flour
• 310 Grams Water
• 200 Grams Stiff Starter (1.5.3 ratio)
• 7 Grams Salt
• 45 Grams Pumpkin Seeds
• 25 Grams Flax Seeds

Instructions

1. Prep: Start by soaking your inclusions. Submerge flax seeds in salt water for minimum of 1 hour up to 2.5 hours. Ensure the seeds as fully submerged and use about 1 tsp of salt. When the flax seeds have been soaking for 20
   
    minutes, place your 45 grams of pumpkin seeds in a separate bowl of salt water to soak for 30 minutes. Why we soak: Pre-soaking flax and pumpkin seeds neutralizes phytic acid to unlock essential minerals like magnesium and zinc for better nutrient absorption. It activates dormant enzymes for easier digestion, and it protects the gluten from sharp edges, and pulls a prebiotic gel out of the flax that improves gut health and keeps the crumb incredibly soft. You will notice the water will turn sticky and gel-like. Drain the seeds well before adding them to the mix.
2. Mix the 310 grams of water and 200 grams of stiff starter together, then add your bread flour, oat flour, einkorn, and rye flour. Mix well until a cohesive dough forms. Let it fermentolyse for 40 minutes.
3. Sprinkle your 7 grams of salt over the dough. Proceed with the rubaud method for several minutes to thoroughly incorporate the salt and build early gluten structure. Let your dough rest for 30 minutes. Use this time to thoroughly drain both 
4. he flax and pumpkin seeds. Add your completely drained sunflower seeds and flax seeds to the mixture. Mix well by hand until the seeds are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Let rest for 30 minutes.
5. Proceed with doing 2 to 3 rounds of coil folds, spacing them 30 minutes apart. Be gentle when lifting to avoid tearing the dough. After your last set of folds, allow your dough to finish bulk fermentation undisturbed until it is puffy and aerated. Thanks to the seeds and flour blend, you should look at the dough texture to determine the fermentation not just the rise. The poke test can be helpful. Once ready, shape your loaf, place it in a banneton, and cold retard in the fridge overnight. Keep in mind, fermentation will happen fast, expect it to finish within 1-3 hours after your last coil fold depending on the temperature in your own. At 22C it only took 1.5 hours in my home.
6. Preheat your oven to 500F with your Dutch oven inside. Turn the oven down to 450F and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid, turn the oven down to 400F, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the crust has a deep coloured crust.

Allow to cool completely before serving. Thanks to seed and flour blend, this loaf will stay fresh and soft longer. Double the recipe and have another loaf for the next day that tastes just as good! This flour and seed blend will get you a good rise, but achieving a large open crumb under the weight of the seeds will be difficult. You can expect an even soft crumb as pictured.