Soft multigrain bread without sourdough

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 200 g wholemeal spelt flour
• 100 g wholemeal rye flour
• 200 g wheat flour type 550
• 10 g salt
• 20 g honey
• 15 g fresh yeast
• 30 g vegetable oil, e.g. rapeseed oil, not olive oil
• 2 handfuls of kernels, seeds or grains as desired
• 325 ml water, lukewarm, approx. 25 °C
• 1 shot of table vinegar
• Flour for the work surface

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 40 minutes

makes one loaf of bread

First, weigh the flours and mix them together. Then, in a large bowl, add salt and, optionally, kernels, grains, or seeds (I recommend flaxseed and/or sunflower seeds). Then, briefly whisk the mixture to remove any lumps. In a sufficiently large bowl, mix the honey with the warm water until the honey is dissolved. If kernels, seeds, or grains are added to the dough, increase the amount of water slightly, as they swell with the water. Once the honey is dissolved, crumble the yeast into the honey and mix until the yeast is dissolved. You can also use more yeast to reduce the rising time, but this will affect the flavor and moisture of the bread. Cover and let this mixture rise at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the time is up, add all the liquid ingredients to the flour and mix briefly with a wooden spoon or your hands to ensure everything is evenly distributed. Mix the mixture in a food processor, with a hand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or in a bread maker for at least 10 minutes until you have a smooth, fairly sticky dough. This is the only way to develop enough gluten to give the dough strength and stability. Then, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and let it rest for 5 minutes, covered with the mixing bowl. This will relax the dough and make it easier to work with. After the resting time, press the dough flat onto the work surface with moistened hands or a dough scraper so that it now has a diameter of approximately 30 centimeters. Moistening this will prevent the dough from sticking or tearing. Stretch and fold the dough using the “strech and fold” method. To do this, lift the right side of the dough (a moistened dough scraper helps with this) and pull slowly until you feel slight resistance (don’t pull too hard or too quickly, or the dough could tear), and then fold it inward over the center of the dough. Repeat the same for the left, top, and bottom sides until you have a folded, slightly square piece of dough. Turn it upside down once so that the end is on the work surface. Cover and let the dough rest for about 5 minutes. Repeat this step 2 or 3 more times. You’ll notice that the dough becomes a little stronger and less sticky after each resting period. After the last fold, place the piece of dough, end-down, in a bowl greased with a little vegetable oil, cover, and set aside to rise at room temperature for about 45-60 minutes, depending on the room temperature. Once the dough has doubled in size, the first rising process is complete. Knead the dough again thoroughly with your hands to remove any bubbles and let it rest, covered, on a lightly floured surface. Meanwhile, dust a proving basket with flour or grease a bread pan with oil. Flatten the dough again to a diameter of 30 cm and, with moistened hands, lift the top right corner, pull it slightly and fold it towards the center of the flatbread. Do the same for the top left corner to form a triangle of dough. Grab the triangle at the top point and roll it firmly with both hands towards the wider side to create a sausage shape that is slightly larger than the proving basket or bread pan. Fold the ends under so that the loaf fits into the basket or pan. If using a proving basket, flour the dough piece sufficiently to prevent it from sticking to the basket. Place the dough piece with the seam facing up in the basket or with the seam facing down in the pan and, covered with a kitchen towel, set aside to prove. The proving time varies between 1 hour and 2 hours depending on the room temperature and the amount of yeast. Don’t panic if it takes closer to 2 hours. To test whether the dough has risen sufficiently, press the dough into the basket about 1 cm with a moistened finger. If the dough springs back quickly, it still needs to rise a little. If it springs back slowly, the optimal rising time has been reached and the dough is ready to bake. Preheat the oven to 220°C (top/bottom heat). If you want a softer crust, 200°C is sufficient. If you are using a proving basket, line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the tray with the baking paper on the basket and carefully turn both over. Then lift the basket and the raw loaf remains. Tip: You can simply place a bread pan on the rack. Now carefully cut into the loaf with a very sharp knife. There are various methods for this. I cut the loaf once, one centimeter deep, lengthwise. This ensures that the dough crust that inevitably forms, tears open at the top in the oven, thus determining the direction of the rising process. Otherwise, the loaf could burst in unwanted places, which is not a good look. To ensure good rising in the oven, ensure there is sufficient moisture. Professional ovens have a function that sprays hot steam into the oven. Unfortunately, this isn’t usually the case at home. I personally prefer to spray the top of the loaf with water until it’s thoroughly moist. Alternatively, use a brush or place a small tray of hot water from the kettle in the oven. Don’t wait any longer and bake the bread. Bake the bread at 220°C (top/bottom heat) on the middle rack for 10 minutes. Then for another 30 minutes at 190-200°C. After the first 10 minutes, open the oven door once to get rid of any moisture that prevents a crust from forming. After a total of 40 minutes, check the internal temperature of the bread. It should be at least 88°C. However, 99°C is better to avoid a soggy loaf. Even if the bread is baked through, it’s not yet done. It will continue to cook on the inside and is best left over until the next day. But after at least 30 minutes, impatient bakers can safely cut off a piece and taste it. By then, the crust will have sufficiently set. It’s best not to store the bread in plastic, as the crust will quickly become soft.