Updated June 2020 to match my current formula.
Ingrdients
Seeds:
- 20g sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (5g)
- 15g poppy seeds
- 30g flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (5g)
- 30g sunflower seeds
Porridge:
- 130g oat bran (or wheat bran) and/or corn meal
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 540g water
Dough:
- 130 g cold water
- 3g fresh yeast / 1.5 g dry yeast
- 670g strong bread flour
- 17g Salt
- 30g dark malt syrup
- 5g apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar (1 tsp)
Preparation
One to three days before baking:
- Dry roast the seeds sesame, poppy and coriander.
- Add flax and caraway.
- Lightly mince in a morter and pestle to release flavors.
- Toast the sunflower seeds and add to the rest.
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- Cook the bran (and cornmeal) with the water, covered over low flame, until cooked into a porridge.
- Cool completely.
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- Add cold water, yeast, cinnamon, flour, salt, malt and vinegar.
- In a mixer, knead/mix for 5-7 minutes.
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Repeat kneading and resting about 4 times, until the dough is strong well developed.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (and up to 3 nights).
Prepare for baking:
- Grease the bottom of a 24 cm wide pot with a thin layer of oil.
- If the pot does not have an anti-stick coating, sprinkle with a thin layer of semolina or cornmeal.
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- Remove the dough from the refrigerator between 60 minutes (on a warm day) and two hours (on a cool day) before the baking. (It is better to err in the direction of a shorter proof).
- Gently separate the dough from the sides of the bowl and give it a roughly round shape.
- Pour the dough into the oiled pot and gently press it to fill the pot evenly.
- Cover the pot and allow the dough to rise until it almost doubles its volume and looks soft and airy (the time approximation is as mentioned above).
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- At least 45 minutes before baking, place an iron plate or baking stone on a shelf in the bottom third of the oven and heat it to 230 degrees C.
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- After the dough has risen and the oven is hot:
- Optionally, sprinkle the dough with sunflower seeds, poppy and flax for decoration.
- Score the dough if desired.
- Spray some water on the dough, sides of pot and lid.
- Bake covered for about 40 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the bread is very brown and the internal temperature is at least 97 degrees C.
- Remove the pot from the oven and remove the bread from it (wait a little for it to cool).
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack for one hour before slicing.
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- For serving, return the bread to the oven for about 10 minutes (this is not mandatory, but will yield a crisper, less chewy crust, and a warm loaf).
2020's bake: