Sourdough Multigrain Wheat Bread has a soft tender nutty crumb with just enough holes to hold all that butter. The crust has the perfect crunch and pull that you want when you bite into it.
Combine and mix all of the ingredients except, for about 50 grams of the water, together briefly (just for a few minutes is enough) with your hand. If the dough is dry add the additional water. If it's wet you will not need it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Do NOT skip this step.
Stretch and fold the dough into the bowl several times for about a minute. I just pull the outside to the center as I turn the bowl.
Roll the outside of the dough with the multigrain blend and place the dough into a prepared bowl or banneton seam-side up.
Cover and let the bread rest for 6 hours and then either prepare it for baking or place it in the refrigerator for baking the next day.
If you've refrigerated the bread dough, remove it from the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 475 °F and place a lidded pot inside to heat up. You can use an enamel dutch oven or aluminum roaster. You can also put the dough into a cold pot but I find I don't get the same golden color when I do that.
Carefully remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid. Turn the dough over so the smooth dome side is up. Carefully place the dough into the pot.
Slash the bread with a razor blade or sharp knife. Replace the lid and put the pot in the oven.
Immediately reduce the heat to 425 °F. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 18 to 25 minutes. I test my bread with an instant-read thermometer and remove it when my temperature reaches 206 °F to 212 °F
Immediately remove the loaf from the pot and cool it on a cooling rack for at least 90 minutes before slicing. 2 to 4 hours is highly recommended.
Notes
If you want to mix bread earlier in the day. After rising for 6 hours at room temperature, set the covered dough in the refrigerator and bake the next day. Remove the dough from the refrigerator to sit out while the oven preheats.
Feed earlier in the day. When it's bubbly do the test float. If it's runny it's used up all it's energy and needs to be fed again before you can use it. Repeat the float test.
Your bread can be cooked in a cold dutch oven but I like the color and rise I get from preheating my lidded pot.
This bread freezes beautifully. I wrap it in plastic wrap or a ziplock bag and then heavy-duty foil.
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.