Soft Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Cross section of a baked Multigrain sourdough sandwich bread.

Soft Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread

**Advanced Prep Required - you'll need a Sourdough Starter**

Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread features whole wheat flour and bread flour with 10-grain cereal, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and quinoa and is lightly sweetened with maple syrup. It has a soft tender crumb and earthy flavor, ideal for sammies and toast! This loaf has a long overnight rise, with easy next-day shaping and about a one and a half hour proof. It's baked in a loaf pan to perfection.

A Note on HYDRATION - Flours vary in their moisture content from brand to brand. Additionally, local humidity conditions will impact how your dough feels from one batch to another. After the soaker is added, if the dough feels a bit too dry, try adding a teaspoon of water (more if needed) or too wet? Add more flour, a little at a time. Even if you weigh your ingredients (which I recommend), this is not uncommon. As you gain experience in making sourdough, you'll gain a better understanding of how your dough should look and feel.

Time above does not include the amount of time for fermentation, shaping and proofing which takes between 11-14 hours, depending on ambient temperature. Use the time as a guide, not as a determining factor.

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Example Bakers Schedule:

Friday-Saturday: feed starter.

Saturday night: mix dough and ferment overnight.

Sunday morning: shape dough, allow to rise (proof), bake.

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Serving size depends on how thick or thin the loaf is sliced. I can get about 12 thick slices or 15-16 thinner slices out of this loaf.

Course Bread, Side

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Cook Time 50

Servings loaf

Calories 2783kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

For the Soaker:

1/4 cup (40 grams) 10 Grain Cereal or 7 grain cereal
2 tablespoons (13 grams) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 tablespoons (25 grams) Tri-Color Quinoa or red quinoa
2 tablespoons (20 grams) Flax Seed
2 tablespoons (20 grams) Hulled Sunflower Seeds, unsalted, raw
2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (160 grams) Water about 150F (65C), or soak the grains and seeds overnight in room temperature water

For the Dough

3/4 cup (150 grams) Sourdough Starter 100% hydration, previously fed, bubbly and active
3/4 cup (170 grams) Water about 80F (26C)
3 tablespoons (45 grams) Maple Syrup
3 tablespoons (30 grams) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (100 grams) Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/4 cup (300 grams) Bread Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (10 grams) Fine Sea Salt

Instructions

For the Soaker:

In a medium mixing bowl add the cereal, rolled oats, quinoa, flax seeds, sunflower seeds and water. Set aside.

For the Dough:

Mix the Dough: In the evening, whisk the starter, water, maple syrup and olive oil together in a large bowl with a fork. Add the flours and salt. First, mix with a fork, the dough will be shaggy. Then mix by hand, mixing, folding and pushing the dough in the bowl until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry bits are present. It will seem dry at first, but the more you work the dough, the more hydrated it will become. The dough will feel stiff and it will stick to your fingers as you go. Do this for about 3-4 minutes. (note: In the video below, the soaker and dough water is switched from the written recipe, so the initial mixed dough looks a bit dryer. However, the overall hydration for the bread is the same).
Use the fork to scrape off the dough on your fingers. Cover bowl with a damp tea towel. Set a timer for 30 minutes and allow the dough to rest. Now is a good time to feed/refresh your starter.
Incorporate the Soaker: After the dough has rested, mix in the soaker. To do this, take 1/3 of the soaker and smear it over the top of the dough, then take a portion of the dough and fold it over, on top of itself. Repeat until all the soaker has been folded in. Knead the dough for about 1-2 minutes or until the soaker is evenly distributed in the dough.
It will seem like a lot of added bits, but as you work the dough and as the dough develops through fermentation, the soaker will incorporate. The dough will be stiff, wet and sticky. If adjusting water or flour, now is the time to assess the dough and adjust as needed.
Set a timer and allow the dough to rest for 30-45 minutes.
Fold the Dough: After the dough has rested, fold the dough. To do this, grab a portion of the dough while it remains in the bowl, stretch it up and fold it over, pressing your fingertips into the center of the dough. You'll notice the dough is less stiff and more workable at this point.
Repeat, until you've worked your way around the dough. This is the first fold. Repeat this fold one or two more times as it improves the final dough's structure and crumb. Allow for 30-45 minutes each between folds.
Bulk Fermentation (first rise): After the last fold, cover the bowl with two damp tea towels and allow to rise overnight at room temperature (see note* on optionally retarding the dough). This will take about 8-10 hours at 70F (21C), but in a cooler kitchen, the dough can take up to 11-14 hours to rise - this is the norm in my chilly kitchen 68F (18C). Use the time as a guide and not a determining factor.
The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense, is jiggly when the bowl is shaken, and has about doubled in size.
Shape the Dough: In the morning, with damp fingertips, coax the dough onto a floured work-surface. With moist fingers, take a portion of the dough, gently stretch it towards you and fold it over towards the center, pressing it down gently. Repeat this process until you work the dough all the way around the dough. Using a bench scraper flip the dough over, cover with a tea towel. Rest the dough for 15-20 minutes.
While the dough rests, thoroughly coat the inside of a 9 inch x 5 inch (23cm X 12cm) loaf pan with olive or coconut oil. Set aside.
Flour the work surface and using a bench scraper, flip the dough back over. Use the photos in the blog post and video below to help guide shaping. Gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle (sort of a football/oblong shape if you can) by dimpling the dough (think focaccia), to roughly 6 inches wide and 8-10 inches long. Fold the dough lengthwise 2/3 over onto itself and crease it firmly using the pinky side of your hand. Fold the 1/3 piece left towards the crease and pinch the seam closed. Fold in the ends, coming in about a 3/4 inch - 1 inch, and pinch the seams closed. Flip the bread over, rock it back and forth a bit, and gently fluff the ends in. Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rest for about 5-10 minutes.
Scrape your work surface area of any excess flour and very lightly spritz it with water (this will help increase surface tension as you do the final shaping). Place the dough on the spritz of water (seam side down) and using lightly floured hands, cup the back of the dough and gently pull it towards you until the surface is taught. Gently "fluff" the ends in again if needed to fit into the loaf pan.
Once the surface is taut and with one swift move, use the bench scraper to scoop the dough up and, place the dough into the prepared loaf pan seam side down. If there are misshapen edges or a wrinkled top that need tucking in, use a moistened rubber spatula to gently finesse and shape the edges of the dough down into the pan.
Proof the Dough (second rise): Cover the pan with a damp tea towel and allow the dough to rise until the dough rises to about 1 1/4 inch (3.2 cm) above the lip of the pan at the center of the dough. The amount of time this takes will vary depending on ambient temperature. At 70F (21C) proofing takes about an hour. In my chilly kitchen (68F/20C), about an hour and a half.
Set an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425F (218C).
Bake the Dough: Place the loaf into the oven and then, reduce the oven temperature to 400F (204C). Bake for 40-50 minutes. The bread is ready when the internal temperature (read on a digital food thermometer) of the loaf is between 190F - 205F (87C - 96C). When done, transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool 1 hour before slicing.
Storage Notes: Sourdough is best enjoyed on the same day it's baked, but it lasts for 3-4 days stored at room temperature. Store at room temperature cut side down on a cutting board.
This bread freezes beautifully. Store baked bread in a freezer bag either whole or sliced for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature. This bread can go straight from freezer to toaster to make the most delicious toast!

Video

Notes

*Retarding during bulk fermentation: after mixing the dough, incorporating the soaker and performing the folds, place the dough in the refrigerator, in the same bowl, covered with two damp tea towels (this helps keep the dough moist). Bulk ferment (about 8 -10 hours) in the refrigerator. Pull the dough from the refrigerator and continue bulk fermenting at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size.

This recipe was adapted from my Seeded Multigrain Sourdough Bread recipe.

Nutrition