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Seeded Rye Bread

Overhead shot of a seeded pumpernickle rye bread
Yields
2 loaves

This earthy rye bread has a hint of sweetness and is packed with whole grains, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.  It is great served with cheese, but also makes a perfect grilled cheese or Rarebit.

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ingredients

Starter

2 ½
cups (300 g) dark or medium rye flour, plus extra for sprinkling
1 ¼
cups (310 mL) lukewarm water
2
tbsp starter (from Pain de Campagne recipe) OR 1 tsp instant yeast + 1 tsp honey
1
tsp (3 g) ground black pepper
½
tsp (1.5 g) ground cardamom

Soaker

3
cups (140 g) torn-up pieces of day-old bread, including crusts (white or rye bread)
Hot water, to cover

Dough

5
cups (750 g) bread flour
1 ½
cups (180 g) dark or medium rye flour
2 ¼
tsp (8 g) dry instant yeast
½
cup (125 mL) coffee, room temperature
½
cup (125 mL) extra liquid from the Soaker
Bread from the Soaker
2
tbsp (30 mL) blackstrap molasses
1
tbsp (15 g) salt
1
cup (170 g) cooked wheat, spelt or rye kernels ("berries")
1
cup (150 g) roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
1
cup (150 g) roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds
1
egg whisked with 2 Tbsp (30 mL) water
¼
cup (40 g) flaxseeds
Sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds, for sprinkling
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directions

Notes

Makes two  9 ½ -x-5 ¼ -inch pullman loaves***

Step 1

For the starter, stir the rye flour, water, starter (or yeast and honey), black pepper and cardamom until it makes a thick paste. Sprinkle a little rye flour on top (this prevents a crust from forming), wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and leave on he counter for at least 14 hours.

Step 2

For the soaker, place the torn up bread pieces in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until cooled to room temperature. Squeeze out the bread and set aside and reserve ½ cup (125 mL) of the liquid for the final dough.

Step 3

For the final dough, place the bread flour, rye flour and yeast in the bowl and give it a quick stir. Add all of the starter, coffee, reserved soaker liquid and the squeezed out bread, molasses and salt and mix this on low speed for 5 minutes, then add the cooked grain kernels, sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds and continue to mix on low speed for an additional 10 minutes (the dough will be sticky). Cover the bowl (or place in a separate bowl) with plastic wrap and let rise for just 30 minutes.

Step 4

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface, dust the dough with flour and divide it in half. Flatten each piece and then roll up in a loaf shape. Place each loaf in a greased 9-x-5-inch (2L) loaf pan and cover them with a tea towel, letting them rise for an hour.

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC). Brush each of the loaves with eggwash and sprinkle with seeds. Use a serrated knife to cut a line down the length of the loaf. Bake the loaves for an hour, until the top is a deep brown. Immediately turn the loaves out of their tins to cool completely on a cooling rack.

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