Five-Grain Levain Bread | 25% Whole Wheat

A few weeks ago, I made a similar five-grain bread with pâte fermenteé. That was the most delectable breads I’ve eaten, so I’m making it again with wild yeast from my good old sourdough starter. This five-grain levain bread is created by Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread. His bread book has so much to offer, in terms of varieties of bread and techniques. I often use it like an encyclopedia and source of inspiration. My copy of Bread is littered with notes and dog-ears; I’ve been and continued to be well rewarded with so many remarkable breads.

The five grains are whole-wheat (25%), cracked rye, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds and oats. Collectively, they make up of 60% of the total flour weight. So this is a heavy weight in grains, but light in texture. A good way to add nutrients to our daily bread. This bread is an ideal combination of taste, texture and nutritiousness. If you desire an even more wholesome loaf, there is a 50% whole wheat multigrain on this blog.

In general, the sourdough starter needs a day or two to refresh. When it is time to build the final levain, it is also time to start the grains blend soaker. After that, it’s business as usual with mixing and fermenting the dough the same way you would with the five-grain bread with pâte fermenteé.

What I love about sourdough bread is its more nuanced flavor and superior keeping quality. You can keep a sourdough bread on the kitchen counter. They stay fresh for up to a week. No easy spoiling, they get better.