On our way back home from the summer holidays we were greeted with a terrible thunderstorm as soon as we passed the border of North Rhine-Westphalia. We shortly whished to turn the car and drive back to the sunny Plön. But when we finally reached home I was happy to have my oven back. And it was like it would whisper: “Bake a bread!” And so I refreshed my sourdough and the next morning I looked through my baking cupboard to see what I could bake.

I found some Emmer, Rye and of course Wheat flour and so I decided to bake a three grain bread.  To enhance the nutty flavour of the Emmer I made a paste from roasted sesame and poppy seeds. I did not add a big amount, only a little bit so it would not stand out but melt with the aroma of the grains.

A this makes a great bread, aromatic with a open crumb and a crisp crust. A perfect start into autumn.

Aromatic Three Grain Bread

yields 2 Breads of 750g

Sourdough

• 200g flour Type 550
• 200g Water
• 10g Sourdough (after one refreshment)

Seed Paste

• 25g Sesame
• 15g poppy seeds

Dough

• Sourdough
• 200g Emmer, freshly milled
• 100g rye, freshly milled
• 500g flour Type 550
• 490g Water
• 20g Salt
• 40g Seed Paste

Mix water, flour and starter for the sourdough and ferment for about 12  hours at 25°C.

For Seed paste roast the seeds in a pan and then grind them in a mixer to a fine paste. This works best with the double amount. You can either freeze the remaining paste or keep it in the fridge for some days.

The next morning mix the flour with water and let it rest for 30 min. Now add the other ingredients for the dough and knead 7 min at the slowest speed until medium gluten development.

Let rise for 3 hours. Fold the dough two times during this time.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape them into batards and place them on a well floured proofing basket.

Let them rise for 2 hour.

In the meantime heat the oven with the bread baking stone to 250°C.

Prior to baking, dust with flour and slash with long, flat curves. Place the breads in the oven with steam. Turn the temperature back to 200°C after 10 min and bake the bread for another  35 min.

I sent this entry to Yeastspotting, Susans weekly showcase of yeast baked good.