Light-As-Air Seed Bread
This light-textured loaf with crunchy crust is perfect to serve with soup or stew.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
- 1 cup (163g) King Arthur Semolina Flour
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (255g) lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon garlic oil or olive oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) table salt
- 2 tablespoons (14g) King Arthur Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon King Arthur Artisan Bread Topping or King Arthur The Works Bread Topping, or your favorite seed mixture
Instructions
- 1
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the bread ingredients, mixing and kneading to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
- 2
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or your favorite reusable wrap, and set it aside to rise for 1 hour; it should just about double in bulk.
- 3
Lightly grease the bottom part of a long covered stoneware baker, about 14 1/2" x 5". (For other pan options see "tips," below.) Sprinkle it with cornmeal or semolina.
- 4
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and form it into a smooth 13" log.
- 5
Place the log in the pan, brush the top with water, and sprinkle with Artisan Bread Topping, The Works Bread Topping, or your favorite seeds.
- 6
Cover the pan with its lid, and let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes. Check it occasionally to see where it's at; when ready to bake, it should have started to fill the pan side to side, and crowned about 1" over the rim.
- 7
Just before putting the loaf into the oven, slash the top several times, if desired. Hold your knife at a 45° angle to the dough's surface, and slice quickly and decisively, about 1/2" deep.
- 8
Place the pan in a cold oven, and set the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake the bread for 30 minutes, remove the lid from the pan, and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and its interior temperature measures 190°F on a digital thermometer.
- 9
Remove the bread from the pan, and allow it to cool on a rack. Store any leftovers, wrapped in plastic or your favorite reusable wrap, at room temperature.