Seeded Sourdough Superstar

Sparkwell's favourite bread

How long do you think a loaf of bread should keep?

If you've never baked your own, and are still buying from the store, then your expectations will be pretty high. Industrially-produced breads are laden with chemical preservatives and fungicides, to give them a shelf-life that is seemingly indefinite - in fact, it's more like embalming than baking. But who wants to eat that?

If you make your own bread, you'll probably be aware that sourdough and yeasted breads differ. Bread raised with bakers yeast will keep for two or three days, while bread raised with a wild yeast sourdough will keep for three or four days before you need to start thinking about bruschetta or croutons.

Our 100% rye bread is an excellent keeper, but the star of our show, and the loaf that our lovely neighbours in the village of Sparkwell order most often, is Dragan's Seeded Bread. Made with a mixture of khorasan, einkorn and spelt flours, plus a soaker of mixed sunflower and sesame seeds, it is super-hydrated, and raised on a deliciously mature leaven. It keeps for over a week,( if you can bear to test it that long).

The hydration in the seeds helps the moisture-retention, and the acidity in the leaven from the lacto-acid bacteria, provides a natural preservative. Together with the ancient and heritage flours, it's pretty much a winner all round.

If you want to try it yourself, the recipe is below:

Dragan's Seeded Sourdough Superstars

Makes two 1kg loaves

Seed soaker (make 12 hours in advance):Put 200g sesame seeds + 200g sunflower seeds in a bowl. Dissolve 50g barley malt in 500g-600g water. Pour over the seed mixture. Leave to soak overnight.

Leaven (make in advance): Prepare 6 to 8 hours beforehand, at room temperature (20°C approx..). Take 100g starter (made with strong white bread flour) and feed with 200g water plus 100g white spelt and 100g wholemeal spelt. Total leaven: 500g

Dough:

• 150g Khorasan
• 150g White Spelt
• 100g Wholemeal Spelt
• 100g Einkorn
• 21g salt
• 4g yeast

1. Mix all the flours, salt and yeast together. Add the leaven and the seed soaker. Use a spatula to mix this all into a soft and wet mixture, like thick porridge.
2. Leave to rise for 2 to 3 hours, remembering that the longer you leave it, the better the taste. Fold the ‘dough’ gently with a spatula to help the gluten development and the activity of the yeast.
3. Divide mixture between two oiled tins.
4. Leave to rise for 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 230°C. After 15 minutes reduce to 210°C, place the loaves into the hot oven and bake them for 30 to 35 minutes.
5. Check the temperature inside the baked bread with a probe thermometer. If it is 94°C it is baked. Otherwise, bake for another five minutes, or until it reaches that temperature.
6. The crust should be rich golden brown. Glazing it with olive oil enhances the appearance of the seeded top.