Easy Braided Whole Wheat Loaf

🧂 Ingredients

• 600 grams whole wheat flour
• 440 grams water
• 15 grams fresh yeast

  or 10 grams active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried summer savoury

  or thyme
• 1.5 teaspoons salt

Instructions

• 1 Mix the yeast and warm (not hot) water in one bowl, the flour and salt in
  another. Let the yeast bloom i.e. get foamy and then combine the wet and dry
  ingredients in whichever bowl is bigger.
• 2 Once it's all basically incorporated, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface
  and knead it (fold it over itself, press it down with your palm, turn it a
  quarter turn and repeat).
• 3 After you've kneaded it for 15 - 20 minutes it should be smooth and elastic. Put
  it back into a clean bowl and cover with a clean kitchen cloth to proof for
  about an hour. Every 20 minutes uncover it and do another set of fold-and-turns.
• 4 After an hour turn it out again onto a lightly floured surface and give it
  another quick knead.
• 5 Use a knife to cut it into 3 roughly equal pieces and gently stretch those
  pieces into long tubes. Line up the tubes and braid them and then gently tuck in
  the edges under the loaf.
• 6 Move it to an oval baking dish that you've oiled and floured on the bottom and
  up the sides (you can also use cornmeal to prevent sticking).
• 7 After you've put it in the baking dish, let it proof for at least another 30
  minutes up to an hour.
• 8 Preheat oven to 225 C / 440 F with a tray in the lower third of the oven.
• 9 When ready to bake, use your fingers to gently wet the surface of the dough with
  a bit of warm water and sprinkle on the seeds.
• 10 Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
• 11 Remove lid and bake for another 15 minutes uncovered.

Nutrition Info