Multigrain Seed Bread

Step 1

Place the water in a large mixing bowl, crumble in the yeast (if using dry yeast, let dissolve), then stir in the sourdough, salt, honey, seeds and flour.

Step 2

Stir the dough until it is elastic and cohesive but still very wet and sticky, about 15 minutes by hand or 10 minutes with the paddle attachment of a heavy-duty electric mixer set at medium speed. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place for one hour.

Step 3

Oil a pair of metal loaf pans, 2 1/2 by 4 by 8 inches. Stir down the dough and divide it between them, cover with plastic wrap and let rise only until one-and-a-half times the original height, about 45 minutes. The dough will not fill the pans completely.

Step 4

Heat the oven to 450 degrees and make the loaves for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake 20 to 30 minutes more, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool on their sides on wire racks.