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Dakota Bread

This hearty loaf from the breadbasket of America can contain a daunting number of flours and seeds. We rely on seven-grain cereal mix to shorten the ingredient list while still providing hearty texture and complex flavor to the Dakota bread. Starting the bread in a hot oven creates an initial “spring,” and lowering the temperature later prevents the seeds from burning. Bread flour gave us the gluten development necessary to make our loaf rise high, and a pan of water in the oven prevents the crust from setting before the Dakota bread is fully risen.
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 cups warm water 110 degrees
  • 213 grams seven-grain hot cereal mix 1 ½ cups / 7½ ounces
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 546 grams bread flour 3½ cups / 19¼ ounces
  • 1¾ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast
  • 3 tablespoons raw unsalted pepitas divided, 2 tablespoons / 1 tablespoon
  • 3 tablespoons raw unsalted sunflower seeds divided, 2 tablespoons / 1 tablespoon
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten

Instructions

Soak the multi-grain cereal:

  • Grease a large bowl.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, cereal, honey, and oil and let sit for 10 minutes.

Make the dough:

  • Add the flour, salt, and yeast to the cereal mixture.
  • Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 4 to 6 minutes.
  • Add 2 tablespoons pepitas and 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds to dough and knead for 1 minute longer.
  • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead until the seeds are evenly distributed, about 2 minutes.

Let the dough rise:

  • Transfer the dough to the greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
  • Let the dough rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size and fingertip depression in dough springs back slowly, 60 to 90 minutes.

Shape the dough and let it rise again:

  • Gently press down on the center of the dough to deflate.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and shape it into a tight round ball.
  • Place the dough on the prepared sheet.
  • Cover the dough loosely with plastic and let it rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes.

Prepare the bread for baking:

  • Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lowest positions and the heat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon pepitas, remaining 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds in a small bowl.
  • Using a sharp knife, make a ¼-inch-deep cross, 5 inches long, on top of loaf.
  • Brush the loaf with egg and sprinkle the seed mixture evenly over the top.

Bake and cool:

  • Place an 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan on the lowest oven rack and fill with 1 cup of boiling water.
  • Place the baking sheet with the dough on the upper-middle rack and reduce the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Bake until the crust is dark brown and the bread registers 200 degrees, 40 to 50 minutes.
  • Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool completely, about 2 hours.
  • Serve.

Notes

  • In step 2, if the dough is still sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl after 2 minutes, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 3 tablespoons.
  • Be sure to use hot cereal mix for Dakota bread, not boxed cold breakfast cereals, which may also be labeled “seven-grain.”