rustic seeded boule

 I fell hard and fast in love with this bread. I mean I love all bread, but time after time seeded, crusty, rustic bread steals my heart. I want to eat this bread all day, every day no exceptions. Not only does it taste amazing slightly warmed slathered in orange marmalade or butter but is also makes a pretty incredible grilled cheese & panzanella. Oh rustic seeded boule, if I was stranded on a dessert Island with the choice of only five things to eat you would be my number one, right alongside sweet potato, avocado, peanut butter & blueberries.

I say this each and every time I write about bread, there is absolutely no reason to be intimated by the bread making process. With a little bit of patience and time you will have yourselves an amazing loaf of bread that is totally brag worthy. Most of the time needed to make a loaf of bread is inactive- plenty of time  between each stage to catch a half season of your current obsession on NETFLIX or Amazon. Please tell me I'm not alone when I say I can power through a whole season over a weekend - missed 5 season's of Chopped? No problem, I'll be caught up next week! I will say, this bad habit quickly goes into hibernation once warmer weather arrives, but for now in -2 degree weather I am camped out on the couch with a hunk of bread and the latest episode of Intervention.

You can either make your own seed mix or purchase one already done up for you- of course the one you make is going to be the less expensive option,  but if you are feeling lazy King Arthur Flour makes a pretty awesome mix. I know you are admiring those pretty circular lines, those were created during the second rise/ "proofing" stage in a proofing bowl. You absolutely do not need a proofing bowl/basket to make amazing bread, I actually made bread for years without one.

My plans for this weekend include baking up another one of these gorgeous boules, hot cups of tea, a little something sweet, Sunday morning laziness & loads of little orange kitty snuggles. 

Speaking of orange, is that not the most beautiful orange marmalade you ever did see? I totally need to learn how to make some of that goodness on my own- maybe this weekend!

Rustic Seeded Boule
makes one boule

you will need:

1/2 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp dry instant yeast

2 tbsp maple syrup
1 container 6oz plain or vanilla vegan yogurt- coconut, almond, soy

2 1/2 - 3 cups AP flour 

1/4 cup mixed seeds

1 tsp kosher salt

assembly:

425* for 20-25 minutes

Combine warm water. yeast and maple syrup in a medium mixing bowl- allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy & bubbly. Add yogurt, seeds and 2 cups of all purpose flour to the mixing bowl, gently stir with a wooden spoon or your hand until a rough dough ball begins to form, sprinkle a bit more flour over the dough and begin to pull the remaining dough away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn dough ball onto a lightly floured surface- a 1/4 cup at a time begin kneading in remaining 1/2 to 1 cup of flour. Knead 8-10 minutes until dough is and smooth and elastic.

Grease your mixing bowl and place dough ball into bowl- tightly cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area free from drafts- a warm oven (no direct heat) is great for this- allow to rise until double in size. Punch dough down and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Place dough in a floured proofing bowl or free form a boule and place on a piece of parchment and baking sheet. Cover with a lightly floured dish towel and allow to rise again until double in size.

Place your boule (if it is not already) on a parchment lined baking sheet or pre heated baking stone (you can slash the top of the boule with a very sharp knife or scissors if you would like). Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until brown and when the bottom is tapped it sounds hollow.  For an extra thick crust, place a baking sheet (metal) at the lower most rack while oven is pre heating. When you transfer your bread to the oven, place a few ice cubes in the heated sheet which will create steam.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for a minimum of 5 minutes prior to slicing.

Enjoy!