In this recipe, our Super 10 Blend and first clear flour combine to create moist, chewy, wholesome rolls studded with whole grains and seeds. The crown is achieved in a few easy steps — no slashing required.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a large, 6-quart mixing bowl, or a large, similar capacity dough-rising bucket.
Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don't have a mixer, just stir with a big spoon or dough whisk until everything is combined.
Cover the bowl or bucket and transfer to the refrigerator to rest overnight, or for up to three days.
When you're ready to make bread, generously flour a 10” to 12” ringed brotform. (See "tips" below, if you don’t have a brotform.)
Grease your hands and pull off about one-third of the dough (about 18 to 20 ounces).
Place the dough onto a floured work surface, divide it into eight equal pieces, and shape each piece into a rough ball. Set aside seven balls smooth side down.
On a well-floured work surface, roll the eighth ball into a thin circle, 8” in diameter. Brush an even coat of olive oil around the perimeter, then carefully drape it over the center of the brotform (oil side up); it should cover about 1” beyond the base of the brotform's center hump.
Position the seven remaining balls smooth-side down around the center. The middle of each ball should be about even with the edge of the dough circle.
With a sharp knife, cut from the center of the dough circle down to the point where each ball meets at the base of the center hump. Wrap the triangular section of dough over the top of each ball.
Cover the loaf and let it rest at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, until it’s puffy and no longer feels cool to the touch. It won't appear to rise upwards very much.
While the loaf rests, preheat the oven to 450°F. If you're using a baking stone, position it on a middle rack while the oven preheats. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.
When ready to bake, gently turn the loaf out of the brotform onto parchment paper, a cornmeal-dusted peel, or parchment-lined baking sheet. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven.
Place the bread in the oven — onto the baking stone, if you're using one, or simply onto a middle rack, if it's on a pan — and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly.
Bake the bread for 15 to 20 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F on a digital thermometer..
Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.
If you don’t have our Super 10 Blend, substitute 3 3/4 cups (15 ounces, 425g) white whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup (2 to 3 ounces, 57g to 85g) of whole grains and seeds (like our Harvest Grains Blend or your own blend).
