Ezekiel-style Bread

• dry sprouting mix↗100g g

  or 220g pre-sprouted grains

• strong wholegrain bread flour↗450g g
• wholegrain rye flour↗50g g
• instant dry yeast↗7g g
• liquid honey↗1 tbsp tbsp
• olive oil↗1 tbsp tbsp
• seed mix↗50g g

  for sprinkling, optional

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   If you are sprouting your own grains, transfer them to a large bowl and generously cover with cold water. Let them soak for 8‑12 hours or overnight. After soaking, drain through a sieve, rinse thoroughly under running water, drain again, then place them in a sieve over a bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Rinse and drain twice a day, making sure they do not sit in water. After 2‑3 days you will see a white sprout, indicating they have sprouted. After sprouting, give them a final rinse, drain well and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Sprouted grains can be stored in an airtight container for three days or frozen for three months. To prepare the sprouted grains for bread, process them in a food processor into a coarse, sticky paste. You need about 200 g, but a little more or less is fine.

2. 2

   To make the bread, combine both flours in a large bowl with the yeast, the sprouted grain paste, and 1 generous teaspoon of fine salt. Add the honey and oil to 275 g of warm water and mix into the flour to form a slightly sticky dough. If the dough is a bit dry, gradually add water by the tablespoon. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes (or in a stand mixer for 5‑7 minutes). The dough should come together well and be slightly elastic, though not as elastic as white bread. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with a cloth. Let rest for 30 minutes until it relaxes and rises slightly. Lightly grease a 900 g loaf pan with oil.

3. 3

   Shape the dough into an oval, roughly the same length as your pan. If you coat it with seeds, spread the seeds on a tray, then spray the top of the dough with a little water to moisten and roll it in the seeds. Place it in the pan, seeds side up, and let it rise for about an hour until it has risen a third of the way. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 °C/180 °C fan/gas 6. Bake for 50 minutes until golden‑brown, and when you tap the bottom of the loaf it should sound hollow. Remove from the pan and let cool on a rack completely. It will keep for three days in a box or bag, or can be frozen for up to six months.