This very grainy cob loaf doesn’t require much hands-on work, just some time.
Mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 cups of wholemeal flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2½ teaspoons of dry active yeast and 1 teaspoon of bread improver. To this add 1 cup of mixed seeds and grains. I added pepita seeds, different coloured quinoa, amaranth and barley (I pre-soaked this). Any grains or seeds will work. Now prepare approximately 1½ cups of warm water – this should be quite warm to the touch but not hot. The amount you use will always vary due to different flours and humidity. Don’t pour all of it in at once, you’ll just need enough to make a moist dough that’s not too sticky. When thoroughly mixed, place the bowl in a warm place, cover and allow the dough to rise until it’s doubled in size. Now place a cast-iron pot and it’s lid in the oven and preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF). When the oven is hot, flour a bench, carefully remove the bread dough and gently shape it into a floured ball. Remove the pot from the oven and drop in the dough. Cover and cook for 20 minutes then remove the lid and cook for a further 20 minutes. Take the bread out of the oven then out of the pot and cool, covered with a clean tea towel, on a wire rack.
michelle picker cooks 