Wholegrain Spelt Bread with Flax and Sunflower Seeds Slow-rise - wholegrain spelt flour

Method

• Mix the ingredients for the "pre-dough": 190 g wholegrain spelt, 190 ml water and about 2 pinches of yeast.
• You only need a couple pinches because it's going to rise for a long time!
• Let the mix rise for 12 hours or until it looks double in size and very bubbly.
• Make the cooked pre-dough.
• Mix the cooked pre-dough ingredients (60 g whole grain spelt, 290 ml water and 13 g salt) in a small pot.
• Heat on medium low until it thickens up.
• Make sure you whisk or stir it while it's cooking so there are no clumps.
• Let cool for a couple hours before mixing the main dough, or do up to 2 days ahead and store in the fridge - just bring to room temp before using.
• Time to make the main dough!
• Mix together the bubbly pre-dough, cooked pre-dough and the rest of the ingredients except for the seeds and raisins.
• Remove to a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together.
• Fold the raisins into the dough.
• Note: the dough is probably quite soft so sprinkle flour on your hands and the surface if it's sticking too much.
• Knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
• If it's sticking a lot, just continuously stretch a little and fold over itself.
• After about 10 minutes, it will become smooth and elastic.
• Fold in the flax and sunflower seeds and knead another minute.
• Form into a ball and place in a large bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and onto a floured surface.
• Form into a oblong or round loaf.
• Place the loaf, with the crease facing up, into oblong pot or round bowl lined with a well-floured cloth.
• If you have a banneton/proofing basket, you can use that!
• Let it rise another 1 hour.
• After rising it should have increased in size considerably.
• While rising, preheat the oven to 480F/350C.
• Place a metal or class oven dish filled with about 1-2 inches (5-10 cm) water on the bottom rack - it will create steam that makes the bread better :)
• Once the oven is preheated and the pan of water is simmering, remove the dough from the cloth or basket and onto a lined baking sheet with the crease facing down.
• Quickly cut 2 slits across the top and immediately place in the oven on the center rack (watch out for the steam when opening the oven!)
• Bake for 8 minutes with the steam at 480F/350C.
• Then remove the pan of boiling water and lower the oven heat to 400F/200C.
• Bake for an additional 38-40 minutes.
• Remove and let cool on a rack for 1-2 hours.
• Dig in!