More Seed Than Bread

Are you over your meat-induced shock now? Does this mean I can write again? I promise it doesn't involve protein in any form... it's all (vegan) bread and carbs here, baby! Actually, not only is today's bread vegan, but it was a component in an earlier vegan meal I made this week!

You may recall that my Mother's Day pasta dinner involved toasted bread cubes - coming from a loaf I proudly claimed as my own! I was actually asked by a fellow Flickr user if they were seasoned, since in the dish they really do look like they are crusted with pepper and cheese, or done "Caesar-style". However, the loaf is nothing more than flour, water, yeast and a bevy of seeds and grains, shaped into a baguette and baked to crispy-crusted perfection. When I started out making the dough, I knew I wanted something with a ton of flavour - and I wasn't disappointed. The texture (not to mention the size, it's a demi-baguette) is not something I can reccommend for making sandwiches, but it would be perfect for croutons, bruschetta, crostini or even panzanella salad. Even mini French toast rounds would be good, especially if made savoury.

I'm sending this to WildYeast's Susan's event YeastSpotting this week.

Seed - Filled Crostini Bread
Makes enough for 10 crostini
In a bowl, combine flours, cornmeal, flax seeds, poppy seeds and salt. Set aside.Mix water and yeast in a large, deep bowl. Allow to stand 10 minutes.Beat the flour mixture into the yeasted water to form a stiff, smooth dough.Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour.Punch dough down and roll into a small baguette shape. Place on a lightly greased (or parchment lined) baking sheet.Cover again and allow to rise 45 minutes.Preheat oven to 400F.Bake loaf for 25 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.