First bread in my new kitchen: Thomas Keller's multigrain batard

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Isn't spring the moving season? Yes, to me I guess as I've been moving for two years in a row at this time of year. Sadly I finally moved out from the glorious upper east side of New York after being there for 4 years (can't believe! is it that long already??), to the "humble" Queens..

However, after I moved in, I'm starting to love my neighborhood. There is actually quite a few to explore and to discover (I mean, hmm, restaurant) in Queens. Indeed, I can't just improvise to make a call to order some Chinese food delivered to my door, or walk to the French bakery a few blocks away whenever I want. Luckily I can opt to make my own. 

With a good multigrain bread, some jam/spread, slices of good cheese, I am considering myself having a perfect breakfast/brunch. Of course, the world is even better if there is a cup of tea :) Multigrain batards are the most frequently-ordered bread I do in store- they're crusty and soft, wheaty and nutty. To me, all the good things a bread can ever dream are included here.

I went for Thomas Keller's multigrain batard from Bouchon Bakery- it is one of the classic and it does not take that long to make. I'm always a true believer for the magical effect that a long fermentation process renders. This recipe mostly relies on instant yeast to get the dough rise but also incorporate levain (sourdough starter) to the add flavor, so the bread is more flavorful and takes less time from a traditional sourdough bread. I haven't successfully raised a powerful enough sourdough starter since the last one died, so this recipe is perfect for me now.

I found a similar recipe here, worthwhile to give a shot. It takes quite a few of effort and practice to get a good bread. A shout out to thank the peeps who share the recipes online- I can never imagine myself typing in so much lol.