Maple Oat-Crusted Seeded Spelt Country Boule

Steps

1. Night before, about 10 pm: give your sourdough starter its usual equal-weight feeding and leave it at about 75°F (24°C); it should peak, doubled and domed, in 8 to 12 hours, around 8 am.
2. Morning: toast the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant, then cool.
3. Make the soaker: in a bowl combine the toasted pumpkin seeds, toasted sesame seeds, ground flaxseed, chia seeds and half of the oats (50 g). Pour over the boiling portion of the water (100 g), stir, cover and let it cool and swell for at least 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the whole spelt flour and the bread flour with the lukewarm portion of the water (300 g) until no dry bits remain; cover and rest 45 minutes.
5. Add the sourdough starter, maple syrup and salt to the dough and squeeze and fold for 3 to 4 minutes until combined. Counting the soaker water and the starter, the dough is about 82% hydration and about 2% salt.
6. Rest the dough 30 minutes, then add the cooled soaker and pinch and fold until it is evenly spread.
7. Bulk rise at about 75°F (24°C) for 4 to 5 hours: do 4 sets of stretch-and-folds 30 minutes apart in the first 2 hours, then leave the dough alone until it has grown by about 50%, looks domed and jiggles. Spelt is delicate, so handle it gently.
8. Turn the dough onto a lightly dampened counter, pre-shape it into a round and rest 20 minutes uncovered.
9. Shape into a tight boule, wet the top with damp hands, then roll the top in the remaining oats (30 g) spread on a plate. Set it oat side down in a towel-lined bowl or banneton.
10. Cover and cold-proof in the fridge for 12 to 14 hours overnight; it is ready when it springs back slowly when poked.
11. Next morning, set a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for 45 minutes.
12. Turn the boule onto parchment, oat side up, score it and lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered 20 minutes, then reduce to 450°F (230°C), uncover and bake 25 to 30 minutes more until the crust is deeply browned and the center reads 205 to 210°F (96–99°C).
13. Cool the loaf on a rack for at least 2 hours before cutting into 12 slices.