If I have come to understand anything through the internet it is this:  There are worlds of people on this globe who are a lot like me, share my interests and passions.  It is delightful and so happy to know that there are other people here with me who are not the murders, thieves and gang members in the newspapers and on TV as the media would have me believe!  I wish I could read and comment on everyone of those blogs.  But I think if I did that I’d cease to be me and would really become a virtual cartoon person. 

Goodness where did that come from.  I guess it’s just residual from World Day of Bread.  The goal was to talk about bread and it’s certainly generated a lot of that, wonderful stories.  Be sure to look for Zoora’s round up here after the 25 October, it’s bound to be huge.

For me, while I was surfing along I came to Eva’s (SweetSins) post here.   It’s not the same bread I did but it shares some similarities.  I followed her source trail back and got to this.  Well, I might know brot maybe bread and kron maybe grain but the German was Greek to me.  (Why did I take Latin in High School?)  I could however make out the Jeffrey Hamelman: Bread A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes part, so I was off.  Except that there was more than one recipe that looked likely.  Eva graciously pointed me in the right direction!

I wasn’t unhappy with my three grain bread, I just thought I could be happier.  And . . . let’s take a look . . .

Again, I did rolls and stuffed them with garlic, sage, purple basil and blue cheese. 

And again they were good . . .

But this time I think it’s the bread that’s the star!

This is the loaf I shaped, turned seam side down in the banneton and then turned again and baked on the stone in the oven.  Even though this looks burnt black, it was not.

I had this for breakfast as toast with a little jam.

I had this for lunch as a BLT.  See when you get close-up the black sesame seeds are really black and the crust is just rich golden brown.

I had a few mid-afternoon toast snacks and so by dinner time I wasn’t just famished and had a small salad and toast and cheese!  Goodness, yes I had it all day long.

The recipe can be found in Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes on page 227.  If you don’t have the book and really like baking bread, you probably want to get it.   

What did I change:

      I didn’t have cracked rye, I used rolled rye flakes.

    I used more rye sourdough starter than the 1T+1t.  I probably used  1/2 a cup.

       Next time I’ll use 4 teaspoons salt, just slightly more than the 3 1/2 teaspoons called for.

Five-Grain Seed SourDough

Adapted from

Jeffrey Hamelman

Bread A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes

Rye SourDough

1 3/4 cups stone ground rye flour 228g

7/8 cup water 194 g

1/2 cup rye sourdough starter ??g

Mixed, covered and left on counter overnight.

Hot Soaker

1/2 cup flax seeds 80g

5/8 cup cracked rye (or flakes) 80g

1/2 cup sunflower seeds 65g

3/4 cup oatmeal (old fashioned rolled) 65g

3 1/2 to 4 teaspoons salt (use 4 next time)

1 5/8 cups water 372g

Mixed, covered and left on counter overnight.

Interesting to note that the reason given for the salt at this point is: The boiling water activates enzymes in the grains, the salt will inhibit excess activity. 

Final Dough

5 cups high-gluten bread flour 734g

more as needed

1 3/8 cups water 298g

1 teaspoon instant dry yeast

2 teaspoons honey

all of above soaker

all of above rye SourDough starter above

Directions given in the book are for a mixer.  I’ve been doing most all my breads by hand except for the most liquid (like the BBB Crock - that had to have a mixer).  I mixed all the listed ingredients in the final dough and then put that out onto the counter dusted with flour.  I kneaded about 6 to 8 minutes and probably added another 1/2 cup flour. 

One of the things it’s been hardest for me to learn - and I really think I’ve only come to understand this after working with so many wet doughs like the Crock - it is very easy to add way more flour than is good for the bread.  I try to pay very close attention to what the dough is described to feel like than I do how much flour I’m adding. 

In this case the dough is described as:  moderately loose and somewhat sticky.  I can’t tell you much more, it’s a touch thing.  The dough is heavy, loose and a little sticky on your hands and counter.

I put the dough into a covered container for about an hour at which point it had doubled in volume.

I shaped this into one free form oblong loaf . . . one in the banneton . . . and the rest into rolls.

It rose for 55 minutes.

BAKED:  With misting the oven at 460° for 15 minutes, then lowered to 440° and continued baking for an additional 35 minutes.  The rolls took about 10 minutes less in total.  I promise you as black as that looks there is not burn anywhere in this bread.

I love the many whole grains in the crumb!

Hope you have bread on your table everyday!

Check out Susan’s Wild Yeast Blog if you’re looking for more recipes.  Every Friday you’ll find a great selection and almost always one or two you’ve not seen before!

And Look Out, tomorrow the Babes are back in town!!