Multi-grain Sourdough Bread

King Arthur Flour

Clay's Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread

The Baking Sheet® Vol. XIII, No. 4, Spring 2002 issue.

2/3 cup (6 1/2 ounces) sourdough starter, fed and ready to use
2/3 cup (5 3/8 ounces) lukewarm water
2 teaspoons (3/8 ounce) olive oil
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (5 1/4 to 6 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) potato flour
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces)King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour
1/3 cup (1 5/8 ounces) Harvest Grains Blend OR any blend of seeds and flaked or softened whole grain kernels
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

*If your starter is very thin, you may need an additional 2 to 4 tablespoons of flour. The dough should be slightly shaggy during the initial 3 to 4 minutes of mixing, and soft and slightly sticky after 10 minutes of kneading.

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer,and mix and knead to form a smooth dough. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour; it'll become puffy, though it may not double in bulk.

Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch bread pan. Gently deflate the risen dough, and shape it into a log. Place it in the pan, cover it lightly, and allow it to rise till it crests about 1 inch over the rim of the pan.

Bake the bread in a preheated 400°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, tenting it with foil after 20 minutes if it's browning too quickly. When it's done, the bread will be golden brown, and will register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center. Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack, to cool completely.

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices.