Description
This sunflower seed and honey bread is a hearty, healthy whole grain bread dotted with vitamin E rich sunflower seeds and enhanced with the subtle sweetness of honey.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Sourdough sponge
- 250g whole rye flour
- 250g water
- 40g starter culture
Main Dough
- the fermented sourdough sponge from above (minus the approx 40g you keep back and store in the fridge)
- 260g wholewheat flour
- 250g strong bread flour
- 50g honey
- 260g water
- 3g dried yeast
- 20g salt
- 150g sunflower seeds
Instructions
- To make the sourdough sponge combine the whole rye flour, water and sourdough starter in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12 hours (overnight) or until you see a lot of bubbly activity. This may take longer if your starter culture is a bit sluggish.
- Then combine all the ingredients for the main dough, apart from the sunflower seeds in a mixing bowl. Knead for 10 minutes either using the dough hook of an electric mixer or by hand. Finish of the kneading by hand with 3-4 cycles of stretching and folding.
- Form the dough into a tight ball and place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and either bulk ferment in the fridge for 8-10 hours or at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
- After the bulk ferment the dough should have at least doubled in size, even tripled. Turn out the dough into a work surface, deflate and flatten into a rough rectangle. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds all over the dough and work them in by squidging up the dough with your hands and then a short gentle knead to properly distribute the seeds throughout.
- Form the dough into a ball and place into a lined and floured proving basket. Cover loosely with a tea towel and leave to re-rise for 45-60 minutes at room temperature. Pre-heat your oven, and dutch oven if using one, to 250 degrees C.
- When your loaf is proved and ready to bake it should have almost doubled in size and slowly spring back when you gently press into the dough. Using a serrated knife, cut into the surface of the dough and bake either in a dutch oven or simply on a baking stone or sheet. If you are baking on a stone or sheet place a roasting tray of water on the oven floor to provide steam. After 10 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 200 and bake for a further 45 minutes or upto 60 minutes if you like a nice dark crust.
- Allow to cool before slicing.
Notes
Total time required; 26 hours (0r 18-19 hours*)
Hands on time; 45-60 min.
Sample schedule for a work day: 18.00 mix sourdough; next day 7.00 mix main dough and knead; 7.30 bulk ferment in fridge; 17.00 deflate and shape; 18.00 bake.
*(NB. for a non-work day you could allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature for 2-3 hours)
- Category: Sourdough Loaf