cracked all-the-grain sourdough

Popping in with another fabulous sourdough enhancement: cracked all-the-grain sourdough.

The bakery uses a grain mix, and since the mix has nine grains, we call the bread “cracked 9-grain”, but you can use as many (or as few) grains as you like and name it accordingly.

I used some of the bakery’s grain blend — this is similar, I think — for these two loaves, but you can make your own grain mix with any combo of wheat berries, rye, oats, millet, rice, buckwheat, flax seed, barley, corn, spelt, etc, etc, etc.

Thick slices of this grainy bread toasted and topped with loads of butter and a drizzle of honey makes for a pretty darn spectacular breakfast…

…even when the pan loaf you made this week overproofs wildly.

Oops.

Cracked ALL-The-Grain Sourdough

2 pounds sourdough (half of this recipe)
100 grams grain mix (like this or this)
100 grams water
¼-½ cup rolled oats, for the topping

The night before making the bread, combine the grain and water in a bowl, cover, and set on the counter at room temperature overnight. 

The next morning, make the dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Drain off any excess water (it’s fine if the grain is a little soppy), and then fold the grain mixture into the dough the same way the chocolate and cherries were added to the bread in this recipe.

Rest the dough for another 30 minutes and then fold. Repeat this rest/fold step 2-3 more times.

After the final fold, let the dough bulk proof for 3-5 hours.

Shape the dough into a batard, boule, pan loaf, whatever. Put the rolled oats on a plate. Spritz the top side of the loaf with water and roll it in the oats so they stick to the loaf. Proof the loaf overnight. 

The next morning, score the loaf and bake at 400 degrees (in a Dutch oven, on a baking stone, in loaf pans, whatever) for about 35 minutes. 

This same time, years previous: live it well, the quotidian (7.5.21), the quotidian (7.6.20), pulling together, three things about writing, let’s revolutionize youth group mission trips! please!, grilled flatbread, red raspberry lemon bars.