Cracked Wheat Sourdough Bread A hearty grain and seed filled sourdough bread

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Activate the starter from the fridge before baking. You can purchase hard red winter whole wheat flour or grind it yourself.

2 ½ cups of active starter; at room temperature (between 70° and 85° F.)
1 ½ cups of the flour

Mix and let rest for about 40 minutes at room temperature.

Then add:
1 ½ cups of the same flour
1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of salt

You may prefer to use the quick dough cycle of your bread machine which will warm the whole thing up to about 82°, it usually kneads for 20 minutes, rises it for 10 minutes, mixes it, and then rises it for another 5 minutes. Note: I do not prefer the bread machine method. Mixing and kneading by hand works well and it is therapeutic unless you have arthritis or your arms or hands are not very strong.

Shape the dough into a round ball, put it in in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. Then bake at 400° for 10 minutes on a hot pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal. Placing a pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven gives the bread a wonderful crust. Reduce heat to 375° and bake another 20 or 25 minutes. The bread is done when it gives you a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.

Cracked Wheat Sourdough Bread
A hearty grain and seed sourdough bread. Any good
sourdough starter will work.
Makes two (2) 9x5 inch loaves (24 servings).

3/4 cup cracked wheat
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (optional)
2 1/2 cups sourdough starter
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups regular white flour
1 egg, beaten

Directions In a medium bowl place cracked wheat and pour hot water, (does not need be boiling), over wheat. Add melted margarine, molasses, honey, nonfat milk, flax seed and sunflower seeds and mix well. Cool to lukewarm and stir in the sourdough starter.

With a large wooden spoon start stirring in the flours, 1 cup at a time, beginning with the whole wheat then the bread flour. When dough is stiff enough to work, turn out onto a floured surface and knead a good 10 to 12 minutes, working in as little of the remaining flour as necessary.

When smooth and elastic, shape dough into a ball and put it into a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, place in a warm, draft-free spot, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours, punch down risen dough and set aside again to rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

When the second rising is complete, punch down the dough and shape into two loaves. Place dough in two well-greased 9x5 inch loaf pans, cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk, or until the dough reaches the tops of the pans, about 1 hour. Brush tops with an egg wash, made by whisking one tablespoon water into one whole egg until well blended.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for30 minutes, after 15 minutes rotate pans and spray with cold water, continue baking until the loaves test done by the hollow sound made when tapped on the top and bottom or using your internal thermometer, bread should be 190 degrees internal.

Cool on racks in the pans for a few minutes, then turn out onto the racks to cool completely. Do not cover bread for at least 30 minutes - that's when the flavor develops.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Flatbread

2 teaspoons salt
1 cup all purpose white flour
2 cups whole wheat or King Arthur White Wheat flour
4 teaspoons Sourdough Bread Enhancer
1/4 cup vegetable oil
10-12 ounces water
1/2 cup assorted seeds such as sesame, caraway, fennel, poppy
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Food Processor method: Place the flours, regular salt and Sourdough Bread Enhancer in the work bowl of the food processor fitted with the plastic blade. With the machine on, add the oil and then the water. When a ball of dough forms, process for 40 seconds. The dough should be soft and pliable.

Allow the dough to rest 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 475°, with the rack in the upper third. Lightly coat a heavy baking sheet with non-stick vegetable spray. Divide the dough into 6 pieces (while you work with each piece, cover the remaining pieces). Sprinkle the work surface with a generous amount of seeds and pat them into the dough. Roll the dough in a free form shape as thin as possible, then transfer it to the prepared pan and continue rolling until paper thin. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the edges are crisp and brown and the center has risen unevenly and bubbled. Cool on racks and store uncovered at room temperature.