Easy Wheat Sourdough Bread Abm Food

EASY 100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the warm water, honey, and yeast in a stand-mixer bowl until mixture becomes foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add half the whole wheat flour, olive oil, and salt to the mixture. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until incorporated. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Mix with a dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly adding the remaining whole wheat flour, increasing the speed to high. Mix on high until the batter is combined and not sticking to the sides of the bowl, about 7 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Flour a surface to work the dough.
• Place the dough onto the floured work surface and shape into a loaf. Use more flour if necessary. Place into the prepared loaf pan.
• Let shaped dough sit in a warm place until it has risen over the top of the pan, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until top of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a wire rack. Let cool an additional hour before slicing; otherwise it will feel doughy.

EASY SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in the bowl and stir until it is a chunky, loosely combined dough.
• Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough with your hands until the dough is smooth. (Essentially, you are massaging the dough by stretching and pushing. This will help develop the gluten.) At this stage, it will be wet and sticky. Don't add more flour or your finished bread will be dense and heavy. The dough will stick to your hands and feel messy but if you get your hands wet it won't stick as easily.
• Place the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and let it sit at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours (see notes) or in the refrigerator overnight. (A longer proof time in the fridge will give the bread a more tangy, sourdough flavor.)
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knock the air out of it then form it into a round ball. (See notes)
• Place the ball of dough into a proofing basket or any container that is the shape that you want your bread to be shaped. (See notes)
• Let the dough rise again a second time for 3 to 6 hours** at room temperature until doubled in size. (Or you could let it rise in the fridge overnight for 12 to 15 hours-see notes).
• Pre-heat the oven to 450°F. When the oven is hot, tip the loaf of bread into a dutch oven or onto a baking sheet. Make a slash in the loaf with a sharp knife. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

WHOLE GRAIN SPELT BREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl whisk together spelt flour, flax and sesame seeds, yeast and salt until combined.
• Add water and honey and stir until a dough starts to form. When you can no longer stir, turn out the dough on a floured surface and knead into a firm dough ball. The dough should be stretchy and elastic. When tearing of a piece, you should be able to stretch it gently to become transparent. This is called the "Window Pane Test". Alternatively, you can make the dough in a stand mixer with dough hook attachment.
• Place the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a dry kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size (about 1.5 hours).
• Lightly grease a loaf pan (9x5 inches). Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface and stretch it out gently. Shape it into a loaf by first folding in the sides towards the center. Then roll the dough up from the bottom and gently tuck under the ends.
• Place the dough in the loaf pan - seam side down. Brush the top with water and sprinkle with extra seeds. Cover the loaf and let rise for 30 mins to 1 hour. The loaf should look obviously bigger than before, but doesn't exactly have to be 'doubled in size'.
• Preheat oven to 400° F. With a sharp knife make 3-4 diagonal cuts across the top of the risen loaf. Bake the spelt bread loaf for about 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and crusty. When tapping the bottom of the baked bread there should be a hollow sound. If using an instant thermometer, the internal temperature should be 190° F. Let the spelt loaf cool on a wire rack. Slice only once fully cooled.
• Tightly wrapped the spelt bread loaf keeps for about 4 days at room temperature. You can also wrap it airtight and freeze for later.

SOURDOUGH WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Add ingredients in order suggested by your manufacturer. Select whole wheat setting.

THE BEST BEGINNER SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the starter and water.
• Stir in the flour, and then add the salt.
• Use a fork to mix everything together until it becomes stiff- then switch to your hands to bring the dough together in a rough ball (Remember: don't overmix! This is supposed to be a no-knead-style wet dough.)
• Keep the rough dough in the bowl, cover it, and let sit for 30 minutes.
• After this resting time is complete, stretch and fold the dough a few times to form it into a ball. (See the video for a walk-through on how to do this.)
• Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and let it rise in a warm place overnight or until doubled in size (or about 8 hours). I like to make the dough before bed and leave it in my turned-off oven (I leave the oven light on) to rise overnight.
• The next morning (or after 8 hours), turn the dough out on your counter. Fold it over a couple of times to tighten it into a ball, then let sit for 15 minutes.
• After this resting period is complete, gently shape the dough into a ball once more place into a well-floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a well-floured dish towel. Remember: don't add too much flour and do not knead the dough!
• Cover and rise for 2-3 hours, or until doubled.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal in the bottom of a Dutch oven (optional, but this helps the bottom not to scorch).
• Tip the loaf out of the proofing basket onto a sheet of parchment. Lower the parchment into the Dutch oven.
• Place the lid on the pot and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the lid and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the loaf is deeply browned and crispy on top. (For a less crusty finish, bake for the entire time with the lid on.)
• Move to a cooling rack and allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing it.

SOURDOUGH BREAD FOR BEGINNERS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Autolyse: Add 400 grams of warm water and the sourdough starter to a medium bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula to dissolve the starter.
• Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour. Use a spatula or your clean hands to mix until combined and there are no dry spots. Cover with a clean cotton kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place for 60 minutes.
• Bulk fermentation: After resting the dough, add the salt and remaining 10 grams water. Use your hands to incorporate the salt, squishing the dough through your fingers to make sure it is evenly distributed.
• Set a bowl of water nearby. Once the salt is incorporated, dip your hand in the water to prevent sticking. Use your wet hand to stretch the dough from the edge of the bowl upwards, then fold toward the center. Repeat a total of 8 times, rotating the bowl slightly after each fold.
• After the folds, carefully lift the dough up, flip it over, place it back in the bowl and tuck the edges under the dough. Scrape down the edges of the bowl, then cover with the kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 60 minutes.
• Repeat the stretching and folding process 2 more times, waiting 60 minutes after each folding session before beginning again. You should see signs of fermentation in the form of an increase in volume and bubbles along the edges and top of the dough. Wait a little longer, up to 30 more minutes between folds, if you don't see those signs yet.
• Preshape: An hour after the final stretch and fold, dip your hands in the water. Think of the dough as the face of a clock. Slide your hands into the bowl at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. Partially lift the dough from the bowl and let it fold under itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat the lifting and fold under 5-6 times, until dough has begun to come together in a ball.
• Carefully lift the dough onto a clean surface. Lightly sprinkle the dough with the dusting flour. Using a bench scraper, or lightly floured hands, carefully rotate and drag the dough towards yourself along the surface, building tension until you have a round, taut ball of dough. Do not make the ball too tight, as it may tear. Lightly flour the dough, cover with the towel, and let rest for 30-40 minutes.
• Final shape: Dust a proofing basket or a medium bowl lined with a cotton towel lightly with flour.
• After 40 minutes, the dough should look relaxed and have spread out slightly. Lightly flour the top of the dough again. Using the bench scraper, or a silicone spatula and lightly floured hands, carefully flip the dough over, so the unfloured part is facing upwards.
• Think of the clock again. Fold in 12 o'clock towards the center, then 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock, and 9 o'clock, then each of the remaining 4 diagonal corners. Carefully transfer the dough, seam-side up, to the prepared proofing basket or bowl. Pinch the seams to ensure they are sealed. Cover the bowl with the towel.
• Final proof: Transfer the dough to the refrigerator to finish proofing overnight, 12-18 hours. If you want to bake the same day, leave at room temperature for 2-3 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator while you preheat the oven. (Overnight proofing is highly recommended!)
• When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Place a Dutch oven or cast iron combo cooker in the oven while it preheats. Make sure your oven has come up to temperature before baking, at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare a piece of parchment paper about the size of the bottom of your baking vessel. Place the parchment over the proofing basket and gently flip the basket over so the dough drops onto the parchment.
• Carefully remove the baking vessel from the oven. Use the parchment paper to carefully lift the dough into the pan. Use a sharp paring knife or bread lame to slash the top of the dough a few times. This scoring will allow steam to escape. Cover the vessel with the lid and carefully place in the oven.
• Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, until the crust is amber brown.
• Remove the bread from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack. Check to make sure it is done baking by tapping on the bottom--you should hear a hollow sound. Though it may be tempting to dive right in, let the bread cool completely, at least 2 hours, before slicing with a serrated knife.
• Store the loaf cut-side down on a cutting board, or in a plastic bag. You can freeze the whole loaf, or pre-slice, then freeze and pull out slices as needed.
• Notes: If you are using all-purpose flour, use 375 grams of water instead of 400 grams of water for the initial mix. If you don't have a Dutch oven or cast iron combo cooker, you could bake in a cast iron skillet, a pizza stone or a sheet pan, uncovered. You could also bake the bread in a greased 9 x 5-inch (22 x 12 cm) loaf pan (place the bread in the pan seam-side down instead of in a proofing basket.) Bake at 475°F (240°C) for 40-45 minutes, until amber brown. Reduce the oven temperature for the last 20 minutes of baking if the bread is getting too dark on top. The bread won't look as shiny and have as crispy of a crust, but will taste just as good!
• Enjoy!

EASY SOURDOUGH BREAD (WHOLE WHEAT-ISH)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the water, starter, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula to loosely combine. Add the flour, and stir with a spatula to combine - it will be a wet, sticky dough ball. Transfer to a straight-sided vessel and cover with a tea towel or bowl cover for 30 minutes.
• . After 30 minutes, grab a corner of the dough and pull it up and into the center. Repeat until you've performed this series of folds 4 to 5 times with the dough. Let dough rest for another 30 minutes and repeat the stretching and folding action. If you have the time: do this twice more for a total of 4 times in 2 hours. [Video guidance here.] Note: Even if you can only perform one series of stretches and folds, your dough will benefit. So don't worry if you have to run off shortly after you mix the dough.
• Cover the vessel with a tea towel or bowl cover and let rise at room temperature (70ºF/21ºC) for 4 to 18 hours (times will vary based on the time of year, the humidity, and the temperature of your kitchen). The bulk fermentation will end when the dough has nearly doubled in volume and you can see bubbles throughout the dough and on the surface. (Note: Do not use your oven with the light on for the bulk fermentation - it is too warm for the dough. To determine when the bulk fermentation is done, it is best to rely on visual cues (doubling in volume) as opposed to time. A straight-sided vessel makes monitoring the bulk fermentation especially easy because it allows you to see when your dough has truly doubled.)
• Gently transfer the dough to clean work surface. I prefer to use no flour and a bench scraper at this step, but if you find an un-floured work surface to be difficult, feel free to lightly flour it. [Video guidance is especially helpful for this step.] Fold the dough, envelope style: top third over to the center; bottom third up and over to the center. Then repeat from right to left. Turn the dough over and use your bench scraper to push the dough up, then back towards you to create a tight ball. Repeat this pushing and pulling till you feel you have some tension in your ball. Place the dough ball top side down and let rest 30 to 40 minutes. (FYI: This is called the bench rest.)
• Line a shallow 2-qt bowl (or something similar) with a tea towel or flour sack towel. Flour sack towels are amazing because the dough doesn't stick to them, and therefore you need very little rice flour, but if you only have a tea towel, you will be fine. If you are using a tea towel, sprinkle it generously with rice flour. If you are using a flour sack towel, you can use a lighter hand with the rice flour. After the 30-to 40-minute bench rest, repeat the envelope-style folding and the bench scraper pushing and pulling till you have a tight ball. [Video guidance here.] Place the ball top side down in your prepared towel-lined bowl. Cover bowl with overhanging towel. Transfer bowl to the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. (Note: When you remove your dough from the fridge, visually it will likely look unchanged. This is OK. You do not need to let it then proof at room temperature before baking.)
• Heat oven to 500ºF. Remove your sourdough from the fridge. Open the towel. Place a sheet of parchment over the bowl. Place a plate over the parchment. With a hand firmly on the plate and one on the bowl, turn the dough out onto the parchment-paper lined plate. [Video guidance here.] Carefully remove the bowl and towel. Carefully remove the plate. Brush off any excess rice flour. Use a razor blade to score the dough as you wish. I always do a simple X. Grab the ends of the parchment paper and transfer to the Dutch oven. [Video guidance here.] Cover it. Lower oven temperature to 450ºF, bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover. Lower temperature to 400ºF. Bake for 10 minutes more or until the loaf has darkened to your liking. Transfer loaf to a cooling rack.
• Let loaf cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

EASY SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and remaining dry ingredients.
• Add water, sour cream and vinegar and beat well.
• Stir in additional 2-2 1/2 cups flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
• On floured surface, knead in 1/2-1 cup additional flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top.
• Cover and let rise for 25-35 minutes in a warm place.
• Grease large cookie sheet.
• Punch down dough and let it rest on counter, covered with an inverted bowl, for 15 minutes.
• Divide dough in half.
• Roll each half to a 14" x 8" rectangle.
• Starting with long side, roll up and pinch edges firmly to seal.
• Taper ends a little, to look like typical French bread.
• Place seam side down on prepared cookie sheet.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake bread for 25 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat egg white and water.
• Brush over partially baked bread.
• Return to oven and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped.
• Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool.

LIGHT WHOLE WHEAT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Whole whether doughs tend to rise faster than white doughs, especially in warm weather. To avoid over proofed dough, I like to start mixing in the afternoon (usually between 2-3 PM) when I know I'll be home to stretch and fold the dough. Please adjust your rise times based on temperature.
• Combine the sourdough starter and water in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Mix with a fork and then finish by hand to fully incorporate the flour. It will feel very wet and sticky. Cover with a damp towel or wrap and let rest for 1 hour on your countertop, returning to the bowl after the first 30 minutes to work the dough into a rough ball.
• After the dough has rested for 1 hour, do your first fold.
• Gather a portion of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over toward the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a 1/4 turn and repeat 3 more times, stretch and folding the dough to come full circle around the bowl (4 folds = 1 set). If the dough still feels slack after the 1st set, do an additional 4 folds around the bowl to tighten the dough.
• For best results, do 4 sets total spaced 30 minutes apart resting the covered dough in a warm spot in between each set (see tip below). Notice how the dough will tighten after the 4th set. See video for technique.
• When finished with the folds, cover the bowl and continue the bulk rise (untouched) at 75-78 F for about for 2-3 hours. The dough is ready when it has almost doubled in size. Wrap and chill the whole bowl overnight; the dough will continue to rise only slightly in the fridge when the dough is warm.
• Preheat your home oven to the lowest setting for 30- 45 seconds and then shut it off. Place the covered bowl of dough inside to bulk up. The temperature should be 75-78 F and no higher than 80 F. Use an oven thermometer (and common sense) to keep track of the temperature. Dough that is too warm will become wet, sticky, and a tricky to work with. Alternatively, use a proofing box.
• The following morning, make sure the dough has doubled in size. If not, give it more time to bulk up, if needed. This is important to build strength.
• Line a small bowl with a cotton or linen cloth. Sprinkle with flour. You're going to shape the dough twice to build extra strength.
• Remove the cold dough onto a floured surface. Let rest for 10-15 minutes to take some of the chill off. Shape the dough into a loose ball using the envelope technique. Starting at the top of the dough, stretch and fold it over toward the center. Then stretch and fold the bottom of the dough toward the center. Repeat on the left side...and then the right side. Using a bench knife, scoop up the dough and flip it over so the smooth side is facing up. Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes.
• After the dough has rested, flip it over again (the smooth side should be facing down now). Shape it again following the steps above. Flip it back over. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you in a circular motion to tighten its shape. Place the dough into the lined bowl, seam side up. Cover with the cloth overhang.
• Rest in the warm spot you used earlier for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The dough is ready when it looks puffy and has risen slightly, but has not yet doubled in size. The dough should not be very cold prior to baking.
• Preheat your oven to 450 towards the tail end of the second rise.
• Cut a sheet of non-stick parchment paper to fit the size of your baking pot, leaving enough excess around the sides to remove the bread.
• Place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Sprinkle the dough with flour and gently rub the surface with your hands. Using the tip of a bread lame, small, serrated knife or a razor blade, make four shallow 4-inch long cuts at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock around the dough. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to the baking pot.
• Bake the dough on the center rack for 20 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, and continue to bake for 40 minutes and golden brown.
• When finished, transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour before slicing, for best texture.

EASY WHEAT SOURDOUGH BREAD (ABM)

Steps:

• FOR THE SPONGE. (This will make the proofed sourdough starter.).
• 1 cup starter, 3/4 cup water & 2 cups flour.
• Mix the starter with the flour & water.
• Set aside and let sit 4-8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Let proceed till it expands 3 times it's original size.
• FOR THE DOUGH.
• Add in all ingredients starting from 1 1/4 proofed starter into the bread machine.
• Let the bread machine mix, kneed and do the first rise.
• Remove at beep to lightly floured surface.
• Divide dough into 2 equal portions.
• Pat each dough portion out into a flat circle.
• Gently stretch and fold the left side over the middle, then the right over the middle.
• Like folding a letter.
• Shape, always keeping the folded side on the bottom.
• Spray pan with pam & then place shaped dough into pans.
• Spray the tops and cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate over night.
• Take out in the morning and let them finish rising at room temperature.
• They should be light.
• Don't rush the rising or your bread will be dense.
• Bake at 350 until done, about 30 minutes.
• If your bread is browning too fast, tent with aluminum foil.
• The bread is done when internal temperature reaches 210.

WHOLE WHEAT EINKORN SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large, non-metal bowl (I have this set of pyrex glass bowls and I use the largest bowl), combine the starter with the water and honey. Make sure your water is between 105F and 110F and no warmer.
• Add 6 cups of whole wheat einkorn flour and the salt. Stir the dough using big, gentle strokes that scrape the outside of the bowl and come inward towards the center of the bowl. DON'T stir vigorously making tiny circles in the center of the bowl. Stir until the dough looks mostly wet and slightly shaggy. The dough will not be super firm and spring back to the touch like a traditional yeast dough.
• Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then sprinkle a little bit of flour over the top of the dough and around the edge of the bowl. Fold the dough by reaching in on the outside of the dough (along the sides of the bowl). Gently scoop the dough and fold it over towards the top, center of the dough. Turn the bowl ¼ of a turn and repeat the gentle scoop and fold over process until you've worked your way around the entire bowl.
• Move a rack in your oven to the lowest setting. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and place the bowl on the rack. Turn the oven light on and close the oven door. Let the dough rest undisturbed for 8-12 hours.
• Prepare your banneton basket. Flour it VERY WELL. If you don't want to bake a boule, you can use a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
• Lightly flour your working surface and scoop out the dough. Do not turn the bowl over and dump the dough out. As best as possible, you want whatever part of the dough was at the bottom of the bowl to be resting on your floured surface, and the portion of the dough that was facing upward in the bowl, still be facing upward.
• Pull the corners, or the outside of the dough up and over towards the center of the dough. Do this scoop and fold motion around the entire loaf until it's a round-ish shape and firm enough to handle. Flour your hands and flip the entire round of dough over.
• Create a "turn and tuck" motion by placing your hands on the outside of the dough and turning the dough counter-clockwise while tucking the dough underneath itself. Continue this "turn and tuck" motion for about 2-4 minutes. This will create a seal underneath and the top will become smooth.
• When the top is smooth and you have a mostly round shape, flour the top of the dough well and turn it upside down into the prepared, well-floured banneton. The seam of the dough should be visible.
• Move a rack in your oven to the lowest setting. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and place the banneton on the rack. Turn the oven light on and close the oven door. Set a timer and let the dough rest undisturbed for 1 hour.
• When the timer is done, remove the dough from the oven and place in a warm location.
• Preheat the oven to 500F and place a 6-quart dutch oven with the lid on, in the oven. Let the Dutch oven preheat for 30-60 minutes while your dough finishes its second rise.
• When you're ready to bake, reduce the oven temperature to 450F and pull out the Dutch oven using oven mitts.
• With your oven mitts on, flip the banneton over so that the dough dumps directly into the Dutch oven, seam down. If the dough doesn't come out centered into the pot, wait 20 seconds or so, then grab the handles and shake the dough so it's centered.
• Place the lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes. When the timer is done, remove the lid and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.
• When the timer is done again, remove the pot from the oven, and with your oven mitts on, reach in and remove the loaf of sourdough bread. Place the bread on a cooling rack to cool for two hours.

LANDBROT - WHEAT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Usually, we keep our sourdough starter at 100 percent or higher hydration. That means when we feed it we add flour and water to make a pancake batter thick batter. To start this bread, take a half a cup or so of sourdough culture and add flour until the batter is very stiff.
• Add the flour to an active culture, that is, one that has been recently fed and did not just come out of the refrigerator. Make a stiff dough.
• Cover (we like to cover with plastic wrap) and leave out on the counter for 4 to 6 hours.
• Use 3 tablespoons of the freshened, sourdough culture and add the 1/2 cup water and 1 1/2 cups (total) flours in a bowl and stir until smooth. Cover this dough and keep it on the counter for about 12 hours.
• The next day, add 2 3/4 cups water, 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 2 1/2 cups minus 2 tablespoons white flour to a large mixing bowl and stir until all of the flour is wet. Cover and let this dough "autolyse" for 20 minutes to 1 hour.
• Sprinkle the salt over the dough and add the "levain" in several pieces. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes in a mixer or 5 minutes by hand. The dough is very loose. Cover.
• Bulk fermentation is about 2 1/2 hours at room temperature. During this time, you will fold the dough 2 times.
• To fold, turn the dough out on a well-floured board. Fold in thirds (like a letter) horizontally, then stretch the dough and fold in thirds vertically ( folding step by step here ).
• The bread dough now weighs about 3 1/2 pounds. You may make smaller loaves out of it, but we made 1 large loaf for the photos.
• Form the dough into a loose, round shape. Place, seam-side down, into a well-floured proofing basket or an oiled and floured bowl. Our bowl was well-floured but not oiled, and the dough stuck and deflated a bit more than I wanted.
• Cover the bread loosely, without the cover touching the dough. A cardboard box would work well.
• Let this dough rise 2 to 2 1/2 hours at room temperature.
• About an hour before baking, preheat your oven to 440 F with a baking stone if you have it and prepare the oven for steam. ( This bread can also bake without steam, when necessary.)
• Sprinkle parchment paper , which is placed on the back of a cookie sheet or on a baker's peel, with flour or cornmeal or semolina. Unmold the dough from the proofing basket onto the parchment. The dough is still very wet and sticky so try your best not to deflate it.
• Quickly shove the baking sheet into the oven or, using the parchment paper, move the dough onto the baking stone. Use steam for baking, as described here.
• Bake for fifteen minutes, then lower the temperature to 420 F and bake until done, about 60 to 75 minutes more. Test the bread with an instant-read thermometer and make sure that it has an internal temperature of at least 195 F.
• Let the bread cool for several hours on a rack. The longer the bread sits, the more intense its flavor will be. You may freeze this bread.
• Enjoy!

WHOLE-WHEAT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• To prepare levain: Combine starter, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour in a medium bowl. Cover loosely and let stand in a warm spot until bubbly and doubled in size, 4 to 6 hours.
• To prepare dough: Combine 3 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 2 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Set to the lowest speed and slowly add 2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water. Mix on low speed until the flour is moist, about 20 to 30 seconds, being careful not to overmix. Cover the mixing bowl and let stand for 20 minutes to allow the water to completely hydrate the flour before mixing the final dough.
• Remove the mixing bowl cover and turn the mixer on low. Add salt, then spoon in the levain (from Step 1) and mix until combined, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a 10- to-12-quart plastic food-storage container. Reach under one end of the dough, pull up a handful until there is resistance, then stretch it back over the top of the dough mass and drop. Turn the container a quarter turn and repeat the fold. Repeat two more times for a total of 4 folds. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding procedure 4 more times, every 20 minutes, to build the gluten and strengthen the dough. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, 6 to 12 hours.
• Liberally flour the inside of two medium bowls or proofing baskets.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, sprinkle flour on top and split it in half. With floured hands, roll each half into a ball. Place the dough balls into the prepared bowls or baskets. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until the dough is puffy, 2 to 4 hours. To test, press gently with a floured finger. If the depression springs back to the original shape in a few seconds, allow the dough to proof longer. If it doesn't spring back, it is ready to bake.
• Meanwhile, place a large cast-iron pot with lid in the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F. After reaching 475 degrees F, wait at least 20 minutes for the pot to heat up before baking.
• Carefully remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid. With floured hands, pick up the dough and carefully place the loaf inside the pot. (It is OK to gently drop it in from a height of 3 to 4 inches to avoid burning yourself.) Replace the lid and transfer to the oven. (Place the second loaf in the refrigerator while the first one bakes.) Bake for 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking until browned, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the loaf from the oven and carefully transfer the bread to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
• Repeat Steps 7-9 for the second loaf.

HONEY WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Add the water, milk, and honey to the bowl of a standing mixer, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the liquid and stir briefly. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, until the yeast is activated and looks creamy. Stir in the olive oil.
• Put the oats in a food processor or spice grinder and process to a fine powder. Add the ground oats to the mixing bowl along with the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.
• Fit the mixer with the dough hook and begin mixing the dough on low (speed level 2 or 3 on a KitchenAid mixer) to bring the dough together. As the dough beats, slowly add only enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to bring the dough together into a soft dough. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl, but still stick to the bottom. (*See note.) This will take about 7-8 minutes.
• With the mixer continuing to knead the dough (keep it on low speed), slowly sprinkle in the salt. Once the salt is incorporated, let the mixer continue to knead the dough for another 3 minutes, until the dough is elastic, smooth and soft. Your total knead time should be about 10 minutes.
• Spray a bowl large enough to hold double the amount of dough with non-stick spray, or coat it with a bit of melted butter. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, shape it into a ball, and plop it down into the greased bowl. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with non-stick spray, or brush it with a bit of melted butter, and use it to cover the bowl.
• Let the dough rest at room temperature until it has doubled in size. Depending on the temperature of the room, this will take between 60 and 90 minutes. (*See notes below about controling the temperature of the dough as it rises.)
• Spray two 8 & 1/2 by 4 & 1/2 inch loaf pans with non-stick spray, or coat with a bit of melted butter. Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into two pieces. Lift one piece of dough and form it into a ball by using your thumbs to gently stretching the outside of the dough into a ball, pinching the dough together at the bottom. Bring the opposite sides together and pinch together at the bottom. Lay the ball of dough on your work surface, and roll it back and forth a few times to create an oblong ball. Lay the dough, seam side down, into one of the loaf pans. Repeat with the other half of dough.
• Spray two sheets of plastic wrap with non-stick spray, or brush them with a bit of melted butter and loosely cover each loaf.
• Allow the loaves to rise at room temperature until they double in size again, rising over the tops of the pans, 45 minutes - 1 1/2 hours.
• While the loaves rise, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). When the loaves are fully risen, bake for 35-40 minutes, until they are golden brown and an instant read thermometer plunged into the center of one of the loaves registers between 190 - 200 degrees.
• Remove from the oven and use a dish towel to grip the top of each loaf to lift it from the pan onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
• Once cool, the loaves can be wrapped in plastic and stored for 2-3 days at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap the bread airtight and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature, still wrapped.

EASY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix together the flour, yeast and salt. Then pour in the warm water and knead with your hands until a dough forms (the dough will be sticky, which is ok)
• Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest in a draft free spot for 1 hour
• After 1 hour preheat your oven to 400 F and line a round baking dish* with parchment paper
• Rub some flour between your hands and transfer your dough to the round baking dish. Shake the dish so the dough settles into the space of the dish evenly, or pat it gently with your hands to fill it
• Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes
• Score the dough with a knife (criss-cross shape in center) and sprinkle it with your toppings (rolled oats, salt, etc.)
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown