1tablespoonsesame seeds or your favorite blend of seedsfor topping
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the Harvest Grains Blend and boiling water. Let cool to lukewarm.
Add the fed sourdough starter and the remaining dough ingredients, and mix, either by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, until you've made a soft dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Dough will be sticky.
Cover the dough in the bowl, and let it rise until it's almost doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and gently fold it over a few times to deflate it. Shape it into a large round.
Place the dough in a round covered baker or Dutch oven that's been sprayed with non-stick baking spray and sprinkled with sesame seeds or cornmeal, and put on the cover. Let the loaf rise until it's very puffy, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Just before baking, brush the loaf with water, and sprinkle with seeds. Use a lame or a very sharp knife to make four slashes across the top of the loaf, in a crosshatch or "x" pattern.
Bake the bread, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover the loaf and continue to bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190°F.
Remove the bread from the oven, let sit in the baker for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool on a rack.
Notes
I used a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven to bake my bread, resulting in a wider, shorter loaf. Using my 4-quart Dutch oven would have resulted in a smaller, taller loaf.Makes 1 large loaf.