Miller's Bread

A rye sourdough bread with several different seeds; most notably first time that I used amaranth, an ancient grain that was widely used in Mesoamerica; according to Wikipedia it provided up to 80% of the calories intake of the Aztecs.

Sourdough

• 160g whole grain rye flour
• 160ml (5 3/8 oz) water
• 16g (5/8 oz) rye sourdough starter

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 12-14 hours.

Soaker

• 65g (2 3/8 oz) cracked wheat
• 65g (2 3/8 oz) pumpkin seeds
• 35g (1 1/4 oz) flax seeds
• 35g (1 1/4 oz) amaranth seeds
• 200ml (6 3/4 oz) lukewarm water

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl, pour water over and give it a good stir. Cover and let soak for at least 3 hours. You can also let it soak over night; then add 1 tsp of salt and reduce salt in main dough to 1 tsp.

Main Dough

• Sourdough
• Soaker
• 240g (8 1/2 oz) light rye flour
• 200g (7 oz) all purpose wheat flour
• 11g (3/8 oz) of fresh wet yeast or 1 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 3/4 tsp of sugar and 40ml (1 3/8 oz) of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes
• 14g (2 tsp) salt
• 130ml (4 3/8 oz) water

Dissolve yeast in water then combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead with the dough hook on low speed for 15 minutes. Increase speed one level and mix for another 3 minutes. Cover and let rest for 40 minutes at room temperature.

Gently knead into a ball and transfer into well floured banetton. Cover with plastic wrap and let prove for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Place rectangular baking pan filled with 200-300ml (10oz) of water on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 235°C (455°F).

Cover baking sheet with parchment paper and turn dough over onto it. Cut surface of the dough star shaped, leaving 2-3cm (1") standing in the middle. Tranfer into oven, place on middle rack and bake for 10 minutes. Then open oven door to let out steam, close again and reduce temperature to 215°C (420°F). Bake for another 30 minutes.

Let cool on a cooling rack.

Based on a recipe by Peter Kapp in "Mein Brot", published by HEEL Verlag. I recalculated all amounts to make one larger bread instead of two smaller ones and replaced a couple of ingredients that I couldn't get.