Part 26 (1/2)

This recipe is adapted from Chad Robertson's country loaf, in Tartine Bread. Simply replacing white flour with whole grain in his recipe will create a decent loaf of bread, but it won't be as airy or flavorful as it will be if you follow this revised version of the recipe. This recipe calls for 75 percent of the flour to be whole grain; you can adjust the percentage of whole-grain flour higher or lower as you prefer. In keeping with the custom for bread recipes, quant.i.ties here are given by weight rather than volume; you will need a digital scale, calibrated in grams, to follow this recipe. Note: Be sure to build your starter at least a week before you plan to bake. Make two loaves.

Active Time: about 70 minutes

Total Time: between 5 and 10 days

FOR THE STARTER

50 grams stone-ground whole-grain flour, plus more as needed to feed the starter (at least 150 grams more)

50 grams unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed to feed the starter (at least 150 grams more)

100 grams warm tap water, plus more as needed to feed the starter

FOR THE LEAVEN

100 grams stone-ground whole-grain flour

100 grams unbleached all-purpose flour

200 grams warm tap water

3035 grams starter (recipe from above)

FOR THE BREAD

600 grams stone-ground whole-grain flour

250 grams unbleached all-purpose flour (higher protein bread flour is okay), plus extra for dusting work surface

150 grams rye or pumpernickel flour

900 grams warm (roughly 80F) tap water

3 grams or 1 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast (or half of a -ounce packet) mixed with 50 grams warm tap water, optional

25 grams kosher or fine sea salt

Rice flour, for dusting proofing bowl, optional MAKE THE STARTER

In a small gla.s.s or plastic container (a clear container allows you to watch microbial activity), mix 50 grams each of the whole-grain and all-purpose flours until combined. Add the water and stir until the consistency of a smooth batter. Leave the mixture open to the air, stirring vigorously for about 30 seconds at least once a day or whenever you think of it. If the mixture dries out, add a bit of warm water to bring it back to the consistency of a batter. The wild yeast and bacteria in the air, on the flour, and on your hands will eventually start to eat the sugars in the flour and ferment.

As soon as you observe signs of microbial activity (e.g., lumps on the top, bubbles within the batter, or the smell of beer or yeast or ripe fruit)-which can take as long as a week-feed the starter daily: Discard approximately 80 percent of it and replace with fresh flour and water in equal amounts (about 50 grams of whole-wheat flour, 50 grams of all-purpose flour, and 100 grams warm water). Stir until smooth. Once it has become active again (i.e., bubbling), keep the starter covered at a warm room temperature. If you won't be baking for a while, you can refrigerate or freeze your starter. To do so, feed it, let it sit for a couple of hours at room temperature, then add enough additional flour (the 50/50 mixture) to dry it out in a ball; freeze or refrigerate. A few days before you want to use it again, wake up the starter by bringing it to room temperature; feed it with the same amount of water and flour as above twice daily, discarding 80 percent of it each time, until it's lively again.

MAKE THE LEAVEN

The night before baking the bread, make a leaven. In a gla.s.s bowl, combine the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours with the water. Add 2 tablespoons of the starter and mix thoroughly. Cover with a towel and leave out overnight in a draft-free spot.

MAKE THE BREAD

The night before baking the bread, ”soak” the whole-grain, all-purpose, and rye flours: In a large bowl, combine the whole-grain, all-purpose, and rye flours with 850 grams of the water, mixing with a spatula or by hand until there are no lumps or patches of dry flour remaining. (A recommended extra step: In the case of the whole-grain flour and the rye flour, pa.s.s them through a flour sifter to remove the larger bits of bran; reserve the larger bits in a small bowl for use later.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave out overnight in a draft-free spot. The reason for this step is to thoroughly moisten the whole-grain flours before the fermentation begins; this softens the bran (making for a more voluminous loaf) and begins the breakdown of the starches into sugars (deepening flavors and color).