WHOLE GRAIN CRANBERRY WALNUT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Whole Grain Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread image

Three different, deliciously balanced whole grain wheat flours, filling and tasty walnuts, and bursts of sweet dried cranberries make this bread an awesome choice for breakfast or snack. I love it toasted crispy-warm and then saturated in salty butter or covered with a thick layer of melting cream cheese. The nutritious whole grain crumb is soft and aromatic, and the nut and dried fruit additions are satisfyingly generous.

Provided by Melissa Johnson

Categories Recipes

Time 1h35m

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

235g red fife wheat berries or whole grain red fife wheat flour (1 3/4 cups flour)
100g sprouted spelt berries or whole grain sprouted spelt flour (3/4 cup flour)
65g white sonora wheat berries or whole grain white sonora flour (1/2 cup flour)
335g water (1 1/2 scant cups)
80g sourdough starter (1/4 cup)
9g salt (1 1/2 tsp)
110g dried cranberries (scant 1 cup)
80g walnuts (3/4 cup)

Steps:

Mixing and Bulk Fermentation
Mix all of the ingredients except the walnuts and cranberries. Cover the dough and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Wet about 14"x18" of clean counter or tabletop and place the dough on it. Stretch the dough into a large thin rectangle. A little tearing of the dough is okay.
See the photo gallery for a visual explanation of the following instructions. Place about 1/3 of the cranberries and walnuts onto the middle third of the dough and then fold over a side, covering the additions. Spread another 1/3 of the additions over the layered dough, and then fold over the other side of the dough. Add the remaining cranberries and walnuts to half of the dough and then fold it in half.
Ball up the dough and return it to the bowl. Cover and let it rest 30 minutes.
Perform one round of coil folding, partly to redistribute the cranberries and walnuts, and partly to build more gluten.
Cover and let the dough rise until it has grown by 50-75%. In my experience, this was about 5-6 hours after the initial mixing in high 70s kitchen temps.
Preshaping, Bench Rest, and Shaping
Flour your countertop and scrape the dough out into it. Fold the sides into the middle and form a ball. Flip the dough onto its seam. Cover and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
Flour the rested dough and then flip it over. For a boule, do the same process as the pre-shape, only scoot the ball around to tighten it after flipping. For a batard, gently stretch the sides outward before folding them inward and over each other, then roll the dough up from the bottom, scooting the tube until the seam is facing down. Pinch the edges closed.
Place the dough in a floured banneton, cover and proof 1-2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. My dough went immediately into the refrigerator for 10 hours and was baked from the cold.
Baking
Preheat your oven and baking vessel to 500F for 30 minutes.
Flip your dough onto parchment and score it. Put the dough in the baking vessel, cover it and bake for:
15 minutes at 500F, covered
10 minutes at 425F, covered
5-10 minutes at 425F, uncovered
The internal temperature should be at least 205F when the bread is done. Let cool for 1-2 hours before slicing.