1.5ozcooked brown rice or other cooked grain (I sometimes substitute the same weight of rolled oats instead)(5 tablespoons)
.25ozwheat bran(7g or 2 tablespoons)
.25ozground flaxseeds(7g or 2 ¼ teaspoon) (optional, but I usually use it)
½teaspoonsalt
6ozmilk, buttermilk, yogurt, or nondairy milk(¾ cup + 2 tablespoons)
8ozbread flour(1 ¾ cups)
¼teaspoonyeast
5ozwater(½ cup + 2 tablespoons)
1ozwhole wheat flour(3 ½ tablespoons)
⅝teaspoonsalt
2 ¼teaspoonsyeast
1.5ozhoney(2 ¼ tablespoons)
.5ozvegetable oil or melted butter(14g or 1 tablespoon)
Instructions
Soak your whole grains. Mix together 2 oz whole wheat flour, cornmeal, oats, cooked grains, wheat bran, flaxseeds, ½ teaspoon salt, and milk. Stir for 1 minute until everything is well mixed.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12-24 hours. (I was skeptical but the salt acts as a preservative.) Place in the fridge if using after 24 hours; use within 3 days and remove from fridge 2 hours before mixing the final dough.
Next, make your biga or prefermented dough. Mix together bread flour, ¼ teaspoon yeast, and 5oz water. Use wet hands to knead the dough for 2 minutes. (A small bowl of water nearby is helpful, although I usually just rinse my hands often.) Dough will be very tacky. Let dough rest for 5 minutes to let the gluten rest, then knead for 1 more minute. Dough will be smoother but still tacky. (Think, tacky like a post-it note.)
Place dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours and up to 3 days. Remove from the fridge 2 hours before making final dough.
The next day, combine the whole grain soaker, the biga that you refrigerated, and all remaining ingredients. It helps, especially if mixing by hand, if you cut the soaker and the biga into smaller pieces before mixing the dough.
If mixing by hand, mix vigorously with a mixing spoon, or knead with wet hands, for 2 minutes, until all the ingredients are evenly mixed into the dough. Add more water or flour as needed until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.
If using a stand mixer, mix on low speed using the dough hook for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-low for 2-3 minutes. Add more water or flour as needed until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and dust with flour. Knead by hand for 3-4 minutes, adding only as much flour as needed, until dough feels soft and tacky but not sticky. (Think again, like a post-it note. Dough will stick to you and not want to let go, but won't leave much residue behind.) Let dough rest for 5 minutes. This will make it easier to knead again.
Knead for 1 more minute. Dough should pass the windowpane test (although mine barely does, usually) and will be soft and very tacky. Place dough in a ball in an oiled bowl and spray with additional oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until 1 ½ times the original size.
Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a 5x8 inch rectangle, then start at the short end and roll up the length of the dough. Pinch the seam of the dough into the loaf. Place in a greased 8.5x4.5 inch loaf pan and press down on the dough to level it. Spray the top of the loaf with oil, then cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until it is 1 ½ times the original size. The top of the loaf will crest about 2 inches above the top of the pan.
About 30-35 minutes into this final rise, preheat the oven to 425F. Once oven is heated, place loaf pan in the oven, then reduce temperature to 350F. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the loaf, and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Loaf will be a rich brown, sound hollow when tapped on bottom, and will be at least 195F if you want to take its temperature.
Remove from the loaf pan and cool on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before cutting.