Marilyn's Whole Wheat and Rye Sourdough Bread

The recipe yielded 1 large loaf and 2 boules.

I started a sourdough in February of this year from the directions given on the kingarthurflour.com website.  They have a whole section on different ways to start your own and I have been happy with the results I achieved.  Over the summer I do not bake nearly as much bread.  Thus I neglected my starter as it sat idle in my garage refrigerator for months.  I did not feed it.  Pure neglect.

The salvaged sourdough starter bubbling happily away!!

Low and behold as Fall comes upon us I get a yearning to make certain things with the change of season.  Sourdough bread is one of them.  King Arthur also gives directions to salvage neglected starter and I followed them, again with excellent results.

Meanwhile I have made an interesting discovery.  There is a website called homesteading today and one of the contributors was sharing information on a free sourdough starter called,  1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Preservation.  If you send them a self addressed stamped envelope they send you a start of their preservation of this starter.  I have done so and look forward to trying it.  You can just google it and there are recipes and all sorts of interesting things.

I did go ahead and find a recipe I wanted to try today on the King Arthur site called Marilyn's Whole Wheat and Rye Sourdough Bread.  I made one loaf and two boules as I plan to serve soup in them one night this week for our supper.  Actually Brian asked me the other day if I would make soup again served in bread boules.

Here is the recipe:

1T. instant yeast
1 3/4 C. lukewarm milk
2 C. sourdough starter
1/4 C. packed dark brown sugar
2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cardamon
1 T. caraway seeds
1 t. whole anise seeds
1 C. white rye flour
1 C. King Arthur Premium Whole Wheat Flour
3 1/2 to 4 C. King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour

Combine the yeast, milk, sourdough starter,sugar, salt, cardamon, and seeds.  Stir in the rye flour and beat until the batter is smooth.  Add the whole wheat flour, then the unbleached all-purpose flour, a cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.  When the dough has formed a shaggy mass, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter.

A shaggy mass of dough.

Knead the dough and add just as much flour as you need to keep the dough from sticking on the counter.  The dough should be a little tacky, but not sticky.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough and place it on a lightly floured counter.  Shape as desired.

Cover the loaves and let them rise for about 45-60 minutes.  Bake in a preheated 40 degree oven for about 25 minutes.  Or, until the bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow in the middle.  Remove from the oven and cool on the rack.  Yield 2 large or 4 mini loaves.