Friday night was a delicious meal of shared food, with new and old friends who came to visit. I made lentil soup and peasant black bread, and they brought endive with fruit/nut/cheese filling, stuffed baby portobellos, potatoes with aioli, sliced orange, and homemade chocolates with dried blueberries and nuts.
Peasant Black Bread with sunflower seeds
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup water
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
120 grams rye flour (1 cup)
390 grams whole wheat flour (3.25 cups)
1/4 cup gluten flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
72 grams sunflower seeds
1. Mix all of the ingredients by hand, mixer, or bread machine till you’ve created a smooth, elastic dough. Because the consistency of sourdough starters vary, you may need to add a bit of extra flour or water; the dough should be medium-soft but not sticky. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly greased or floured surface, and form it into a fat log. Make about 4 slices across the top of the loaf. Place the log into an Italian stoneware baker (cloche) that’s been greased on the bottom, or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the loaf, and let it rise for about 30 minutes..
3. If you’re baking in a covered stoneware baker, place the bread into a cold oven, set the oven to 400°F, and bake for 40 minutes. Check the bread, and bake for a bit longer, if necessary; the internal temperature should be about 197°F when measured on an instant-read thermometer. If you’re baking on a sheet pan, preheat the oven to 375°F, and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the bread is brown. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack.
Servings: 22
Nutrition Facts Serving size: 2 oz.
Calories 138; Total Fat 2.3g; Saturated Fat 0.2g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 160mg; Potassium 145.5mg; Total Carbohydrates 24.3g; Fiber 3.5g; Sugar 0.2g; Protein 5g
