Barley bread

 

400g unbleached, organic strong white flour

100g organic barley flour

120g sourdough starter

10g chia seeds

10g linseed

300g bottled water

3g baker’s yeast

10g kosher salt

 

Put the flour in a mixing bowl.  Add the water, salt, sourdough starter, chia seeds, linseed and baker’s yeast.  Mix together well and knead the dough for about 6 minutes.  Leave to rise covered by a tea towel for about 1.5 to 2 hours.  Shape into a ball, flatten slightly and fold in four of the edges to the centre, shape back into a ball and place in a banneton, seam up (or place on a greased flat baking tray).  Cover with a tea towel and leave the dough to rise for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in bulk.  Dust with rye flour, slash the bread with a lame or a razor blade. Place the dough in a pre-heated oven @ 220°C, with a shallow tray of water at the bottom, to create steam.  Bake for 26 minutes.  Allow to cool on a wire tray, covered with a tea towel.

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* I autolysed the flour overnight (mixing the flour and water together for about 5 minutes until a dough had been formed).  The next morning the rest of the ingredients were added and the dough kneaded as usual.  The dough was really pliable, stretchy and elastic and easy to work with.  The dough was placed in an oval banneton and allowed to rise for 2 hours.  It was then slashed lengthways to a depth of about 10mm with the lame held at a 30° angle to the cut. This produced a nice 'ear' on the finished loaf.  The dough was then placed on a baking stone in a pre-heated oven @ 220°C.  And it tasted really good - plenty of spring, nice texture and well aerated.