This is a beauty of a loaf, with a dense interior crumb. Try toasting thick slabs for your next smashed avocado toast; you won’t be disappointed. I cheat the flavor with yogurt and vinegar to provide a sourdough effect without the time-consuming starter. It’s an easy bread to make with an almost no-knead dough, provided you have a stand mixer; you just need to allow the better part of a day for the dough to rest and ferment, or start it the night before.
How to Make It
Step 1
Combine first 3 ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, stirring well. Let stand 10 minutes or until bubbly. Stir in yogurt and vinegar. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour and salt to yeast mixture; mix on low speed with dough hook until just combined. Continue mixing on low speed 2 minutes. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let stand at room temperature 6 to 8 hours.
Step 2
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently shape dough into a ball, being careful not to crush out all air pockets. Place a large piece of parchment paper on work surface; place dough on parchment. Cover dough with a large inverted bowl; let rise 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Step 3
Place a Dutch oven with lid in oven. Preheat oven to 450°F (leave Dutch oven in oven as it preheats). Heat 30 minutes.
Step 4
Remove bowl from dough. Carefully cut a shallow “X” into top of dough using a sharp knife. Gently brush dough with milk. Carefully remove Dutch oven from oven; remove lid. Carefully lift parchment paper and dough, and lower dough down into Dutch oven; cover with lid. Bake at 450°F for 30 minutes. Remove lid; bake an additional 10 minutes or until top of bread is browned. Remove from oven; cool bread on a wire rack at least 1 hour before slicing.
Chef's Notes
Executive Editor at Cooking Light, Ann Pittman, explores whole grain's all-around awesomeness in her new book, Everyday Whole Grains: 175 Recipes from Amaranth to Wild Rice. This complete guide to healthy, hearty, and incredibly versatile whole grains includes something for everyone and offers innovative new techniques to ensure the most flavorful results. From simple, delicious sides to satisfying mains and sublime desserts, this James Beard Award-winning author educates, inspires and does not disappoint. Discover a whole new way of looking at whole grains, how they are prepared, and how they can be incorporated into a healthy diet at every meal.
Also appeared in: Oxmoor House, March, 2016,Everyday Whole Grains: 175 Recipes from Amaranth to Wild Rice
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