It's exam-prep period again! Sigh I guess I have mixed feelings about these periods- it's bad because I need to study hard and really get things done. Good because stressful periods call for baking and it's an excuse to eat and bake more decadent goodies. And I get to stay home more often and cook my own meals, which is 10x better than school food. But I guess the bad > good still, and I can't wait for exams to end so I can bake more and play more!  

Flexible school schedules call for more bread baking- since sourdough bread baking requires lots of time but little hands on effort, which is perfect for those days where a bit of dough-squishing stress relief is desired but I can't afford to spend too much time baking. And where I need occasional breaks between mounds of math to fold soft, elastic dough- which is incredibly therapeutic. Baking, really, is stress relief. Especially bread baking, and even more so sourdough bread baking, because it always brings me immense happiness to see gloopy dough become soft and elastic, and that oven spring when I remove the lid of the cast iron pot is the most satisfying thing ever. It's like all the precious waiting time has become completely worth it. 

The original recipe for this bread calls for flaxseeds, but since I didn't have any on hand, I used a mixture of fennel and cumin seeds which added a little spice kick. Leave it out, by all means, but this makes a magnificent grilled cheese or dunk it into soups (I dunked it into some homemade pumpkin soup- double happiness!). You don't even have to add the tumeric, if you'd rather not, though for me, a little pop of colour is always welcomed. 

Makes 2 large or 3 smaller loaves 

50g 100% hydration starter 

50g water

50g flour 

150g leaven 

525g water 

635g bread flour (or 485g bread flour + 150g high extraction wheat flour, if you can find them) 

75g wholewheat flour 

40g medium grind rye flour 

15g salt 

185g red onions, finely diced

40g olive oil 

1/2 tsp tumeric 

1/2 tsp black pepper 

10g poppy seeds 

15g flaxseed (or a 10g mixture of fennel and cumin seeds, or any seeds of choice) 

5-6 hours before making dough, build leaven. It is ready when it passes the float test.

Sauté onions with oil, tumeric and pepper, till soft and caramelised. Let cool completely.  

Combine water, leaven and flours, autolyse 20 mintues. Add salt, onion mixture, and seeds, mix till no yellow streaks remain.

Bulk proof 3-4 hours, folding every 30 min for the first 2 hours. 

When the dough is puffy and almost doubled in size, turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Preshape, and let rest 10-30 min. 

Final shape and place in proofing basket. Cover with towel and plastic wrap, let rise refrigerated for up to 24 hours. 

When ready to bake, let the dough come up to room temp, about 1 hour. 

Preheat oven + Dutch oven to 260 degrees Celsius. 

Invert the dough onto a piece of parchment and slip it into the Dutch oven. Bake at 240 degrees Celsius for 20 min with lid, 12-20 min without. (Or bake at 230 degrees Celsius for 40 min with lid, 15-20 min without). Let cool completely before slicing.