Nutty, toasty, earthy loaf- perfect with cheesy scrambled eggs for breakfast! Though a good slathering of almond butter will be great too for a quick weekday breakkie :)

I haven't updated this space for a while... I guess I just haven't really been taking photos of my bakes and making the effort to write up a quick post and put up the recipe here. Or maybe it's the lack of inspiration or legit photos or not knowing what to say. Either way, I want to keep this going for as long as I can, though I know that the time I have for baking will only get less and less as I move on to a new phase of my life and take on new commitments and pursue new things. Baking will never change, though. I know that in the most stressful and tiring of times, that I can have the smell of salted brown butter chocolate chunk cookies gently wafting through the house, and that I can always whip up a batch of salted caramel brownies when I need some chocolate to make me happy. Or simply relishing in the process of making a loaf of sourdough in between essay writing and math and studying for A Levels. 

It's not a easy year, I know it won't be. But knowing some things will stay the same is perhaps the most of comforting. Like how everything seems to fall into place even in the messiness of my room. How my favourite teddy bear will always be there for a tight hug when I need him. And that the sun will shine one day and the rain will come to wash all the bad things away. And knowing that the smell of my dad's double boiled chicken soup, the taste of mom's chicken fried pasta and the crackle of slicing through a loaf of homemade sourdough will stay with me for a long time to come is the most satisfying of all. Sometimes, it's a simplest things in life that we remember the most, and its these little things that make the biggest difference. 

Seeded Polenta Rye Sourdough

(2 large loaves) 

Leaven:

30g 100% hydration starter 

85g water 

85g bread flour 

Soaker: 

200g boiling water 

100g cornmeal 

Dough: 

200g leaven 

550g water 

All of the soaker 

400g bread flour 

300g medium Rye flour 

200g high extraction wheat flour 

18g salt 

Fold ins:

150g sunflower seeds, toasted 

30g black sesame seeds 

Combine ingredients for the leaven, let sit aside for 7-10hours, depending on how active your starter is and the room temperature. 

Combine the soaker and let sit at room temperature until ready to make the dough. 

Combine the dough ingredients, autolyse 30 min. 

Fold in the seeds, mixing with your hands till combined. 

Let the dough bulk proof for 3 hours, turning and folding every 45 minutes. 

Divide the dough into 2 balls, preshape and rest 20-30min. 

Press your thumb into the centre of the ball to create a hole, and use your hands to widen the hole to create a large doughnut shape. 

Let the dough rise on a parchment line baking sheet, in the fridge, for 6-8h, covered with plastic. 

Preheat the oven and Dutch oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Let the retarding dough rest at room temp for 45min-1h till it warms up slightly. Make 3 long slashes into the dough. Slip the parchment into your heated Dutch oven. Bake lid on for about 45 min, lid off about 20 min till a deep golden on top.