The unique flavors and textures of our Harvest Grains Blend lend nuttiness and chew to this bread's otherwise mellow sweetness and soft, moist crumb. We like it best for toasting and tartine-style eating, but it makes a mean sandwich and can sop soup with the best of the rolls out there.
Mix and knead all the ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to form a smooth, elastic dough. The dough will be a little bit sticky; but if it's firm enough to hold its shape, no more flour is necessary.
Cover the dough and allow it to rise for 1 to 2 hours (depending on the vigor of your starter), until noticeably puffy, though not doubled in bulk.
Lightly grease and lightly flour the base pan of a long covered baker (glazed or stoneware) or 4 to 4 1/2-quart baking crock or Dutch oven.
Gently deflate the risen dough and shape it into a log. Place it in the baker, put the lid on, and allow it to rise until it's level with the rim of the glazed baker or 1" over the rim of the stoneware baker, about 1 to 2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the bread is golden brown and the interior registers 190°F on a digital thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.
Don’t have any starter? Here’s a recipe for homemade sourdough starter. If you're making it from scratch, you'll need to feed it for 5 to 7 days before it’s ready for baking. Want a head start? Purchase our classic fresh sourdough starter – it’ll be ready for baking soon after it arrives at your door. Looking for tips, techniques, and all kinds of great information about sourdough baking? Find what you need in our sourdough baking guide.
If you don't have a long covered stoneware baker, form the dough into a log and place it on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the bread on the baking sheet for a total of 35 to 45 minutes, until the interior registers 190°F on a digital thermometer.
