Multi-Grain Sandwhich Bread

So, of course, now that I made my starter, I had to try it out. And since I had some brown rice and barley already cooked (and I was running low on whole-wheat flour) I thought what better way to test the starter than with a multi-grain sandwich bread. Along with the brown rice and barley, I ended up using some rolled oats and cornmeal as well, for a five-grain bread (including the whole wheat). Freed from needing to use buttermilk or yogurt (to compensate for not using a starter which naturally has a more sour flavor), I thought I would go back to using the dry milk I had, hoping that the thinner consistency would give me a lighter airier bread. The end result was a delicious, soft textured slice of bread. By far the best I have made so far and definitely worth the effort of making the starter in the first place. And even though I used a starter, the bread was not sour dough bread. The sourness the starter imparted on the bread was subtle enough to enhance the flavor without overwhelming it. And, the texture was nearly as soft as a store bought loaf, though somewhat closer to the density of rye bread. Regardless, it didn’t crumble (well until it had been in the fridge for nearly a week) as the previous loaves have. From now on, whenever it is an option, I am definitely using my starter.

Difficulty: medium

From: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.