EINKORN & AMARANTH PORRIDGE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Porridge
• In a small saucepan, bring the water and amaranth grain to a rapid boil on your smallest burner.
• Lower the heat to simmer, cover the pan, and set a timer for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, turn off the heat, but leave the lid on for an additional 10 minutes. Your amaranth will be cooked, with minimal excess water, and not sticking to the pan.
• Bread
• Mix the flour and water until incorporated and let it sit for 1-2 hours.
• Add the leaven and salt to the dough and let it rest about 40 minutes.
• After the rest, stretch and fold the dough 4-6 times every 20-30 minutes, incorporating the amaranth porridge during the second stretch and fold. I use a wet dough scraper and my hand to pull the dough up and over on all four sides of the bowl twice around. By the fourth stretch and fold, the dough will feel quite wet. Do two more (six in total) rounds of stretching and folding if you have the time, as this will help strengthen the gluten.
• Let the dough ferment for a total of 8-12 hours (since adding the leaven), depending on room temperature. My dough fermented 10 hours at 69 F.
• Scrape the dough out onto a well-floured counter. Flour the top of the dough, then stretch it and fold it in thirds and then in half. Let it rest 15-20 minutes while you prepare your basket with rice flour and amaranth.
• Re-flour your counter, flip the dough onto the floured counter and shape it into a boule.
• Place the boule into the banneton seam-side down, cover and let it proof for 60-90 minutes, preheating the oven for 30 minutes before the proofing time is finished. My dough proofed 75 minutes at 69 F. (A different version went 60 minutes at 75 F.)
• The dough will be floppy during the transfer to your cooking vessel, but if you used rice flour, it should not stick to the basket. Score rather than relying on the seams as they have likely sealed.
• Bake:
• Covered for 20 minutes at 500 F
• Covered for 10 minutes at 450 F
• Uncovered for 10-15 minutes at 450 F
• The internal temperature should be at least 205 F.