Brown Rice and Organic Wheat Bread Recipe
This recipe is really useful when you have leftover rice from dinner the night before, and want to make some very yummy full flavoured bread with it!
It's also adaptable for any cooked grain, whether leftover or specially cooked. You'll find that this type of bread will become part of your regular repertoire, simply because it's so moreish, and you can't buy bread like this in a health food store or supermarket.
You'll need:
1kg of organic 80/20 flour (regular wholemeal flour will do if you are unable to access organic flour, or are a cheapskate, like me, at times...)
 300g of cooked brown rice (last night's leftover rice is fine. Otherwise, cook up a small amount (no more than about 150 grams) according to the section on Using Whole Grains to get some tips on how to handle this).
300 grams of sourdough starter - old dough, wet starter, whatever you have or use mostly. It has to be ripe, but the porridge mix will help activity along nicely.
500 mls ml of warm water (always a flexible figure, but my last batch was exactly right at this volume. Use your common sense, but add say 400 mls first and add more as required, a little at a time. 
24 grams of cooking salt
You'll also need:
Two Bread Tins. This recipe makes two Loaves of about a kilo each. You can experiment with tin sizes until you find one that suits this sourdough loaf. It will rise well, but it takes a while to rise.
Mixing bowl or large plastic box. Invaluable for the home sourdough baker, these boxes double as dough storage and proofer boxes.
 Digital Scales. Gradients of 5 grams will be fine. Must be able to handle at least 2 kg.
Water Measuring Jug. Capacity will need to be about 1.75 litres, see through if possible.
Dough Cutter. Again, every home baker should have one or more of these. I have several in different shapes, sizes and made out of different materials. They all have special uses.
These implements and utensils are now available for home delivery through the SourdoughBaker Shop. I've sourced good quality commercial utensils so you can now purchase a wide range of utensils, tools and equipment, as well as plastic ware for all the different uses a home baker has. I'm adding new products and breadmaking kits every day. I've also sourced fresh organic flours and other essential ingredients, so check out what's available now in SourdoughBaker's Ingredients Supply Section!
Method:
Mix almost all the fairly warm water in your Water Jug (warmer than luke warm) with the Starter, and cooled cooked brown rice, stirring them together to combine with a fork, till it's softened all the starter. You can leave this to stand for ten minutes if you like.The temperature of this can remain a little warm for a while. Stir it all together to form a loose paste with a large spoon.
 Pour the paste into the mixing bowl and combine the flour. You may need a splash more water to do this, but be sparing - at this stage the dough looks dry, but it will soften soon.I stir the flour around on top of the paste until it comes together, then proceed to the next stage. You may need to dribble a bit more water in as you do this. Just add a little at a time, because each time you add water the dough comes apart. Try to avoid this happening - add less next time.
Turn with both hands roughly till you form a big chunk of dough, no matter how rough.
Rough is good. It's a fairly soft dough, so don't try to work it. Just tuck in the bottoms in until you form a ball in the bowl. You can do this a number of times before the salt is added, remembering to allow the unsalted dough to rest for at least 15 minutes between turns. Cover, and leave in a warm place. When it's beginning to become a smooth dough, allow to rest for half an hour, and move to the next stage.
Add salt by wetting the dough with either a spray gun or wet hands, sprinkling the salt over the top of the wet dough. You will notice a dramatic transformation from the rough chunk you left an hour ago to this smooth thing in your hands now. That's 'Delayed Salt' at it's finest.
Knead it in until combined, which will be when the salt can't be felt as you knead. Round the dough, and leave with the seam on the bottom.
Let the finished dough rest and rise for about three to six hours, depending on the season. It's ready when you poke it and there is little, if any, resistance. It feels like it has given up. Your finger marks will stay there for a while. If it resists, it isn't ready. If you run out of time, the dough in its covered container can be simply placed in the fridge. It will comfortably store for up to 24 hours there, and you can simply take it out and continue from where you left off, allowing for some thawing time.
Now cut the dough into two chunks of roughly one kilogram each. Round them, with the seam at the bottom. Rest for an hour or so. Again, if you poke the dough and it resists, it isn't ready yet. If it feels like it is giving in, it's ready.
Form into two cylinders, just by squeezing the bottom in with the outside of each of both hands, as if you are holding an open book in both palms. Spray or wipe with water, and dust with semolina or wholemeal flour or bran. Place dusted dough in a pre oiled bread tin.
Slash with three diagonal slashes along the loaf (or whatever your experimentation shows you works for your 'signature slash'). Allow to rise, covered, for about an hour - this bread rises quite a bit, but quite slowly. Keep it in its box, in a warm place.Don't allow the dough to crust before baking - this will inhibit the rise and is to be avoided. Again, the inverted plastic box method I use throughout this site is about as easy as it gets for the home baker.
Stop Press: Check out our Hand Breadmaking Kits at the SourdoughBaker Shop. There you'll find all sorts of extras for the home baker at really good prices.
 When the tin is broached by about a quarter of the dough inside, in other words when the dough has risen to completely fill the tin, it's ready for baking. If you've made good dough, you can achieve a good height in this loaf. It's all in the turns!
Bake at 160 degrees in a prepared oven (see 'how to use an oven properly') for 45 to 60 minutes.
If you like a really thick crust, wind the oven down to 140 and bake for another half hour.
This recipe tends to be a winner every time - keep it in mind when you have leftover rice, millet or porridge!
Other Sourdough Recipes:
White Sourdough, using a wet starter
White Sourdough, using the old dough method
Spelt Sourdough
Wholemeal Sourdough
Light Rye Sourdough
Medium Rye Sourdough
Continental bread
For more Sourdough Breadmaking information, recipes and resources - read on!
If you would like to flesh out your knowledge about sourdough breadmaking at home, have a look at the Recommended Reading section. I have listed a number of my all time favourite breadmaking books there. Follow the links if you would like to purchase any of the books online. Remember, if you buy a book through this site, it will help me to continue building this free sourdough breadmaking resource.
Have a look at SourdoughBaker's Online Shop. A dedicated shop for the keen home baker.
Some of the things you'll find in the SourdoughBaker Shop include:
- Tools and Utensils for the home baker, including things that you might have to pay too much for locally
- Books and articles about Artisan breadmaking and pastrycookery, including specialist compliations
- Specials and Featured Products
- Breadmaking Kits, especially the Bakery in a Box, which contains everything you need to make bread by hand at home cleanly, flexibly and efficiently.
You can find direct links to any of the sourdough recipes in this site by following your favourite looking recipe below:
Happy Sourdough Baking!
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