Toasted Oat Sourdough Bread

I've been meaning to blog about this bread for very long, but I haven't really gotten around to it. It's a great bread though, and perfect if you've got some sourdough hanging around, needing to be used up. I keep sourdough in the freezer, and revive it a few days before I want to bake - it seems to work nicely for me, though I'm sure sourdough purists would frown.

This bread is really good toasted - the oatmeal is already toasted before it goes into the bread, but the extra toasting brings out the flavor, making it nutty and just perfect with slice of strong cheese, or a spoon of good marmalade.

Toasted Oat Sourdough Bread
Based on a recipe from Riddarbageriets Bröd

450 g water
120 g sourdough from rye
450 g strong wheat flour (extra protein)
150 g wholewheat flour (spelt works fine)
15 g fresh yeast
1-2 tsp golden syrup (you can substitute honey)
1 tbsp salt
40 g rolled oats, toasted (toast in a dry frying pan or in the oven until golden and fragrant)

Mix everything except for salt and oats. Work in a machine - I use my Kitchen-Aid - for 7-8 minutes. Add the salt and oats, and work for another five minutes. Remove dough to a clean bowl, and leave to rise for two hours.

Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into nice loaves. Brush with water and dust over some wholewheat flour. Move loaves to a baking sheet, and cut a pattern if you'd like. Let rise for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Place the baking sheet in the oven, and spray with water. Lower the heat at once to 225°C. You can spray with water a few times during the baking to get a crunchier crust. The total baking time is about 25-30 minutes.

Recipe in Swedish:
Surdegsbröd med rostad havre