I was in the mood for a fruit and nut loaf with wild rice so I came up with this one, and while I was at it, I thought a bit of honey and some pecans in it wouldn't hurt. The wild rice is usually cooked before putting into a loaf, but I found a method that softens it without cooking. The rice comes out nice and tender and could easily be put into a salad as it.
Here is the recipe:
1. Put 75 g of wild rice into a food processor and run it for one full minute. The rice should be covered in a fine powder but be otherwise fairly intact. Rinse the rice well and put it in a large jar with plenty water and 10 g of buckwheat groats (Something to do with phytic acid and phytase... don't ask me why, I just did as suggested on several websites). Let soak for 18 hours or until the rice is nice and tender. Drain, rinse well and drain again, and refrigerate until needed. Let come to room temperature before using.
2. Toast 60 g of chopped pecans.
3. Soak 60 g each of cranberries and raisins with 30 g yogurt, 30 g honey and 200 g of hot water. Let cool to room temperature.
4. Autolyse (Yes, I know this is not a true autolyse.) all above with 500 g water, 550 g unbleached flour, 200 g freshly milled Kamut flour, 202 g of multigrain flour and 50 freshly ground flax. I let this sit for a couple of hours while my starter was rising.
5. Mix in 40 g water, 22 g salt and 266 g of 80% levain. I use the pinch and fold method to integrate everything.
6. Do four sets of folds a half hour apart and let rise until double. In a warm room of 75-80 F, this took about 5 hours.
7. Divide into 3 loaves of about 820 g or so and pre-shape into a loose round. Let sit for 10 minutes or so and then do a tight final shape. Place into bannetons, cover with a plastic bowl cover and place in the fridge to proof. (I find the sweet spot to proof is 10 to 12 hours in a 37F fridge. I know that my loaves are perfectly proofed when they have a balloon quality to them when to go to bake them. It is hard to describe but they stay intact as they are placed in the pot. If they start collapsing, they are over proofed.)
8. Preheat the oven with the Dutch ovens inside to 475 F. This takes a good 45 minutes. Place parchment rounds in the bottom of the pots and then carefully place the loaves inside. Drop the temperature to 450 F and bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove lids, drop the temperature to 425 F and bake for a further 22 minutes or until nice and dark. Internal temperature should be 205 F or higher.
First few reports from friends is that this is a pretty good tasting loaf. Crumb shot when I cut into the one I have here.