Bread sponge back to work

I am so proud of my little bread sponge.  Look at how stretchy and wonderful he is!  I told you he had his own personality...

Strech...

...still going!

So it was time to put Mr. Bread Sponge back to work.  As previously promised, this time his task was multigrain sourdough, the recipe again from the Flour cookbook.  There are several reasons why I instantly fell in love with this recipe.  First of all, the recipe employs lots of seeds, and I looooove seeds.  Bird food = Fred food.  Second of all, the recipe calls for buckwheat flour, which I recently purchased and fell head over heels for because of its intense, earthy grey/brown color and its very unique, well-defined flavor.  This bread is much more dense and hearty than the country bread I made earlier.  It has such a great taste that it can be eaten by itself, but it is also delicious with goat brie, almond butter, and in a salmon melt (today's lunch...my take on the classic tuna melt).

First couple of ingredients (flours, water)...mixer get ready for your work out!

Shaggy dough.  Isn't the color the buckwheat gives the dough divine?  Rather rustic, I'd say!

Salt, honey, and sponge up next.

Everyone into the bowl.

The dough has come together.  Time for some seeeeds!

Millet, flax, and pumpkin seeds (recipe originally called for sunflower seeds, but I had to substitute because I was too lazy to go to Whole Foods...and perhaps embarrassed to go back because I have been so many times in the last week.)

Pretty colors...

Blinged-out dough!

Time to rest for a few hours...see you after your nap, little bread dough!

Shaping time.

Plump little ball at first...

...a little flatter ("relaxed") after resting for a few hours.

Slightly deeper, more confident slashes this time around.

Look how he puffed up at the bottom...ready to take off from the baking sheet, I think!

Deep brown (don't worry, he's not burnt...the buckwheat just makes it look super dark).

Yumm can't wait to eat you!

All sliced up.  Beautiful crust on the outside, soft inside, and seeds evenly distributed.

As mentioned, today's lunch was a salmon melt.  Instead of canned tuna, I used canned salmon.  I added a little olive oil mayonnaise and freshly ground pepper to the salmon.  I cut a slice of bread in half, loaded some salmon on one half, added a few shreds of extra sharp cheddar cheese, closed up the sandwich, and toasted it in a pan with some butter on the stove until the cheese was melted.  Served over a bed of baby spinach, it was the perfect lunch.  (N.B. I eat my sandwiches with a fork and a knife...makes them taste so much better and really gives you a chance to savor your sandwich.)

Mmm yummy in my tummy.