Honey Wheat Sourdough Bread with Quinoa

1. Bring 1 cup water and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Whisk sourdough starter, milk, honey, olive oil, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl. Add cooked quinoa and mix until incorporated. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition to form long strands of gluten.

3. Knead dough for 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to make dough workable. Set bowl on the counter, cover with a cloth, and let rise until doubled in size, 2 to 4 hours.

4. Punch dough down, shape into 2 loaves, and place into well greased and floured baking pans. Wet tops of loaves slightly and press oats into the surface. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 to 4 hours.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

6. Bake in the preheated oven until loaves sound hollow when you tap on the surface, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit in pans for 5 to 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cook's Notes:

If you substitute all whole wheat flour, knead for an additional 5 minutes.

For a moist loaf, place a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven while loaves are cooking.