Yields one 1½ lb loaf

340 grams (12 oz) All Purpose or Bread Flour

142 grams (5 oz) Whole Wheat Flour

321 grams (11.5oz) Water

62 grams (¼ cup) Active Sourdough Starter

1/8 teaspoon Instant Yeast

¾ tablespoon salt

35 grams lightly toasted sunflower seeds

Vegetable Spray

Wheat Bran

Parchment paper

Dutch oven

Combine the two flours and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a large measuring cup, add the water, sourdough starter and the instant yeast and stir to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until mixed well (a dough whisk is the best tool for the job, but a wooden spoon works well also). Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 14 hours.

At this point the dough should be nice and bubbly on the surface. Flour your work surface and place the dough on it. Gently spread the dough out to about a 8” by 12” rectangle and sprinkle about a quarter of the sunflower seeds across the top of the dough.

Then, as you fold the dough in thirds (like you would fold a letter...pic below shows first fold) and then over on itself top to bottom, scatter each surface with more sunflower seeds as you fold.

After the last fold, gently form the dough into a ball and sprinkle evenly with the rest of the sunflower seeds, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 15 minutes.

Spray the proofing basket with the vegetable spray and sprinkle generously with wheat bran to prevent sticking (you can use corn meal in place of the wheat bran).

Flour your hands and invert the dough ball, seed side down, into the proofing basket, cover with a dish towel and let rise until doubled…about two hours. When you can poke your finger gently into the dough and it doesn’t spring back, the dough is ready.

About 30 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put a 4-8 quart covered cast iron Dutch oven in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready to go, gently invert the dough on a large piece of parchment paper.

Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven, uncover it, lower the dough on the parchment paper into the Dutch oven, cover quickly and place back in the oven (if you don’t have parchment paper, the dough can be gently placed directly into the Dutch oven…just be careful).

Cook covered for 25 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking till the bread reaches an internal temperature of between 205-210 degrees and is nicely browned, approximately 20 more minutes.

Remove the bread and place on a cooling rack and in about 1 hour, it's ready to eat.