TheRiceHouse Kitchen

THE WILD RICE:
Use a paddy-cultivated (also known as "tame rice") or a hand-harvested rice for bread baking. The rice helps keep the bread moist for days.

Yield: About 1-1/2 cups
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup wild rice

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the wild rice. Bring back to a rolling boil. Cover tightly and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook until the rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed, 55 minutes for paddy-cultivated rice and 30 minutes for hand-harvested rice. If any liquid remains, use it as some of the measured liquid in the recipe.

Set aside to cool before adding to the dough or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

THE BREAD:
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the maple syrup or a pinch of the sugar over 1/2 cup of the warm water. Stir to disolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl with a whisk or in the work bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining 1-3/4 cup warm water, the remaining maple syrup or sugar, the wild rice, salt, and whole-wheat flour. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and 1 cup of the unbleached flour. Beat 30 seconds longer. Add the remianing unbleached flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until a soft dough isi formed and just clears the sides of the bowl, switching to a wooden spoon as necessary if making by hand.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until springy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, adding only 1 tablespoon flour at a time as necessary to prevent sticking. The dough will be slightly dense and retain a moist quality under the smooth surface. Do not add too much flour or the bread will be dry. Sprinkle the top with a bit of flour. Place in a greased deep container and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Turn out the dough onto the work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Divide each portion into 5 equal portions; you will have 20 pieces in all. Shape into round balls, tucking the ends under to smooth the tops. Press to flatten slightly. Place seam side down and 1 inch apart on 2 greased or parchment-lined baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Alternatively, to make round loaves, form the 4 portions into 4 tight rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400°, using a baking stone, if desired.

Using floured kitchen shears, snip each roll in 5 places around the outside, cutting from the edge completely through almost to the center. The dough will stay connected at the center, much like a flower or the hub of a wheel. This is most efficiently done by turning the roll with one hand while snipping with the other. Dust the tops of the rolls with flour. Bake on the lower and upper racks of the pre-heated oven, switching their positions halfway through the baking, until lightly brown around the edges, 18 to 22 minutes. The round loaves will bake in about 35 minutes.