I've been trying some bakes from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads - and my latest was his California Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread.
Of this recipe, Clayton says: "When questioned about my very favorite bread from among the several thousand that I have baked, I hedge. It's like being asked which child you favor. However, if pressed to give two favorites, this bread is one of them. And for good reason. This loaf led me into writing about home baking. Many years ago while rafting down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon, I told the passengers in my boat about a wonderful bread I had developed. One of the passengers was an editor for Sunset , a magazine at home in the Bay Area, where devotees of sourdough French bread are legion (and vocal). The editor bought the recipe and I became a professional."
The recipe is indeed delicious (@Dave R - I think you'd like this one), with a dense, tight crumb and a wonderfully dark crust. The only leavening comes from a 3-day whole wheat sponge that's simply stirred down daily. It gives the bread a very unique tang and flavor that is quite different from my customary sourdough starter.
When it came to scoring to loaves, Clayton remarked: "With a sharp razor, slash each loaf down the center, then make several small diagonal cuts, as branches from a limb." I appear to have created something akin to a salamander and a roadside noxious weed. 🤣
If any of you have the book, this is a very tasty loaf you might enjoy. My recipe conversions from Clayton's original appear below, along with a few pics of my loaves.
