Rustic Whole Wheat Sourdough
This is an earthy and hearty sourdough bread made with rye, whole wheat and white bread flours. Thanks to the sourdough, it has a lofty and airy texture, not heavy and dense like some whole wheat breads.
Equipment
- 4 Liter food container (or bowl)
- Cover for container (or plastic wrap)
- Digital Metric Scale
- Bowl scraper
- Banneton (or other proofing dish)
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 100 grams Rye Sourdough Starter
- 300 grams Warm Tap Water baker's percentage: 75% hydration
- 100 grams Whole Wheat Flour
- 300 grams Bread Flour strong white flour at least 14% protein
- 11 grams Sea Salt
Instructions
Mixing
- Using a digital scale set to metric, measure 100 g rye sourdough starter into a minimum 3 liter food grade container or large bowl. (In photos, you will see a 6 L Rubbermaid food bin with lid).
- Using a scale, measure 300 g warm (not hot) water. Add water to starter. Mix well with your hand to break up the starter and create a milky slurry.
- Using a scale, measure 100 g whole wheat flour.
- Using a scale measure 300 g bread flour and mix together with whole wheat flour.
- Add flour mixture into slurry. Mix well with your hand to hydrate flour until there are no dry bits remaining.
- Cover container tightly, set aside, rest for 30-35 minutes so flour will autolyze.
- Using a scale, measure 11 grams of sea salt. Sprinkle sea salt over the autolyzed flour and water mixture.
- Cut through the mixture three times by squeezing two fingertips together (like you are forming the "okay" symbol). Next, grab a small portion of dough from one side and pull dough up, then fold the dough down over itself. Be careful not to pull too much as dough will tear. Rotate the container a quarter turn and repeat. Do this a total of four times. After the final fold flip the dough over so folds are tucked below dough mass.
- Replace the cover and allow dough mixture to rest for 10 minutes.
Folding
- This recipe requires five folds over the next 2-3 hours. After the 10 minute rest, perform the first fold.
- Remove cover. Pull a small portion of dough from the outside of the dough mixture and stretch dough up (being careful not to tear it) and fold it down over itself. Do this a total of eight times while turning the container clockwise (no cutting this time). After the final fold, turn the dough over in the container so folds are tucked below the dough mass.
- Hint: When pulling and stretching, be careful not to tear the dough. It will not stretch very far during the first fold, but do not worry, you will do this four more times, each time the dough will stretch further. This process produces a loose round that tightens with each additional fold.
- Replace cover and allow dough to relax 30 minutes.
- Remove cover. The dough will have relaxed. Perform the second fold. Pull a small portion of dough from the outside of the dough mixture and stretch dough up (being careful not to tear it) and fold it down over itself. Do this eight times while turning the container clockwise after each stretch and fold. After the final fold, turn the dough over in the container so folds are tucked under creating a round shape. Repeat this process two more times at 30 minute intervals.
Bulk Fermentation (First Rise)
- After the fifth fold, cover the dough, allow it to complete the bulk fermentation in a warm place. Be patient! This will take between 4-8 hours depending on the temperature where dough rests. Dough must double in size before moving on to the next step.
- Hint: Using a clear container allows you to easily see the progression of the rise. After the fifth fold, mark the container at the point where the doubled bread will rise; I use either a marker or an elastic around the container to indicate this point.
- Hint: Yeast needs a warm place to multiply and perform its magic. If you have a cold kitchen (below 68 degrees) or are using air conditioning in summer, you may need to create a warm environment. If dough is not rising, move it to a warm location, in an oven with the light on is an option.
Shaping
- When dough has doubled in size it will be lofty with good structure, bubbles on top and inside. Flour a work surface.
- Prepare the banneton (if using) with 1-2 Tablespoons of flour. Set aside.
- Hint: If you do not have a banneton (which are costly and not required), simply use a colander or other bowl lined with a very generously floured, clean, linen kitchen towel.
- Turn dough out carefully onto a floured work surface so as not to lose too much of the gas structure. Use the bowl scraper to coax the sticky dough out of the container. Set container aside.
- Pull each of the four corners of the dough towards the center.
- Flip the dough so the folds are now on the bottom and you have a very loose shape.
- Curve fingers around the rear of the loose shape and drag the dough towards you on the work surface to produce a baton shape. Gently pick the dough up, turn in around, and place it further away from you again. Tuck loose ends back under on the left and right to keep a uniform shape. Repeat the drag and tuck four times or as many times as it takes to create a tight baton ball.
- Hint: You will need a little friction to drag the dough ball to tighten it into the desired shape. I am using a baton shape for this dough. You can just as easily make this into a round. If there is no friction, clear the work surface of the majority of flour and try again.
- Once you have a tight shape, flour the top of the dough. Pick it up by gently by sliding cupped hands under either side of the shape.
- Gently lay the it into the banneton. Cover the banneton with plastic wrap, a plastic bag, or a linen towel.
Proofing (Second Rise)
- Set the banneton in a warm place to proof. Allow the dough ball to rise until it has relaxed and doubled in size. This may take 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the room temperature.
Baking
- Approximately 45 minutes prior to the second rise being complete, place your Dutch oven onto the middle rack of your oven. Set oven temp to 475 F degrees. Set timer for 45 minutes. For this recipe, I used a clay oven baker. Regardless, it is preheated with the lid on just like a dutch oven.
- When timer buzzes, check if your dough has doubled and is ready to be baked.
- Hint: To check if your dough has risen enough, you can perform the poke test. Poke the dough with a floured finger. If the indent springs back quickly, it is not yet ready to be baked. Allow it to continue to rise. If the indent springs back slowly, it is ready to be baked. If the indent does not spring back at all, it is over-proofed.
- Pull preheated Dutch oven from the oven and place on a heat resistant surface. Caution! It will be very hot. Remove and set the lid aside.
- Hint: Leave your oven mitt over the lid so you do not accidentally grab it with bear hands when picking up the lid again. Yes! This is experience talking. ;-)
- Uncover the dough. Reach your fingers under the formed dough to gently loosen its grip on the Banneton or dish towel. Slightly tip the banneton sideways allowing the dough ball to gently flip upside down into the preheated pan (resulting in the previously folded side facing up). Cover the pan with the lid and return to the oven.
- Hint: You are able to place the dough directly into the oven without cutting a fancy pattern onto the top of the loaf. The steam will find it's way out and produce a lovely crown. However, if you want to unleash your inner artist, you can create a pattern by slicing the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or lame after flipping it into the hot Dutch oven giving the steam an escape hatch.
- Bake at 475 F degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven. Bake at 475 degrees for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Hint: The darker the outside caramelization is on the crust, the more flavor your bread will have. I personally like to bake it to a very rich dark brown.
- Remove the Dutch oven and set on a heat proof surface.
Cooling
- Immediately remove the bread from the Dutch oven after baking has finished. Set bread on a cooling rack to allow air flow around the bread.
- Listen to the symphony of crackling as the crust begins to cool.
- Allow to cool at least 15 minutes, preferably 30 minutes, before slicing.
- Hint: I know it's hard to wait for that yummy first piece! However, the crumb needs time to cool so it does not get crushed when you try to cut the bread.
Storing
- If you do not use this bread immediately, it can be stored in the open air for 8 hours, or even overnight, as long as it is not cut.
- Once the bread has been cut, allow it to cool completely. Store cut side down on a cutting board for up to one day.
- After that time, slice the remaining bread, place slices in an airtight bag, and freeze the slices. Warm each slice in a toaster before eating.