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I never thought this bread would be achievable in whole wheat. I tried so many recipes, watched so many YouTube videos, and never got it right. Until one day I accidentally forgot my dough in the bread machine and didn’t discover it until the next morning, bubbling out of the canister. I wasn’t going to let in go to waste, so I shaped it, and baked it. To my great astonishment, it bloomed in the oven! A light airy crumb, a crisp ear, and a super moist and chewy texture.
Ingredients
Just three simple ingredients, flour, salt, and water. That’s it!! This recipe makes two loafs, and uses 680g of flour (about 5 cups.) I also cheat a little and sift the flour to get the biggest pieces of bran out, because I found it really helps with the crumb and texture. I’ve skipped this step before and it really does make a huge difference. The bran has sharp edges so it rips the structure of the gluten development resulting in a denser loaf. Don’t waste the bran though, you can save it and throw it in your next batch of muffins. I din’t get anything fancy to sift the flour, just a set of fine mesh sifters from amazon and I’ve been happy with them.
Method
I typically start late morning to early afternoon, so I can give my starter time to activate. I weigh all the ingredients into my bread machine canister and put it on the dough setting and let it do it’s work. No stretch and folds necessary for this recipe. After the cycle is complete, place the dough in a large bowl and cover it with cling-wrap, and let it sit for 6 hours at about 70 degrees. This resting period is so vital for gluten development, but watch that it doesn’t start to over proof towards the end. The dough should look soft, but not airy.
Shaping
After the resting period, dump the dough onto your work space and divide into two loafs. Stretch out the dough into a rectangle and then fold it like a letter. Next, roll it up from the shorter end to form a stubbly little log. Then using both hands, pull the dough towards you while rotating it. After you feel like you have a tight smooth ball, let it sit covered for 20 minutes. I found this helps seal the bottom and gives it a smooth base. After 20 minutes, use a bench/dough scraper and lift the loafs into flour dusted banneton baskets with the seam side facing up. If you don’t have either a bench scraper or banneton baskets, then this is a great kit to start with. I prefer the oval loafs to round, but this way you have both options. Cover them with plastic bags, -I just use old produce bags from the store- and let them rise again for another hour before placing them in the fridge overnight.
Baking
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 550 degrees and place your dutch oven in while it’s preheating. When your oven has reach tempter, take one of your loaves out of the fridge and flip it over onto parchment paper and score it.
Next, lift and place the loaf into the dutch oven and then drop four or five ice cubes along the side of the pot between the parchment paper. Not directly on the bread. The ice cubes blast it with steam and will help with the rise. Cover and place it back in the oven and reduce the heat to 400 degrees. Bake it covered for 30 minutes, and then 15 minutes uncovered. After removing it from the oven, lift it out by the parchment paper to cool. Otherwise the bottom will keep cooking.
Freshly Milled Whole Wheat Sourdough Rustic Loaf
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (100g) active sourdough starter
- 2⅓ cup (540g) room temperature water
- 2½ teasp. (15g) salt
- 5½ cups (680g) sifted freshly milled flour See note
- 4-5 ice cubes for baking
Instructions
- Measure all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, -or bread machine canister if you're using one- and mix with a dough hook on low speed for 10 minute. If you're using a bread machine then simply set it on the dough setting until the cycle is complete. After it's finished mixing, place the dough in a bowl and cover with cling wrap and let in sit for 6 hours at about 70°.
- After 6 hours, dump the dough onto your work surface and divide into two loafs. The dough should be sticky but workable. If it's to sticky to work with then wet you hands slightly, but do not add flour. Stretch the dough out into a rectangle and fold it like a letter, then roll it up from the short end. Then taking both hand, with your pinkies resting on the work surface, pull the ball of dough towards you rotating it as you go. Repeat until you get a smooth tight ball. Let it rest for 20 minutes to help seal the seam. After 20 minutes lift dough up with a bench/dough scraper and place in banneton baskets. Cove and let them rest an additional two hours and then move them to the fridge over night.
- On baking day, preheat the oven to 550℉ and place your dutch oven in while it preheats. In the mean time, flip your dough out on to a sheet of parchment paper and score it. Once oven is up to temperature lift the dough by the parchment paper and set into the dutch oven. Drop the ice cubes into to the pot between the parchment paper, not directly on the dough. Cover and place in the oven. Decrease the temature to 400℉ and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.