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This recipe is designed for incorporating fresh-milled flour. You may use 100% all-purpose or bread flour for this recipe as well, but the water may need to be reduced slightly.
Yield: 2 loaves
Ingredients:
- 1000g flour (500g fresh-milled hard red wheat berries, 500g all-purpose or bread flour. The more fresh-milled flour you use the heartier your bread will be).
- 635g of water plus 50g reserved water
- 200g active starter
- 20g salt
Did you know that chlorinated water can harm yeast and inhibit fermentation? Try to use filtered water if possible!
Recipe:
Feed the Starter
1. Use a kitchen scale for this if you can! If you feed your starter at a 1:1:1 ratio (one part starter, one part flour, one part water) then your starter should be nice and bubbly in 4-6 hours. A spurtle is helpful for stirring! If you want to feed your starter and let it sit overnight, then try a 1:10:10 ratio and it will take 11-12 hours to activate!
Autolyse
2. Mix water and flour using a dough hook on a stand mixer. (Do not over mix). You can also do this by hand. Cover and let sit for 30-45 min.
(This step is technically optional but I always include it because it gives your dough a head start on forming strong gluten networks).
Break up the starter
3. Add activated starter to a bowl with the remaining 50g of reserved water and stir together.
4. Combine starter mixture with the autolysed flour in a large bowl. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix on low for 6-8 minutes until dough passes the “window pane” test. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Bulk Fermentation
5. Complete a set of stretch and folds every 30-45 minutes for about 2 hours if possible. (2-3 sets in all).
Technique: Form dough into a round ball. Gently fold a section up and toward the center, then press it down. Rotate 90 degrees and continue folding the dough up and over itself. You can do 1-2 complete rotations.
6. After the last stretch and fold, leave dough covered at room temperature until the dough has not quite doubled in size. (About a 30% increase). This is a crucial point to ensure you do not overproof! My bulk rise typically lasts 3 hours beginning with the first stretch and fold.
Pre-shape the dough
7. Remove your dough from the bowl with a dough scraper and place on parchment paper or silicone mat. Divide the dough into equal parts of about 950g each (measure if you would like). Form each dough portion into a ball and let rest for 30 minutes covered with a dish towel.
Shape the dough
8. Gently form the dough into a rectangle and then fold like an envelope. You want to create a shape that is tight enough to where you can see the tension in the dough. If you are making a round boule, then think more round for your ball of dough. If you are making a sandwich loaf, then it can be more rectangular.
Final Proof
9. Sprinkle some rice flour into a banneton or line the banneton with a cloth. Place the dough into the bowl or banneton seam side up. Cover (with a plastic cover if possible) and place in fridge overnight 16-18 hours total.
Pre-heat
10. When you are ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees F with the dutch oven.
Score
11. Place parchment paper squares on silicone mat. Remove dough from bannetons and place on parchment squares.
12. Sprinkle rice flour on top of loaves. Score using a lame (pronounced "lahm") or sharp knife, run a 1/2 inch deep line down the side of your dough. You can also do two lines forming a cross on round boules. Make smaller incisions for more intricate details like wheat or leaves.
Bake
13. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to the pre-heated Dutch ovens. The parchment paper will keep your bread from sticking to the cast iron. (I add an extra parchment square to the Dutch oven pan before putting my loaf in).
14. Bake 20-25 minutes with the lid on. Remove lid and bake another 12-15 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. (If you have the self-control, wait for the bread to cool before slicing to ensure the dough has fully cooked!)
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