Sourdough bread

Sourdough bread

Lazy sourdough bread made using the discard, with a few variations.

Ingredients

Plain whole wheat

  • 375g bread flour
  • 150g whole wheat flour (red)
  • 375g warm water
  • 100g unfed starter (up to 200g, depending on how active the starter is)
  • 20g salt

Coarse whole grains mixed in

  • 325g bread flour
  • 200g whole wheat flour (red)
  • 75g harvest grains blend (mix of seeds and coarse grains)
  • 400g warm water
  • 100g unfed starter (up to 200g, depending on how active the starter is)
  • 20g salt

Rye

  • 375g whole wheat flour (white)
  • 150g rye flour
  • 400g warm water
  • 100g unfed starter (up to 200g, depending on how active the starter is)
  • 20g salt

Semolina and cheese

  • 200g bread flour
  • 175g semolina flour
  • 150g whole wheat (white)
  • 375g warm water
  • 100g freshly shredded asiago cheese (or other sharp cheese)
  • 100g unfed starter (up to 200g, depending on how active the starter is)
  • 20g salt

Directions

  1. First thing in the morning, mix everything together. Fold the dough a couple times while fixing breakfast and otherwise getting ready for the day.
  2. Mid to late afternoon, the dough should have roughly doubled in size. Form the dough gently into a boule on a floured surface. Cover with plastic wrap to help keep some moisture in.
    • To bake today, allow to rise again for 30-60 minutes in a warm spot - it should be maybe a third to half again as big as it was when put into the bowl.
    • To bake tomorrow, place the covered banneton into the fridge overnight (up to 24 hours). Place in a warm spot to come up to room temperature before baking.
  3. To bake, preheat oven with a baking steel to 475°F. Place a tray of water in the hot oven. Quickly, put the dough on parchment paper on a tray, score with a knife or lame, and place in the oven. Toss a quarter cup or so of water in the bottom of the hot oven. Bake until well browned and done, about 35-40 minutes.

Notes

  • Yields about 1 kg boule
  • This works best if your starter has been fed in the past week or so.
  • I’ve taken to using a baking shell instead of tossing water into the bottom of a hot oven, which seems safer and more reliable. Leave it on for the first 20 minutes.
  • Baking the next day gives the bread more of a sourdough flavor during the extended second fermentation time, but otherwise leaves the texture unchanged.
  • The starter can be cold from the fridge, starting this when you feed the remainder.