Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Starter

All-purpose Flour

Whole Wheat Flour

Salt

Stir together 15g sourdough starter, 20g all-purpose flour (we use King Arthur Sir Galahad) and 20g water. Let it sit for six to ten hours, depending on ambient temperature.

Add 165g of all-purpose flour and 165g water to this first levain; stir well and let sit overnight.

The next day, knead 250g whole wheat flour 50g all-purpose flour, and 214g water for five minutes then allow to sit for 20 minutes. Add levain from previous day to this mixture, and 14g salt. Knead for five minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then knead for five minutes again. Add more flour during the kneading process until the texture is relatively firm but still quite malleable. Use about 100-150g all-purpose flour, depending on the humidity and time of year. We also like to use freshly ground whole wheat flour from a local farmer in our bread for the whole wheat addition. If using fresh-ground flour, we add an extra 20 or so grams of water for balance.

When done kneading, turn the dough into a container that will allow it to rise to twice its original size. This bulk proofing stage takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and 40 minutes, depending on the temperature and time of year, (longer in the winter and shorter in the summer). The dough should be fluffy and filled with big bubbles. Punch down and let rise again for half the time of the first bulk proof.

After the second bulk proofing, turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape into a ball. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes, and then shape again into a tight ball. Place in a linen basket, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Bake the next morning in a 500-degree oven. We use our wood-fired brick oven, which is between 550 and 600 degrees on a bake day, and we usually spray a fair amount of water into the oven to add extra humidity. The temperatures and humidity may be difficult to recreate in a home oven, but bring the temperature as high as possible. Try also using a Dutch oven within the oven to trap the humidity of the bread and give it more spring.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit.