Learning Objective
Learn how to bake a 100% Wholegrain Sourdough Boule
Makes: | 2 x 1kg boules |
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Level: | Intermediate |
Created Over: | Mix and bake immediately |
Kind of Bake: | Ambient day – French style – mixed in the morning and baked in the evening |
Diversity Score: | 14 ( Blend No 2) |
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Let me start with the first and most relevant point. Every single flour is different, and when you think you have nailed it then the harvest changes!
The most nutritious version of this 100% Wholegrain Sourdough Boule is our Blend No 2 but it it extremely challenging and so if you are wanting to try freshly milled flour I suggest blending 50% commercial wholegrain roller milled with 50% Blend No 2 too get some strength into the dough.
A CHALLENGE
Many beginner bakers who have attempted wholegrain loaves before they master the basics of the 20% wholegrain express frustration that their bread hasn't turned out the way it should. I strongly suggest that you master the beginners loaf before you attempt wholegrain. That said this is a loaf that is worth persevering with, not least because it has buckets of flavour and nutrition.
A good wholegrain sourdough boule has a dark robust crust and a tender crumb. 100% wholegrain sourdough can also be the most challenging loaf to bake, because you are baking with the whole grain. This is perhaps the hardest loaf to bake, especially as every blend and every wholegrain flour behaves differently.
Unless you use Roller milled flour and the bran separation technique then you will generally get a tighter and more close crumb. It is also extremely hard to predict how much water a formula needs so I have erred on the side of caution on the basis that you can always add more water, but you can't take it out.
This is also a formula I sometimes make on the machine when using commercially milled flour as it requires a lot of gluten development. That said if is well worth the effort a d is the most nutritious loaf your can make.
Baking a consistently good wholegrain sourdough is easier to achieve when you understand why there are pronounced differences between flours - the two main considerations are the levels of bran and enzymes, both affect your bread. It is about getting to know the flour you want to bake with and often the best way to do this is to bake, eat, analyse, and recalibrate. It is frustrating to get to know a flour, but it is part of the learning experience, and sometimes it can take me half a dozen bakes to really get to grips with a flour.
Equipment
- Medium bowl for mixing leaven
- Clean t-towel or wax cloth
- Large mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Dough scraper
- 2 x 1kg banneton
- Lame
- Baking cloche
Suggested Starter
Any, but for maximum sourness & digestibility use the rye or wholegrain sourdough starter
Status of Starter
bubbly, lively first-build starter
Hydration
90%
DDT
24°C (75°F)
Flours
- Foricher Brun de Plaisir CRC T150
- Marriages organic strong (13% protein) white roller-milled
To Ferment Your Dough
- 32g sourdough starter
- 80g wholegrain
- 88g water @28C
For The Dough
- 200g leaven ( See above)
- 800g of water at 26C (Plus 100g-200g water for bassinage)
- 1kg wholegrain flour
- Marriages organic strong (13% protein) white roller-milled (weight as required to replace bran)
- 24g fine sea salt
Baking Time
1 hour in a Cloche or Dutch Oven and 5 - 10 minutes uncovered depending on your preferences
Bake At
200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6
Tutorials
Step | Timings |
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Refresh starter 1st Refreshment | 10am Day 1 |
Refresh starter 2nd Refreshment | 10pm Day 1 |
Plan your bake | 9am Day 2 |
Make leaven | 10am-11am Day 2 |
Mix 800g of the water & leaven into dough. | Day 2: 12pm |
Autolyse ( this is a short autolyse with leaven) | Day 2: 12.30pm |
Bassinage using the sieved bran & extra water if needed | Day 2: 1-1.15pm |
Bulk ends - Now preshape | Day 2: 3-3.30pm |
Preheat oven to 220C/425F. Reduce to 200C/400F to bake. Bake | Day 3: anytime after 8am, but ideally about 4pm |
Analyse & Recalibrate | On Eating |
Guidance, tips & techniques
General advice
100% Wholegrain sourdough boule can be considered to be an Advanced Technique
Retarded DDT 23-24C
My Top Tips for the 100% Wholegrain Sourdough Boule
- You should have mastered the 20% completely and the 50% completely before you attempt the 100% Wholegrain Sourdough Boule recipe. If you don’t then you will likely fail to achieve the result you want as this is actually requiring you to recognise the rate of fermentation and have some familiarity of gluten development to connect and then be able to recalibrate and make adjustments. It is bit like asking someone who has never driven a car to use the gears to slow down the speed of the engine when going round a corner… somewhat impossible when you don’t even know how to use the clutch!
- Remember to add the water incrementally! Really it will take you 3 – 4 times of baking a 100% wholegrain loaf to find the optimal hydration.
- Really develop the gluten early on. Mix like your life depends on it!
- Do keep an accurate record as this loaf will most certainly need several attempts to get right. Give two very light stretch and folds early on in the bulk then leave.
- Makes sure you keep an accurate loaf record especially on the DDT.
- If you need to change this loaf, then the factors I change first are DDT, then hydration and then the age or quantity of the leaven. Please only alter one thing at a time.
- How to recalibrate – the hardest things to judge are the optimal levels of hydration of your flour and / or adjust the DDT.
Learning Outcome
Mastering this advanced sourdough recipe