I've baked an average of 2 loaves per week for the last four plus years and by my estimation I've just crossed 500 loaves of hearth/country sourdough. The recipe varies by flour mix, inclusions, and fermentation temps/times. We eat most of the bread as toast for breakfast so I make 2 bastards most weekends. I've used so many different flours and have come to some generalities that best suit my tastes. My go to bread flour is cairnspring glacier peak and I like adding about 20% whole grain in total. I prefer half of the whole grain to be hard white wheat with my favorite being Stargazer from Barton Springs Mill. The other half rotates: khorasan, emmer, red fife, expresso, spelt, rye, etc.
What flours and mixes do you like?
I always maintain my starter at 100% hydration and feed 70:30 bread flour:dark rye
Current favorite recipe (2 bastards):
640 g glacier peak (Cairnspring)
80 g stargazer (Barton Springs)
80 g whole grain Expresso (Cairnspring)
160 g starter
20 g salt
630 g water
Mix all ingredients followed by 5 sets of stretch and folds every 25-30 minutes. Bulk ferment happens at kitchen temp, which fluctuates throughout the year. Right now kitchen temp is about 65 F and bulk ferment takes about 8 hours (mix to shaping). Divide and preshaped, rest for 20 minutes, shape and drop in bannetons. Final proof in the fridge overnight. Bake in a preheated Challenger at 465 for 21 minutes, then another 17 minutes on the oven rack at the same temp.
by gknowels
8 Comments
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She’s llloovvveeelllyyyy inside & out
If my loaves looked like this I would cry for joy.
I am a newer baker and have been using just unbleached bread flour – do you find that the addition of whole grain flours changes your results?
Perfection!
501st?
For the republic
Gorgeous wild crumb.
This loaf is really beautiful! I find I am getting very bored with the sourdough recipe I have been using and am looking for something with more depth of flavor. I am going to purchase the flours you suggested. Did you use the espresso flour in this loaf in the photos?
Very nice!!!
I like the Shepherd’s Grain Opus (Hi Gluten) flour. US Chef Stores carry it in 50lb bags. Protein ranges from 12.1-16 on the spec right now, but it is Identity preserved and you can look up the lot code for the protein % and specific farms the flour comes from. I check the lot code in stock before I buy it. The spec used to be 12.6% min protein so I didn’t have to worry, but it was reduced sometime last year and I usually want 12.9% plus, so now I check and only buy if it is close to 13%.
Otherwise it’s King Arthur Baking’s bread flour or Costco’s Kirkland Organic AP flour.
I usually use 10-20% wholegrain flours in my bread whether it is whole wheat, rye (10%) or buckwheat (5%) or a mix of them.
I also like to add soakers of millet, teff, buckwheat whole grains into the bread. Sometimes with hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds.
Someday I will breakdown and go to Cairnspring to get some flour, but they need to make the 5lb bags a reasonable price so I can try it out before buying a 50lb bag.