Wholemeal Sourdough

This is a perfect loaf to enjoy at every meal, great for breakfast with butter and jam, as a bed for fluffy scrambled eggs or toasted and served on the side with soup. We teach you how to make it, you decide how to serve it!

---

Makes 1 wholemeal loaf

Ingredients

• 350g of strong white flour
• 150g of stoneground wholemeal flour 
• 410g of lukewarm water​
• 12g of fine sea salt
• 135g  of active sourdough nice and bubbly (or 3g of dried yeast if you don't have a sourdough starter)
• Rice flour or extra wholemeal for dusting

​Method

1. To start pre-measured all of the ingredients. 
2. In a bowl add all the flour, the lukewarm water, the sourdough (or the dry yeast) and mix well for 5 min, until there are no more bits of dry flour and it forms a shaggy dough. Help your self with a plastic scraper to scrape all the flour from around the bowl. Keep the dough in the bowl and cover. Let it rest for 1 hour. This process of mixing only flour and water first it's called autolyse, a method that delivers a dough that’s easier to work with and shape, and give to the loaf a better texture, rise and aroma.
3. After one hour of autolyse pour in the salt and sprinkle some water on top to help the salt to dissolve better. 
4. Now bring the dough on the work table and give it a fast knead. Knead with the palms of your hands - be energetic and a little fast with your kneading movement. The slower is your kneading movement the stickier your dough will be on the table. Help your self with the scraper if you need! Knead for 4 5 min. Transfer the dough back to the bowl and cover. Rest for 40 mins. 
5. TIP. We suggest to keep the dough in a warm and wet environment for the best result. Usually in bakeries, during winter time, is often used a dough proofer which is a warming chamber used to encourages fermentation of dough by yeast through warm temperatures and controlled humidity. You can do the same at home leaving the dough inside your oven or microwave at 25-27°C with a cup full of hot boiling water inside to help to create humidity. Cover the dough at all time and once you put the cup of boiling water inside the oven or microwave do not open it until next step so you won't loose any of the humidity and warm temperature. Change the water in the cup with new boiling water every time you open the oven for the next step. 
6. Every 40 minutes, come back to the dough and complete a set of Stretch & Fold with a total of four sets. To Stretch & Fold the dough, wet your hand with a little bit of water and grab the dough at one side, lift it up, and fold it over on top of itself. Fold the dough four/five times, moving clockwise from the top of the bowl. After the last set, cover and rest once more for 30 minutes.​
7. Lightly dust a proving basket with rice flour. Alternatively, use wholemeal flour. If you don’t have a proving basket, use a bowl and line it with a clean tea towel always using some rice flour. 
8. After the last set and its 40 minutes rest, lift the dough onto a lightly floured surface so that the smooth side is facing up (be gentle to avoid deflating the dough). Shape the dough into a round shape by slipping your pastry scraper under the edge of the dough and then scraping it around curve of the dough. If you don't have a scraper then cup your palms around the dough and rotate it against the counter to shape it. The skin will stretch until the dough looks plumb and holds its shape. Be careful not too overdo this step or the skin of the dough might tear. If you're using an oval shaped basket or bowl, make sure you shape your dough into an oval shape instead.  Cover it with a tea towel and let it rest on the work surface for 30 minutes. 
9. Dust the dough all over with some extra white flour and transfer it to the proofing basket. Place in the basket/bowl with the smooth side facing down. Cover the proofing basket or bowl with a clean plastic bag or shower cup and let the dough proof for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature  or until almost double in size.
10. For a slow rise, place the dough in the fridge overnight or for around 12 hours - this will improve the flavour and aroma of your bread. If leaving to rise overnight in the fridge, bake the loaf straight from the fridge. 
11. Place your casserole or tray into the oven and pre-heat to 230° C. Once the oven is hot, tip the loaf on top of a floured board and using a razor lame or sharp knife score the top of the dough. TIP - Try to score at a slight angle, so you're cutting almost parallel to the surface of the loaf; this gives the loaves the distinctive "shelf" along the score line.
12. Place the loaf in the casserole (dusted with flour) and close the lid, or place on a tray with a separate tray filled with water on a lower rack. Bake for 30 min. Remove the lid or water tray and bake for another 25 min at 180°C (fan) or until the crust is nicely golden and caramelised. Don't be scared to have some colour on your bread, this is where a lot of the flavour and texture of the crust comes in. 
13. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and let it cool completely for at least 1- 2 hours. This will improve the aroma and the flavour of your bread as the crumb is still cooking. Enjoy! 

Back to recipes