Sour dough made with 100% whole wheat, whole wheat sour dough starter, salt and water.
Sometimes baking recipes ask for weight measurements, but I can’t always be bothered to bring out the weight scale.
I found a mix of recipes.
1/2 cup sour dough starter (mine is whole wheat)
1-2/3 cups of distilled or un chlorinated water
3.5 – 4 cups 100% whole wheat flour
1-1/4 tsp of salt
Mix the ingredients into a mixing bowl. You could also place them into a bread machine in the order listed under the dough setting and unplug it after it has mixed. About 20-30 minutes. Some machines will add some warmth to help the dough rise but we don’t need that.
The texture of the dough after mixing doesn’t look or feel the same as a regular dough ball. I have read some people liken it to an extra thick pancake batter. Mine was sticky and perhaps shaggy or a rough dough. Let that sit covered with a damp towel for an hour.
Wet your hands for this step. I run my hands under the tap with cold water and let them drip dry, others have suggested using a spray bottle to mist their hands.
Complete at least 4 sets of stretch and folds where you pull up the dough from the back (facing the dough, the far end) fold it on itself to the bottom side closest to you. Rotate 1/4 turn and fold again until all sides have been folded once. Cover for 30 minutes to an hour and do another set of stretch and folds. Doing 4 sets should take about 2 hours. Once every 30 minutes, covering and let rest in between.
When I first started, I kept adding more flour to make the dough smoother and more manageable. With experience and learning through other examples, I noticed that the dough firmed up and became more easy to work with after each set of stretch and folds.
After completing the stretch and folds I covered the dough again with a damp towel and set aside at room temperature. Before going to bed I took the dough out and shaped it. I read somewhere that using a non gluten flour when doing this shaping can help prevent the dough from sticking to the banneton and ensuing a clean transfer. I had rice flour on hand so used that.
Place a damp towel over it and place it into the refrigerator for a cold ferment overnight. Some people recommend a banneton, I discovered using a loaf pan which I already had lined with parchment paper. This method also makes it easier to put into oven without needing to transfer it again.
Let it sit covered on the counter for an hour to reach room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Score the loaf on top using a very sharp Au Carbonne Opinel No 8 knife (or razor).
Place another loaf pan of the same size on top of the pan with dough inside. Reduce oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then uncovered for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the over and overturn the loaf on a cooling rack.
I made a load for a picnic on Victoria day (May 21st) with some friends and surprisingly there were no left overs. It’s easier to slice the bread when it cools, but it’s so tempting to eat the bread while it’s still warm. Bon appetite!
