Whole Grain Sourdough Boule

This is a variation of 100% Red Fife Sourdough Boule using a mixture of whole wheat and pre-modern wheat flours, and using a new sourdough starter which I recently bought from Breadtopia. I used up various odds and ends of whole grain flours.   It turned out well.  The lesson for the future is that a wide range of whole grain wheat or pre-modern wheat flours will probably make a fine boule.

Levain

11.5 g 50/50 sourdough starter (a bit more is fine)

60 g. water

70 g. Spelt flour (or other whole wheat flour)

Final Dough

Levain

354 g. water

28.5 g. honey

¼ tsp. yeast

151 g. Red Fife bread flour (total flours are 461 g.)

144 g. Spelt flour

176 g. whole wheat flour

11.5 g. (1-5/8 tsp.) salt

Vegetable oil for oiling surfaces

On Day 1 mix together the levain ingredients.  Cover and allow to ferment until doubled, which will probably take around 12 hours.

On the morning of Day 2, put the risen levain into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the water, honey, and yeast and mix well.  Add the flousr and salt.  Mix with a dough whisk and then with a dough hook until a smooth slightly sticky dough forms, about 4 minutes.

Lightly oil a work surface and a doubling container.  Put the dough on the greased work surface.  Lightly oil your hands and stretch and fold the dough four times.  Form into a ball, put it in the greased doubling container, and cover it.  After 40 minutes, stretch and fold it a second time with oiled hands.  After another 40 minutes, stretch and fold it a third time.  Then let it ferment at room temperature until it nearly doubles, which will take 1-2 hours.

After the dough has proofed, flour a work surface and a banneton with a cloth liner.  Ease the dough out of the doubling container and with floured hands form it into a ball.  Put it in the banneton seam side up and put the entire container in a clean plastic bag, such as a supermarket produce bag.  Tie the bag closed and put the banneton and bag into the refrigerator for an overnight rise.

The next morning, put a heavy oven-proof pot and lid (~5 quart in size) separately into the oven and heat to 450 degrees.  After about 30 minutes when everything is preheated, carefully remove the pot from the oven and turn the banneton upside down over the empty pot.  (If using the combo cooker, score the top with a lamé or sharp knife in a hashtag pattern.)  After the dough falls into the pot, put the lid on and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the crust is nicely browned but not burned.  Remove the pot from the oven and with a spatula, remove the bread from the pot and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting it.

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