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Rustico Sourdough Bread

Updated: Jan 11, 2023

After I got The Perfect Loaf book by Maurizio Leo I was on the mission to try some new sourdough bread recipes and I picked this interesting recipe that got a mix of 3 different types of flour specially with spelt flour.


Total dough weight: 1800g

Pre-fermented flour: 6.6%

Levain 17.5%

Hydration: 80%

Yield: 2 x 900g loaves


Levain Build

Weight / Ingredient / Baker's Percentage

32g / Mature liquid starter (100% hydration) / 50%

32g / Whole spelt flour / 50%

32g / White Flour, 11.5% protein / 50%

63g / Water / 100%


Dough Formula

Target final dough temperature (FDT) is 78°F (25°C).

Weight / Ingredient / Baker's Percentage

503g / White Flour, 11.5% protein

163g / Whole spelt flour

618g / Water 1

97g / Water 2

17g / Fine sea salt / 1.7%

159g / Ripe, liquid levain


Method

1. Levain – 10:00 a.m. Build the liquid levain in the morning and store somewhere around 78°F (25°C) ambient for around 5-6 hours.

2. “Autolyse” – 3 p.m. Mix flour, water, and the levain in a bowl until all dry bits are hydrated. Cover bowl and store somewhere warm for 1 hour.

3. Mix – 4 p.m. To the autolyse, add about half of the water, the salt, and ripe levain. Using wet hands, mix the ingredients until well incorporated.

4. Strengthen the Dough ( first phase)

With wet hands use the slap and fold method for 5 minutes to strengthen the dough. Transfer the dough back to the bowl, cover and rest for 10 minutes.


5. Strengthen the Dough ( second phase)

If the dough feels very wet, slack and loose, don't add the remaining water. Otherwise add the rest of the water and pinch it into the dough until until it absorbed and the dough comes together. With wet hands use the slap and fold method for 3-5 minutes to further strengthen the dough. Transfer back to the bowl or another container for bulk fermentation.

6. Bulk Fermentation 3 hours 30 minutes At 78°F (25°C) ambient temperature, bulk fermentation should go for about 4.5 hours. Watch the dough here and shorten or lengthen bulk fermentation based on how it's developing. There are a few signs to look for that signal the end of bulk fermentation:

  • the edges where the dough meets your container should be slightly domed (convex)

  • your dough should have risen anywhere between 30% – 50%

  • if you slightly jiggle your bulk container, the dough should also jiggle and look alive

  • if you wet your hand and tug at the dough, it should provide some resistance and want to pull back

Perform four sets of stretch and folds during the bulk, spaced out by 30 minutes (your first stretch and fold will be 30 minutes after you finished mixing). Be vigorous with your first set of stretch and folds (really stretch that dough up and high, just until it starts to show resistance and before it begins to tear) and be more gentle with the remaining sets. After your last stretch and fold, let the dough rest in the bulk container for the remainder of the bulk time.

5. Divide & Preshape Divide the dough into two masses. Lightly shape each mass into a round and let rest for 35 minutes uncovered.

6. Shape Lightly flour the top of your dough rounds and flour the work surface. Flip each round and shape into a boule. Try to get some good tension on the top of these loaves, but don’t over-handle the dough. After shaping, let rest on the bench for a few minutes and then place into a banneton seam-side-up. I prefer to use linen-lined bannetons for this moderately wet dough: it removes easier from the basket, and any liquid that escapes from the dough will go into the linen, which is far easier to clean. Only lightly dust the bannetons with white rice flour, just enough so the dough easily removes from them but no more.

7. Proof Cover your banneton with plastic tied tight and let the dough retard in the refrigerator at 38ºF for 14 hours.

8. Score & Bake – Next Morning: Preheat oven at 9:00 a.m., Bake at 10:30 a.m. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Take out your first boule and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit over your round banneton. Place the peel on top of the banneton and quickly invert the entire stack (banneton, parchment, and peel), gently pull off the basket and your dough should now be resting on the parchment that's on top of the peel. Using a small sifter and some white rice flour lightly cover the entire boule with flour. Then use your bread lame to score the top.

To ensure your design stays intact in the oven don't mist your loaves with any additional water if this is your usual procedure. Drag the parchment paper directly into your preheated Dutch oven, if using, or slide right onto your hot baking stones.

Bake either in a Dutch oven or straight on baking stone with steam.

Bake 20 minutes with steam. After 20 minutes vent your oven (or remove Dutch oven lid and place next to the bottom in the oven), and finish baking for about 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 206°F - 210°F. Go for a nice dark color on the crust. Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks.


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