Sourdough Loaves (with Mix-Ins)

Yield

Two 1-kg. loaves.

Mix-Ins

Olive

• 300 g olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 tsp herbes de provence

Walnut-Cranberry

• 200 g walnuts, toasted (8 minutes at 425 °F, mixing half-way)
• 100 g cranberries, dried

Sesame

• 200 g unhulled sesame seeds (toasted 20 minutes at 400 °F, mixing half-way)

Chocolate Cherry-Walnut

• 100 g walnuts, toasted (8 minutes at 425 °F, mixing half-way)
• 100 g cherries, dried
• 150 g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 75 g cocoa (natural or Dutch-process) (combine with flour before autolyse)
• 75 g sugar (combine with flour before autolyse)

Sun-Dried Tomato, Gouda, Herb

• 150 g sun-dried tomatoes, cut into cubes
• 150 g gouda, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp basil, dried
• 1 tbsp oregano, dried
• 1 tsp thyme

Levain

In a bowl, combine:

• 40 g starter
• 130 g bread flour
• 130 g water, room temperature

Mix into a paste. Let rest for 12 hours.

Dough

To the levain, add:

• 450 g bread flour
• 250 g whole-wheat flour
• 70 g rye flour
• 550 g water, at around 30 °C

Combine 15 g salt and mix-ins in a separate bowl, but do not add to the dough just yet.

Kneading, Autolyse, Stretching, Shaping Timeline

• 0:00: Stir (by hand, or mixer at low speed) until a shaggy mixture forms and no dry flour remains. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. This is the autolyse step.
• 0:30: Knead for 5 minutes.
• 0:35: Stop kneading. Cover dough and let rest for 45 minutes.
• 1:20: Add salt and mix-ins. Knead into the dough by hand. Stretch and fold, then cover dough and let rest for 45 minutes.
• 2:05: Stretch and fold, then cover dough and let rest for 45 minutes.
• 2:50: Stretch and fold, then cover dough and let rest for 45 minutes.
• 3:35: Divide dough into two, then shape each loaf. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• 3:40: Reshape loaves. Transfer to well-floured bannetons. Let rise for about 3 hours.
• 6:40: Bake.

Stretching and Folding

1. Using a bowl scraper, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface.
2. Start at one corner of the dough. Using the scraper, pick up that corner and loosen it from the counter surface.
3. With well-floured hands, stretch out and fold back over the remaining dough.
4. Rotate 90° and repeat from step #2 three times (for a total of four stretch-and-folds).

Shaping

1. Using a bowl scraper, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface.
2. Divide the dough in half, pulling the two halves apart as you cut with the scraper.
3. Put one half of the dough aside for now.
4. Start at one corner of the dough. Using the scraper, pick up that corner and loosen it from the counter surface.
5. With well-floured hands, stretch out and fold to the center of the dough.
6. Rotate 45° and repeat from step #4 seven times (for a total of eight stretch-and-folds).
7. Flip the dough over so that the seam is on the counter.
8. Using the scraper and well-floured hands, repeatedly “cup” the dough so that it forms a tight skin.
9. Place loaf aside. Repeat from #4 with the other loaf (from step #3).
10. Let both loaves rest for 3-5 minutes. During this time, cover the bannetons with a thick coating of flour.
11. For each loaf, repeat the cupping step (#8), making sure the skin is tight.
12. With well-floured hands and the scraper, flip the loaf over into the palm of your hand.
13. Carefully lay the loaf into the floured banneton. Sprinkle flour into the gaps around the loaf.
14. Cover and let rise.

Baking

1. Preheat oven to 500 °F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Invert bannetons onto parchment.
4. Brush off excess flour.
5. Slash middle of loaf with a sharp blade or lame.
6. Mist with water.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Lower temperature to 450 °F, continue baking another 13-15 minutes.

Sources

https://www.theperfectloaf.com/tartine-olive-sourdough/

https://tcho.com/blogs/recipes-savory/chocolate-sourdough-bread