Ishpatina Wild Yeast Sourdough Bread

Recipe at a glance

Yield: 1 sourdough bread, approximately 12 slices
Active time: About 30 minutes
Rest and rise: About 10–14 hours
Bake time: 50–55 minutes
Total elapsed time: About 12–16 hours, plus starter activation
Difficulty: Intermediate

Equipment

• Kitchen scale
• Large mixing bowl
• Wooden banneton or a bowl lined with a clean, well-floured kitchen towel
• Covered Dutch oven
• Parchment paper
• Bread lame or sharp knife

Ingredients

• 150 g active Ishpatina Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter, at or near peak activity
• 200 g whole-wheat or rye flour
• 300 g white bread flour
• 340 g filtered water
• 8 g sea salt

Method

1. Check the starter. Use the Ishpatina starter once it is rising predictably and is at or near its peak after feeding. A reliable doubling within about 6–8 hours is a useful sign that it is ready.
2. Mix the liquids. In a large bowl, stir together 340 g filtered water and 150 g active starter until the starter is mostly dispersed.
3. Add the flour. Add the whole-wheat or rye flour and the white bread flour. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
4. Add the salt. Sprinkle 8 g sea salt over the dough. Pinch, fold and work it in until evenly incorporated.
5. Build strength. Complete three sets of stretch-and-folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. For each set, lift one edge of the dough, stretch it gently and fold it toward the centre. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Keep the dough covered between sets.
6. Shape the dough. After the final set, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a round.
7. Let it rise once. Place the dough seam-side up in a well-floured wooden banneton. A towel-lined bowl also works. Cover and leave at room temperature for approximately 8–12 hours.
8. Watch the dough. A room temperature of about 22–23°C works well. A warmer kitchen will shorten the rise; a cooler kitchen will lengthen it. The dough is ready when it looks aerated and puffy, has expanded substantially, and a light fingertip press springs back slowly rather than immediately. Bake directly after this rise.
9. Preheat the oven. About 45 minutes before baking, place the covered Dutch oven inside and preheat to 245°C (475°F).
10. Score the dough. Turn the dough onto parchment paper, brush away excess flour and make a cut about 1 cm deep along the top with a bread lame or sharp knife. You can add a simple pattern if you want to.
11. Bake. Lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the oven to 230°C (450°F), and bake for another 25–30 minutes, until deeply browned.
12. Cool. Transfer the bread to a rack and leave it for at least one hour before slicing so the crumb can set.

Success cues

• The starter rises reliably before it is mixed into the dough.
• The dough becomes smoother and more elastic across the three stretch-and-fold sets.
• After the room-temperature rise, the dough looks puffy and responds slowly to a light fingertip press.
• The finished bread is deeply browned before it comes out of the oven.

Recipe notes

• Temperature matters more than exact timing. Adjust the rise according to the dough and your kitchen.
• A wooden banneton helps support the shape, but it is not required.
• For the whole-wheat version, I use Ontario-grown Red Fife when it is available.
• This method uses one room-temperature rise and no refrigerated proof.

Approximate nutrition

Per slice when divided into 12 slices and made with the whole-wheat option: 170 Calories · 6 g protein · 1 g fat · 36 g carbohydrate · 3 g fibre · 260 mg sodium.