Lighter Spelt Sourdough

Ingredients

• 200g Spelt Wholemeal flour
• 200g Spelt White flour
• 200g Sourdough ferment
• 300g Water
• 7g sea salt

Method

1. Create a sourdough ferment - the method and recipe offered by Richard Bertinet in his book "Crust" is the one I use.  This is quite a dry ferment.
2. When the ferment is ready for use, mix the two dry spelt flours together and then add the ferment, shredding it with your fingers to ensure no large lumps of ferment remain.
3. Add the water to the flour/ferment and mix to produce a dough.
4. Work the dough, adding the salt a couple of grammes at a time, until you have a smooth dough that is not overly sticky to the touch.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave for 1 hour (it will not rise a lot, unlike a dough that uses commercial yeast).
6. Work the dough again and return to the bowl.  Cover for another hour.
7. Form the dough into a ball and place in a well floured proving basket (or bowl lined with a well-floured tea towel).
8. Cover with a tea towel and leave at approximately 16C to 18C for 18 hours.  Do not disturb!
9. Pre-heat the oven to 240C.
10. Turn the dough out onto a floured peel and cut the top of the dough with at least two slashes at 90 degrees to each other.
11. Slide the dough into the oven and mist the oven very well with a water spray.
12. After 10 mins, check the loaf and turn around to get an even bake - if necessary - then turn the oven down to 200C and bake for a further 25 to 30 mins.

Credits

Recipe by Richard Clarke, with thanks to Richard Bertinet for the sourdough recipe/methodology and other techniques!

Added by: Ruralidle