banner image

Malt and Sunflower Sourdough

This recipe is based on Richard Bertinet’s white sourdough from Crumb but the different starter and flours change the taste, with the sunflower seeds adding a lovely sweetness to the bread.

Ingredients

200g Ferment (100% hydrated light rye flour starter).

250g strong white flour.

250g light malthouse flour.

8g sea salt.

50g sunflower seeds.

375g water.

Method

Put the flours, seeds and water in a mixing bowl and mix well before leaving for an hour or so to autolyse, this will help it come together a little quicker when working the dough. Without this step, the dough starts off wetter and takes longer to work but it will still make a good loaf.

Add the ferment and salt and mix well before tipping onto a work surfurce and work for at least 10 minutes. I use Richard Bertinet‘s method for working the dough. Form into a ball and rest in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour until it‘s just under double in size (depending on the temperature this might take longer, on cold days I have left it for two hours, but rarely more than 90 minutes).

Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and reform into a ball before putting it back in the bowl to rest again for another 45 minutes to an hour.

Tip onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Leave on the surface for 10 to 15 minutes before forming a ball again and placing into a floured banneton. Leave to prove for 3 hours or until it looks like it’s rising well and then place in the fridge overnight.

In the morning remove from fridge and preheat oven with a baking stone or cloche inside to 230 degrees for an hour. Transfer dough onto a peel then score how you want. Transfer onto the stone or into the cloche and bake for at least 30 minutes until the crust is as you want. You can turn the heat down and bake for longer, the malt flour will give the bread a darkish crust.