Latest Slow, Lazy wholegrain sourdough:
A few things have changed since I originally posted this recipe. I may update it someday…
First, I’m adding a tiny pinch of ascorbic acid to the water before I mix it all up.
Second, I’ve added a 1 hour rest in the mixing process. After I get the dry and liquid barely mixed and it’s in the shaggy mass state, I leave it alone, covered with plastic in the mixing bowl, for an hour. Then I run the KA mixer at speed “4” (low-middle of the range) for 7 minutes. That rest makes a huge difference in the dough’s handle-ability and strength.
Third, I now do the whole bake in a covered cloche. I don’t uncover it until I take the bread out of the oven. I pre-heat to 500F for 30 minutes, then put the cold dough straight from the fridge into the cloche, cover and bake at 500F for 12 minutes. Then I drop the oven to 375F and let it go for another 45 minutes and then remove and cool.
–
Last week I was away and visiting some friends and we had lunch together at one of their homes. Someone brought along a loaf of “artisan” bread they got from an organic food store. It looked really good - nice ear, nice bloom, nice color, nice open crumb. It had something like “whole grain” somewhere in its name, but my guess is that it was at least 80% white bread flour. Despite looking pretty, it tasted like absolute cardboard. So disappointing. Give me the authentic hundo any time.