I’ve been baking sourdough bread for a while, but still quite a beginner. I decided to try and duplicate a local baker’s seeded spelt/einkorn sourdough. After 3 tries, my bread is not “springing” in the oven and I end up with a somewhat flat boule. Here’s my recipe, as briefly as I can state it. 300g spelt flour, 200 g einkorn flour (both whole grain), 2 tbs each: flax, sunflower, sesame (soaked in 100g water. A 50/50 spelt/einkorn starter, of which I use 1/4 cup in the final dough. 300 g water for the final dough and 12 g salt. Four periods of stretching/folding, 30 minutes apart. Bulk proof ~6–7 hours, final proof 2–3 hours. Baked in a cast iron dutch oven at 475 for 10min lid on, 425 for 20 min lid on. 15 min lid off at 425 (our oven tends to run hot). Any suggestions or further questions?
Spelt and Einkorn are lousy at oven spring and they’re wholegrain to-boot. What’s more they need a gentler approach with less handling. 100g starter to 500g flour even when it’s a bread flour one is looking at 4-5 hours bulk ferment. When it comes to einkorn and spelt I’d have expected less time yet you’ve gone for 6-7 hours. Spelt and Einkorn will proof quickly yet you final proofed for 2-3 hours even after an extended bulk ferment. They also need more support if you want height. I think a different approach is needed.
Try a more modest bulk ferment with about a 30% increase, shape into a loaf pan and final proof till it just crests the top then bake.
Thanks, Abe! That was helpful. Would you explain what the 30% increase pertains to?
My pleasure @squeezebob. I think with a mix like einkorn and spelt it’s not necessary for it to double for the bulk ferment. Aim for about a 30% increase, so that you can see it’s puffy, then shape and final proof. Don’t final proof till double either… 70-75% should be fine.
While you should be looking at the dough and not the clock I think for 20% levain you’d be looking at 3-4 hours for the bulk ferment and 1-1.5 hours for the final proof. Just as a guide!