Whole Wheat and Spelt Open Crumb Sourdough Bread

In recent months, I have been following a gluten-free diet due to health reasons. As a baker, adjusting to this new lifestyle has been challenging. Nevertheless, I occasionally enjoy a few slices of sourdough bread. To make healthier choices, I avoid using white bread flour and opt for organic whole wheat and spelt flours instead.

Here are the benefits of baking sourdough bread, particularly when using organic whole wheat stone-ground flour, based on what I’ve learned from Vanessa Kimbell at The Sourdough School Book:

Better Digestibility:

The long fermentation process in sourdough breaks down gluten and phytic acid, making the bread easier to digest and the nutrients more bioavailable.

Improved Gut Health:

Sourdough fermentation supports the growth of beneficial gut microbes. Using whole wheat stone-ground flour, rich in natural fiber and diverse microbiota, further enhances this prebiotic effect.

Higher Nutrient Content:

Stone-ground whole wheat retains the bran and germ, providing more vitamins, minerals (like magnesium, zinc, and iron), and antioxidants compared to refined flour.

Lower Glycemic Response:

Sourdough bread typically causes a slower rise in blood sugar levels compared to regular bread, promoting better metabolic health.

Rich, Complex Flavour:

Stone-ground flour combined with natural fermentation results in deeper, nuttier, and more complex flavors compared to conventional breads.

If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible. Do tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws if you attempt on this recipe.

How To Make Whole Wheat & Spelt Open Crumb Sourdough Bread

INGREDIENTS:

150g whole wheat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill, Organic Flour, Whole Wheat flour) - 50%

150g spelt flour - 50%

240g water - 82% final hydration (please refer notes)

6g salt - 2%

60g Levain (100% hydration):

21g sourdough starter (please refer notes)

21g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

21g water

Utensil:

Banneton (proofing basket)'s size - 6.5" oval shape

Ambient temperature after adding in levain - 26C
Total Bulk Fermentation - 5 hours 20 minutes

METHOD:

Feeding starter

Feed ratio of 1:1:1, keep at room temperature (28C – 30C) and wait until tripled, around 3.5 – 5 hours. I fed a few grams extra as some will stick to the jar. You will need only 60g.
Please feed your starter at the ratio that fit your schedule as long as the starter is at its peak when use.

Mix the dough

Dissolve levain and water in a bowl of stand mixer. Add in flours and salt. Mix with paddle attachment for about 3 - 4 minutes at speed 2 (KA mixer) and slowly turn to speed 4 or until the dough turns smooth, comes together and away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough into a greased dish. Cover and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature around 26C - 27C.
Instead of using a machine, you can autolyse the dough, let it rest for 1–2 hours, then mix in the levain and salt by hand. After that, rest the dough for another 30 minutes, similar to the method I used for my Basic Open Crumb Sourdough Bread.

Long Stretch and Fold (Quite same like Bench Fold)

Pull and fold the four sides, flip over and round the dough.
Cover and rest for about 30 minutes or until dough spreads.

Lamination

Lightly mist the counter top with water and wet your hand.
Pull from centre out to form a rectangle shape.
Pick up one edge and fold into the center.
Pick up other edge and fold into the center over first section.
Fold the top down half way. Fold the bottom up.
Put dough in a new dish (square pyrex dish). The reason to use a square dish is because it is easier to judge how much the dough has spread. Cover and rest for about 40 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.

Coil Folds

Coil Fold 1 - At this stage, the dough is weak and extensible. Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 60 minutes or until dough spreads.
Coil Fold 2 - At this stage the dough still extensible but stronger compare with the dough before the 1st coil fold. Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 60 minutes or until dough spreads.
Coil Fold 3 - At this stage, the dough is quite strong and not so extensible and will be the last coil fold. However, if the dough is still quite extensible and spread a lot, then you will need one or two more coil folds. Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for 60 - 90 minutes or until dough rise 50% in size since you added the levain.

Shaping

90 minutes later, the dough had risen about 50% in size since adding the levain. The dough should look puffy. It should jiggling when you slightly shake it. This is the end of bulk fermentation. The total bulk fermentation time was 5 hours and 20 minutes for this bread.
Flour the counter top. Shape and transfer to a flour banneton.

Proofing On The Counter

Let it proof in the banneton room temperature for 15 minutes (27C - 28C ambient temperature)

Cold Retard

Then retard overnight in the fridge (4C) for 12 - 16 hours. This bread was about 15 hours.

Baking

Preheat oven with the dutch oven (cast iron) at 250C (top & bottom heat) fo 30 - 60 minutes before baking.
Take bread dough out from the fridge, invert onto a parchment paper. Using a razor blade attached to a lame slash the dough approximately 0.5 inches deep at 45-degree angle. Immediately transfer the dough with the parchment paper to your preheated dutch oven.
Bake with cover on for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and lower the temperature to 220C (top & bottom heat), continue bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.
Remove bread from oven and dutch oven. Let it cool on rack completely before slicing.

Notes:

Please refresh your starter several times before baking day in order to get a better result if you do not feed your starter daily or regularly.
Please reserve some liquid and not add it all in one go as each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently.

GENERAL NOTES

SOURDOUGH STARTER

Please click this link for "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance"

A healthy starter is very crucial as advised by Baking with Gina. It is advisable to feed your starter regularly if you want your bread to rise nicely and to use the starter (levain) at its peak. A starter that is fed regularly will be more active in general. If the mother starter is not strong, the bread dough will not rise a lot even though the starter is used at its peak.

HYDRATION

The liquid measurement given is also a guide. It is advisable to always reserve some liquid and not add it all in one go. This would give you the opportunity to adjust if necessary. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency. This is because each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently.

BULK FERMENTATION

Bulk fermentation starts when you add in levain to the dough and ends when the dough is ready for shaping.

TEMPERATURE DURING BULK FERMENTATION

Ambient temperature plays a very important part in sourdough baking. It will affect the dough temperature and eventually affect your fermentation time. The cooler ambient temperature will extend the fermentation time. The greater degree of proof, the stronger the dough will be as explained by Trevor J. Wilson.

The ambient temperature that worked for me is between 25C - 26C and bulk fermentation time is between 4.5 hours to 5.5 hours. At the end of bulk fermentation, my dough would have increased 50% in volume. The dough should look puffy. It should jiggling when you slightly shake it. This is the end of bulk fermentation.

But, my kitchen ambient temperature (without air-conditioner) was 29C - 30C. So, I have to bring down the temperature.

How to bring down ambient temperature?

Air-conditioner room - Rest the dough in air-conditioner room during bulk fermentation. I used this option sometimes. I turned on my air-conditioner when I added in levain and try to maintain temperature between 25C - 26C.
Home oven (that's turned off) - Place ice cooler packs inside along with an ambient temperature thermometer. Then place your dough during bulk fermentation in the oven. Keep an eye on that thermometer and try to keep between 25C - 26C.

DOUGH STRENGTH AND EXTENSIBILITY

Too strong (tension or elastic) dough will take a longer time to increase (proof) in volume. So too strong dough may not have good oven spring and open crumb. While too weak dough (extensibility) dough may not hold it shape and rise with good oven spring too.

So over-working the dough (too strong dough) or under-working (weak dough) may affect the crumb structure and oven spring.

The number of coil folds is not fixed and very much depends on the strength and extensibility of the dough.

As demonstrated in an experiment by Kristen (Full Proof Baking) the over-worked dough rose super tall but was smaller in overall size and had a more dense crumb while the control dough rose tall during the oven spring and had a better overall result.

How do we know when it is enough and no more coil folds are needed?

We usually do 3 coil folds for this method. However, if by the second coil fold the dough is strong with less extensibility as you lift up a part of the dough then it should be the last coil fold, or just do a half coil folds instead of full. The resistance of the dough to being folded should be an indication to refrain from folding further.

How do we know when to do the next coil fold or stretch & fold?

When the dough spreads. Please do not rely on the time given in the recipe as it is just a guideline. Please watch your dough and not the clock.

SALT

You may wonder why most of the recipes asked to add salt after autolyze and adding levain. Salt will tighten the gluten and make it harder to stretch.