Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

I save bread packaging from going to landfills by baking my own rustic bread loaves baked with plain flour bought in bulk.  Currently into natural starter and Tartine’s recipes seem to be on everyone’s must-bake list.

There is nothing different about the recipe I used to bake this classic Tartine sourdough except that I have halved it, based on the size of my Dutch Oven and my refrigerator’s capacity.  Why bake the full recipe when it takes me a few mornings to finish one loaf?  What helped a lot is that this dough recipe is a breeze to mix.  Simply mix another batch when the loaf is about to finish.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

An active starter is a critical ingredient here.  I continue to be awed endlessly by my natural starter that produces the most dramatic oven spring in my short sourdough baking history.  Coating the surface of the bread with rice flour before slashing is also a must, to make the “split” more obvious and help it look more ‘pro’ and rustic.  My heart skips a beat every time I uncover the pot after the first 40 minutes in the oven.

To ensure that the starter is active, I make sure that I feed my starter at regular interval until it can double within 3 hours at room temperature which is 30C here.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

While the original recipe stated 20 minutes with the lid and 20-25 minutes with the lid off, this is for bakers who are experienced or willing to risk a scalding arm with a preheated hot dutch oven pot at 230C.  I bake my dough cold, straight from the chiller and in an unheated pot, but I still manage to get a perfect oven spring and a crust that caramalize to a beautiful brown.  I have to bake the bread longer though: 40 minutes in the oven with the lid on and another 40minutes without the lid.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

Made for myself a step by step pictorial guide with 1/2 the ingredients of this recipe.  Hope you will find it useful too.


Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf

Start with an active starter, pour 125g into a mixer bowl, and add 370g water.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

Stir around with a wooden spoon until the starter is mixed well with the water.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

Add 350g plain flour and 150g wholemeal flour to the diluted starter.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

Stir and mix with the wooden spoon.  Let this sit aside for at least 30 minutes, covered.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

After 30 minutes, sprinkle 10g sea salt on top of the dough and another 25g water, and

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

gently stir to mix the salt and water into the autolysed dough, which will appear smoother at this point.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

Mix until all the water has been absorbed by the dough.  Then, with a clean wet hand, do a few round of  “stretch and pull” actions.  Let dough sit for another 30 minutes.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

After 30 minutes, repeat the “stretch and pull” action, then let it sit for 30 minutes again.  This will be “Turn #1”.  Repeat this for another 3 times.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

After “Turn #4”, transfer the dough to a container with cover, or simply cover the mixer bowl (if your fridge has ample space for it) with a pot lid of the right size, and let it bulk ferment inside the fridge overnight.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

Next morning, when ready to bake, preheat oven to 250C.  Flour the base of a Dutch Oven with rice flour, to prevent the bread from sticking to the pot when baking.  I do this to save on parchment paper.  Retrieve the dough from fridge and shape the dough gently into a ball, place it inside the pot, seam side downwards.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

Sprinkle rice flour on top and make a score on the surface of the dough.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

Cover and bake for 40 minutes.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

After 40 minutes, Remove cover, and bake for another 40 minutes at 220C.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

After baking, remove the bread from the Dutch Oven immediately, and let it cool completely on a rack before slicing.  Store unfinished bread in an airtight container to prevent crumbs from drying out.

Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf // Mono + Co

Enjoy!

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Oat Porridge Sourdough

Oat Porridge Sourdough // Mono + Co Oat Porridge Sourdough // Mono + Co Oat Porridge Sourdough // Mono + Co

Great recipe if you are thinking of baking a softer sourdough bread.  Oat porridge did the magic here.  For so long, I have been adding different types of root vegetable puree into my bread dough knowing that they help to make my Pullman loaves and buns really fluffy.  No chemical bread enhancer, no packaged dough conditioner, just steamed vegetables, how natural and nutritious does that sound?

So when I heard that there is a sourdough recipe out there enriched with oat porridge that makes it softer, of course, I want to try it.  See how soft it turned out.

Oat Porridge Sourdough // Mono + Co Oat Porridge Sourdough // Mono + Co

I used instant oatmeal to make the porridge instead of cooking rolled oats porridge over the stove.  I also stick to baking my dough cold straight from the fridge and shaping my loaf just before baking.  As for the rest of the instructions, I followed to a T, down right to coating the crust with rolled oats and giving the top with 4 snips with scissors to create that “zipper” look.


OAT PORRIDGE SOURDOUGH

adapted from the perfect loaf

for oatmeal porridge:
250g boiling hot water
125g instant oatmeal

75g fed starter
350g+12g+12g water
350g of plain flour
150g whole wheat flour
10g sea salt

To prepare oat porridge, mix hot water to instant oatmeal and stir until a thick consistency is formed. Leave it aside to cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl, add fed starter to 350g of water and stir with a wooden spoon to mix well.  Next, add plain flour, whole wheat flour, and mix with hand to form a dough with no dry flour is visible.  Cover the bowl and leave this aside for 60 minutes.

Sprinkle sea salt over the dough and pour the remaining 12g water on top, and mix the salt, water into the dough by hand using squeezing action.  The dough by now will appear very stretchable and doesn’t stick to the side of the bowl.  Leave this aside for 30 minutes, cover the bowl with a lid or tea towel.

After 30 minutes, incorporate oatmeal porridge to the dough in 4 separate additions,  with each addition, folding the dough so that the porridge get mixed as uniformly as possible. The remaining 12g water can be added bit by bit if the dough feels too dry. You may not need to use up all the remaining water, stop once the dough feels wet enough since the oatmeal porridge is also providing hydration to the dough.

Do a series of turns 6 times at 30 minutes interval.  With each turn, reach the dough from the bottom of the bowl and pull it up to tuck it to the opposite side of the bowl.  Turn the bowl and repeat for another pull-stretch-tuck action for about 3 more times till one round is completed.  Rest for 30 minutes and repeat this again till you complete 6 sets.

By the end of the 6th turn, cover the container and put the dough into the fridge for overnight retardation.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 250C.  Take out the dough from the fridge and shape the cold dough tightly into a ball, while remaining careful not to break up too much of the air pockets that has built up inside the dough.  Invert the dough onto a tray of rolled oats to coat the top part of the bread.  Place the dough inside a floured dutch oven pot seam side downwards.  To score, hold a pair of kitchen scissors almost parallel to the surface of the bread, making 4 snips across the top to create a “zipper” look.

Cover the pot and put it into the preheated oven bake for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, remove the cover, reduce the oven temperature to 220C and bake for another 30 minutes.

Cook on rack completely before slicing.  I waited for 4 hours, as recipe suggest the bread need a longer “setting” time due to its higher hydration.

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Natural Starter Milk Loaf

Natual Starter Milk Loaf // Mono + Co Natual Starter Milk Loaf // Mono + Co Natual Starter Milk Loaf // Mono + Co

After mixing a dough for sourdough country dough meant for an overnight fermentation, I fed my balance starter with another 50g water and 50g flour, only to find it rise to double its height again in 3 hours.  Unable to resist the temptation to bake another loaf with such active starter, I went for a softer milk loaf recipe instead.  Recipe largely adapted from this one, minus the taro, added more milk.


Natural Starter Milk Loaf

120g fed starter
165g fresh milk
240g flour
1 tablespoon milk powder
2 tablespoon raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
20g cold butter, cubed

In a mixer bowl, add starter and milk, stir to mix well.  Next, add flour, milk powder, sugar and turn on the mixer on its lowest speed to knead with a dough hook until all the ingredients come together into a ball.  Leave this aside for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, sprinkle salt and run the mixer again to knead the dough for 1 minute.

Add cold butter cube by cube and knead until the dough reaches window pane stage. Stop mixer and leave the dough to bulk rise at room temperature for 180 minutes.

After the dough has risen to expand its volume, punch down the dough to deflate and transfer to a clean work top.  Sprinkle worktop and palms with some flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.  shape the dough into a roll that fits the tin, and place it inside, seam side downwards.  Proof for another 90 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 20 minutes.  Remove bread from tin immediately after baking and cool completely on a rack before slicing or serving.  I brush the top crust with butter to make it softer after cooling down.

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Pumpkin Sourdough (No Recipe)

Pumpkin Sourdough // Mono + Co Pumpkin Sourdough // Mono + Co Pumpkin Sourdough // Mono + CoPumpkin Sourdough // Mono + CoPumpkin Sourdough // Mono + Co

No recipe because while mixing the dough, I got lost halfway jotting down how much flour I have topped up.  Did I stop after 2 tablespoons? Or was it 3?  But I remember starting the mixture with 270g of flour.  Without adding water, the dough was already wet with liquid from the starter, pumpkin, and honey.  I enjoyed the bread: sweetness from the pumpkin that ends with tangy flavor. Crumb is moist and slightly burnt crust was thin and flavorful.  Definitely worth trying again to find out the amount of flour I added.

Ingredients + steps for my future reference:
+ plain flour, unknown amount
+ 150g fed starter
+ 120g mashed steamed pumpkin
+ 2 tablespoons raw honey
Mix and left to autolyse for 1 hour.
+ 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Knead with mixer until the salt is incorporated into the dough.
+ 18g cold cubed butter
Knead till window pane stage.
Transfer to a covered container and leave in the fridge for 1 day.
Next day, remove from fridge, shape the dough gently into a ball, creating a smooth and stretched outer surface.
Line the bottom of a dutch oven with rice flour.  Place the shaped dough inside, dust surface of dough with rice flour, score the loaf to liking and bake covered for 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 250C.  I made a 30 degree cut to create “ears”.
After 40 minutes, remove the cover and bake for another 20 minutes at 220C.  When done, transfer the bread to a rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour, before slicing or serving.

Pumpkin Sourdough // Mono + Co

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Walnut And Dried Longan Sourdough

Walnut and Dried Longan Sourdough // Mono + CoWalnut and Dried Longan Sourdough // Mono + CoWalnut and Dried Longan Sourdough // Mono + Co

The natural starter rose to more than doubled it’s original volume but I still have balance bread.  What to do when the bread baking schedule cannot catch up with the starter’s feeding schedule?

i. The easiest way is to skip a day of baking.
Discard starter to leave just 1/3 of the weight that you normally need (mine is 150g, so I discard to leave 50g of starter in the container)  for baking, feed it with equal amount of flour and water (mine will be 50g of flour and 50g of water) and leave it in the fridge.  By the time I need it for the next day or the day after, I simply return it to room temperature on the counter and once it rises to double or pass the float test, I will use it to mix the dough.  If the baking break is too long, and the starter does not appear to be active or doubling its volume, 1 or 2 more feedings might be required to reactivate its strength.  To do so, discard to leave  1/3 of the weight of the fed starter required by the bread recipe and feed with flour and water.  Repeat this once or twice a day until the starter regains back its strength.

ii. Make sourdough pizza dough like this.

iii. Make sourdough pancakes or waffles.

iv. I chose to bake a sourdough that requires 2-3 days of long fermentation time so that my bread consumption can catch up with my productive baking timetable.  After using 125g of my 150g fed starter for a Tartine’s walnut sourdough recipe, I feed it with another 20g flour and 20g of water to maintain a 60g starter.  This can then be kept in the fridge or leave it on the counter for next day to be fed for a different bread dough.

For this Tartine’s sourdough, I adapted from here, (I like the timetable he puts up) halved the recipe and added dried longans for sweetness.  Just like my previous Tartine recipe attempt, the dough was too wet to be shaped or handled at my 30C room temperature, so I let it final proof and ferment in its shaggy state in the container without shaping, only to gently gluten stretch it into a boule just before baking and it worked out fine.


TARTINE WALNUT DRIED LONGAN SOURDOUGH

adapted from the perfect loaf

125g fed starter
350g water
500g of plain flour
(original used 50g wholewheat 450g white flour)
10g sea salt 
25g water 
1 cup toasted walnuts 
1/2 cup dried longans **

** In a small bowl, rehydrate the dried longans by covering them with just enough water.  Gently squeeze out excess liquid before adding them to the dough.

In a large mixing bowl, add fed starter to 350g of water and stir with a wooden spoon to mix well.  Next, add plain flour, turn on mixer to knead with a dough hook to form a wet dough.  Cover the bowl and leave this aside for 40 minutes (I left mine to autolyse for 60 minutes.)

Sprinkle sea salt over the dough and pour the remaining 25g water, start the mixer and knead on its lowest speed setting.  The dough by now will appear very stretchable and doesn’t stick to the side of the bowl while the mixer is running.  Stop once the salt and water has appeared to be mixed well into the dough.  Remove bowl from mixer and transfer this to a covered container.  Leave this in the fridge for 1st fermentation.  The original recipe did its bulk rise and turns immediately after this.  I wasn’t in any rush, so I gave the dough a whole day in the fridge.

Next morning, take out the dough from the fridge and do a series of turns 6 times at 30 minutes interval.  No need to bring the dough to room temperature.

Turn 1 : Reach of the dough from the bottom of the bowl and pull up to tuck it to the opposite side of the bowl.  Turn the bowl and repeat for another pull-stretch-tuck action for about 3 more times till one round is completed. Leave this aside for 30 minutes.

Turn 2 : Repeat the same pull-stretch-tuck action, when completed, add the walnuts and rehydrated longans and roughly mix them into the dough with few folding actions.  Leave aside for 30 minutes.

Turn 3 –  6 : Repeat as above.  By the end of the 6th turn, cover the container and put the dough back into the fridge for another overnight retardation.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 250C.  Take out the dough from the fridge and shape the cold dough gently into a ball, careful not to break up too much of the air pockets that has built up inside the dough.  Place the dough inside a floured dutch oven pot.  Sprinkle flour on surface and score, cover the pot and put it into the preheated oven bake for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, remove the cover, reduce the oven temperature to 220C and bake for another 30 minutes.

Cook on rack completely for at least 1 hour before slicing.

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Tartine’s Country Bread

Tartine's Country Bread // Mono + Co

This sourdough bread almost didn’t make it to the baking stage as I found it too sticky to shape at room temperature.  After going bulk fermentation overnight and 4 turns at 30-minute intervals to carry out a series of stretch-and-fold action,the dough became more and more sticky as it returned to room temperature.  By the time I had reached the last turn, the wet dough obviously looked like it won’t survive beyond my somewhat still botchy shaping skills.

Tartine's Country Bread // Mono + Co

But my natural starter has been surprising me pleasantly for the past few bakes, so I was curious how this bread will turn out, with a nice shape or not.  Plus the recipe I referred to also bake the bread straight out of the fridge.  So I placed the dough back into the fridge overnight to firm it up again, swiftly removed the entire dough out of the container it while it is cold the next morning, shaped the dough by creating a tight gluten cloak, sprinkled some flour on the surface, created a deep slash before sending it into a preheated oven at 220C for 1 hour.

Tartine's Country Bread // Mono + Co

True enough, my starter did not disappointment me this time either.

Tartine's Country Bread // Mono + Co Tartine's Country Bread // Mono + Co

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Natural Starter Taro Chia Seed Bagel

Natural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + Co

I bake bread fervently for two reasons. One. To have control over the ingredients that goes into mine, that means no artificial flavors or unfamiliar additives that I can’t pronounce.  Two.  To avoid packaging, especially the plastic ones from commercial bakeries.  I have taken an extra step to buy as many ingredients as possible without packaging by sourcing them from dry goods stores at wet markets.  I am so glad that I have found plain flour, sold in bulk.  Being the main ingredient of bread, that’s a lot of plastic bags avoided, but there is still no avail for wholemeal flour.

Natural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + CoNatural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + Co

I am not a great fan of bagels but I am intrigued by that overlapping end that gives bagel its signature handmade look.  Some recipes suggest simply poking a hole through a dough ball and shape it further like a donut.  I found the method of flattening one end of a cylindrically shaped dough and wrap this end around the other end most useful.  For more shaping techniques, check out here and here.  The method I adopted is demonstrated with photos in the recipe section.

Natural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + Co

After proofing, the size of the hole became smaller as the dough expanded.  It was reduced further to resemble a belly button after boiling in water before baking.

Natural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + Co Natural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + Co Natural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + Co

I boiled these bagels in a small pot of water with honey added to get these golden brown effect after baking.  As this recipe yields 6 bagels, I boiled them one by one for 1 minute on each side, so that I won’t waste a big pot of water as well as honey, which is expensive.  Alternatively, cheaper malt syrup can be used.


Natural Starter Taro Chia Seed Bagel

160g fed starter
200g plain flour
100g steamed taro, mashed
3 tablespoon milk powder
45g water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
30g cold butter, cubed
1 tablespoon chia seeds

In a mixer bowl, add fed starter, plain flour, cooled mashed taro, milk powder, and water. Start mixer to knead on its lowest speed with a dough hook until all the ingredients come into a ball.  Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 15 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquid better.

After 15 minutes, sprinkle the sea salt on the dough and start the mixer again to knead for 1-2 minutes before adding cubed butter one by one.  Knead until the dough reaches window pane stage.  Add chia seeds to incorporate.  Stop mixer and leave the dough in the covered mixer bowl to bulk rise at room temperature for 120 – 150 minutes, until the dough expands and passes the poke test, a sure sign that the first fermentation stage is completed.

After the dough has risen to double its volume, punch down the dough to deflate and transfer to a clean worktop.  Sprinkle worktop and palms with flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.  Divide the dough into 6 portions, mine’s around 100g each.

Take one of the dough and roll it on the worktop to get a cylinder shape, about 30cm long.  Using a roller pin, flatten about 5 cm of one end, then join the two ends to make a loop with the dough and overlay the flatten end to wrap the other end.

Natural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + CoNatural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + CoNatural Starter Taro Chia Seeds Bagels // Mono + Co

Arrange on a baking tray.  Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.  Proof these for an hour.

Fill up 3/4 pot with water, I used my smallest 16 cm diameter one to save water, and add 1 tablespoon of honey.  Bring the water to boil.  Gently pick up a bagel dough, and transfer it into the pot of boiling water, with its top side facing down.  After 1 minute, flip the bagel and continue to cook for a further 1 minute.  Remove the cooked bagel from the pot, and drain on a sieve, before arranging it on a baking pan.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 8 minutes. Turn the tray and bake for a further 7-8 minutes till the surface turns golden brown.

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Natural Starter Pumpkin Pullman Loaf

Natural Starter Pumpkin Loaf // Mono+Co Natural Starter Pumpkin Loaf // Mono+Co

I am so addicted to the height my natural starter gives to all the homemade bread.  The dough might take longer to bulk rise or ferment, but the magic they do once they are in the oven is amazing.

Natural Starter Pumpkin Loaf // Mono+Co

I sprinkled a mixture of white + black sesame seeds and slashed the loaf top lengthwise for decorative effect because I know the natural starter will create an oven spring that gives the loaf a beautiful split top look.  And I was not disappointed.

Natural Starter Pumpkin Loaf // Mono+Co Natural Starter Pumpkin Loaf // Mono+CoNatural Starter Pumpkin Loaf // Mono+CoNatural Starter Pumpkin Loaf // Mono+Co


NATURAL STARTER PUMPKIN PULLMAN LOAF


150g fed starter **
245g plain flour
100g steamed pumpkin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
17g water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
20g cold butter, cubed
1 tablespoon black + white sesame seeds

** I used a starter made from raisin yeast.

In a mixer bowl, add the starter, plain flour, cooled and mashed pumpkin, and brown sugar.  Start mixer to knead on its lowest speed with a dough hook, and add water in a trickle until a dough ball is formed.  You might not use up all the water or you might need more, depending on the hydration level of the ingredients, especially with pumpkin.  Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 15 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquid better.

After 15 minutes, sprinkle the sea salt on the dough and start the mixer again to knead for 1-2 minutes before adding cubed butter one by one.  Knead until the dough reaches window pane stage.  Stop mixer and leave the dough to bulk rise at room temperature for 120 – 150 minutes, until the dough expands and passes the poke test, a sure sign that the first fermentation is completed.

After the dough has risen to double its volume, punch down the dough to deflate and transfer to a clean work top.  Sprinkle worktop and palms with flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.

Flatten the dough with a rolling pin to push out air bubbles trapped inside during the bulk rise stage.  Shape the dough into a long roll that fits inside a Pullman tin, mist the top of the dough with some water, and sprinkle black and white sesame seed mix on top evenly.  Then place the dough in the tin and proof for another 120 – 150 minutes, till the bread height rise to reach the top of the tin.  Make a deep slash across the top of the dough, lengthwise, before baking in a preheated oven at 200C for 25 minutes.

Remove bread from tin immediately after baking and cool completely on a rack before slicing or serving.

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Natural Starter Walnut Boule : Overnight Fermentation

Natural Starter Walnut Boulet // Mono + Co

This homemade bread is by far my best attempt to use ingredients that I can purchase sans the packaging.  The dry goods stores in wet markets and Victoria Wholesale Center are my best bet for sources of bulk food. I simply plan in advance to know how many reusable containers or bags to bring along.  I buy plain flour, brown sugar and walnuts packed in my own containers.

The best part about buying from these unofficial bulk stores is that I can buy as little as I need, I usually don’t require that much.  Thanks to the flexibility, for example: I can purchase just enough dried Chrysanthemum to make a day’s supply of Chrysanthemum tea, without the need for storing the unused portion.

Natural Starter Walnut Boulet // Mono + Co

Another important ingredient that I have been making my own is this natural yeast starter.  This also helped me to do away with packaging from the instant dry yeast.  Simply feed it with an equal amount of flour and water, it will actively multiply itself in the next few hours and I will have enough to bake a bread and some balance that I can keep feeding subsequently to maintain a continuous supply of natural starter for homemade bread.

Natural Starter Walnut Boulet // Mono + Co

Once the starter doubles its volume and passes a float test (see photo, above), it can be added to a favorite bread recipe in place of instant yeast.

Natural Starter Walnut Boulet // Mono + Co  Natural Starter Walnut Boulet // Mono + Co Natural Starter Walnut Boulet // Mono + Co


Walnut Boule

160g fed starter **
295g plain flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
50g water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
25g cold butter, cubed
75g walnut, chopped roughly

** I used a starter made from raisin yeast.

In a mixer bowl, add the starter, plain flour, and brown sugar.  Start mixer to knead on its lowest speed with a dough hook, and add water in a trickle until a dough ball is formed.  You might not use up all the water or you might need more, depending on the hydration level of the ingredients.  Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 15 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquid better.

After 15 minutes, sprinkle the sea salt on the dough and start the mixer again to knead for 1-2 minute before adding cubed butter one by one.  Knead until the dough reaches window pane stage and add chopped walnuts to mix.  Stop mixer and transfer the dough into a covered container, leave this in the fridge overnight for its first fermentation.

Take out the container from the fridge and leave it on the counter for 2 hours to return the temperature of the dough to room temperature, it will expand its volume at the same time.  Transfer the dough a floured worktop and do a stretch and fold step like this.  Sprinkle worktop and palms with more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.  Leave the dough aside, covered, for 1 hour.

Shape the dough into a boule like this.  I arrange it on a floured baking tray and leave it to proof for one last time for 2 hours inside the oven.

When ready to bake, take out the bread from the oven, and preheat the oven to 220C.

Sprinkle a coat of flour, then make a few slashes on the surface with a sharp knife just before sending the bread into a preheated oven to bake for 35-40 minutes.  I also place a small metal cup with 3 cubes of ice at the corner of the baking tray to create a “steaming effect” during the first few minutes of baking.

Cool on rack completely before slicing to serve.

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