Seeded Sourdough Splendor
Sometimes you need a few (or more) whacks at a recipe to make necessary adjustments and get every detail just right. After many meditations I have interpreted the will of the seeds and reached seeded sourdough nirvana!
Recipe
This recipe is from The Perfect Loaf. The only tweak I made was to increase the water quantity to account for the higher protein bread flour I was using. My previous (recorded) attempt was a touch dry. I also baked this recipe many times in my first year of baking so have a lot of experience with it.
| Ingredients | Grams | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Medium-protein bread flour (King Arthur Bread Flour) | 665 | 75% |
| Semolina (coarsely milled Durum wheat) | 200 | 15% |
| Whole wheat flour (King Arthur Whole Wheat) | 89 | 10% |
| Whole flaxseed | 40 | 4.5% |
| Black sesame seed | 40 | 4.5% |
| Sunflower seed, shelled (not roasted or salted) | 40 | 4.5% |
| Fennel seed | 13 | 1.5% |
| Water | 785 | 88.5% |
| Sourdough starter | 29 | 3.25% |
| Fine sea salt | 16 | 1.8% |
| Zest of two lemons |
Number of Loaves: 2
Hydration Percentage: 88.5% (includes water to soak seeds)
Slap and Fold (Yes/No): Yes
Autolyse (Time/No): 1 hours
Extra Notes: I usually don’t include the lemon zest but was glad I did this time. You could taste it and it’s freaking magical.
Hot Takes + Notes
These loafs are some of the best I have ever baked. The seeds and lemon give the bread stupendous character. They blend together and jive with every bite. The flavor is confident but not overpowering.
Seeded sourdoughs can be a mixed bag. Sometimes they can taste like a bird feeder. Sometimes just a hint of sesame is used to add some dimension but not necessarily stand out. Somehow this combination of golden flax, black sesame, sunflower, and fennel seeds manages to be bold but something I want to eat every single day. Which is exactly what you want as a home baker. I love fresh bread and eat it every day. But it can still be difficult to finish a whole loaf (or 2) in a week. If I bake a jalapeno cheddar it will be delicious and different, but maybe not something I want to toast up with avocado or butter as a snack 7 days in a row.
I also adore this loaf because just dabbles with the complexity and heartiness of a whole wheaty loaf but manages to be bright at the same time. The semolina, lemon zest, and high ratio of bread flour over whole wheat elevate the seeds and high protein content. These loaves also achieved mega rise for a beautifully open crumb.
I am looking forward to baking with more unique combinations of additives. Fun flavor combinations let you show your personality as a baker and gift bites you can’t get from a store or even a local bakery.
Pictures
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| Bulk Fermentation |
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| Hello Beautiful |
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| Crème de la Crumb |