Polenta Pepita Sourdough
I haven't made this bread in a long time but it is a real treat, and gets devoured as treats tend to do. The precise formula doesn’t really matter so much with this bread – any light sourdough will do - it is the addition of polenta and pepitas (aka, pumpkin seeds, “polenta pepita” is just more fun to say) that makes the magic. The combination is featured in Tartine Bread with the addition of rosemary and corn oil but I’ve never tried it that way. I like the versatility of this herbless version. A little cranberry sauce on a toasted slice really sings.
Marcus
Day One-
Build starter and ferment for 8-10 hours.
Prep the polenta – mix with boiling water and leave to soak 8-10 hours. Use plenty of water, the excess will be discarded before the polenta is added to the dough.
Day Two-
Lightly toast the pepitas if desired. Allow time to cool before adding them to the dough.
Drain the polenta.
Mix flour, water and polenta. Autolyse 20 minutes.
Add the starter and salt. Knead about 2 minutes to incorporate
Stretch and fold about every 15 minutes until the gluten is developed. Add the pepitas on the second or third round. I think I did five rounds of S&F, but this varies depending on the flour so I go by the feel of the dough rather than a set number.
Total bulk ferment was about 4 hours at 76⁰F. Final ferment was about 2 hours.
Bake at 450⁰F for 45 minutes total. Steam the first 15 minutes.