Tartine sourdough with walnuts, walnut oil and fresh sage

It's my husband's birthday, so I wanted to make something special and different. Inspired by so many bakers on this site, I tried something new in making this bread, improvising a bit on the ingredients. I felt a need to incorporate some fresh herbs from the garden, so I decided to alter the Tartine recipe I typically use to add a few ingredients that may be tasty together.

We just had some for lunch, and it was nutty and tangy....really tasty.  The sage wasn't as visible, but we could smell it and spot it in a few places. My husband liked it, so I am pleased.

It's always fun to get the starter going. (Complete recipe is below).

It really popped up overnight.

The dough smelled wonderful during the autolyze phase.

I picked fresh sage from the garden, washed it and let it dry out on the cutting board as I didn't want to add any more wetness to the Tartine dough, which is very wet.  I used California walnuts, of course.

I gently patted the dough down to put the ingredients inside before shaping.

I thought the bread turned out well.  It flattened a bit during the baking, but that may be because I stuffed so many nuts and bits of sage in there. I was hoping for a more open crumb, but it was OK. My husband (engineering background) likes a more uniform crumb.

Tartine Sourdough with Walnuts, Walnut Oil and Fresh Sage

Starter

1. 55g ripe starter (I used a mix of AP, WW and dark rye starter)
2. 200g water
3. 200g whole wheat flour (I actually used sprouted whole wheat)

Mix the starter and water together in a medium-sized glass bowl until the starter is fully absorbed.  Add the flour and mix well.  Cover and leave on the counter at room temperature overnight.

Dough

1. 250g (25%) leaven
2. 500g (53%) white bread flour (I used AP as I thought it was my bread flour!)
   
3. 250g (27%) whole wheat bread flour (I used mostly sprouted whole wheat, as I had a bag open. Regular ww is fine)
4. 150g (16%) dark rye flour
5. 20g (2%) salt
6. 730g water plus 50g water in reserve for after you add the salt (step #6 in Method below)
7. 10g walnut oil
8. 10-15g fresh sage, sliced in very thin strips, for each loaf; 20-30g total (2.5%)

Method:

1. Add the 250g of the starter to a large mixing bowl
2. Pour in 730g water and mix until the water and leaven are completely mixed and dissolved
3. Add all of the flours and mix until all the dry flour is incorporated
4. Mix in the 10g of walnut oil
5. Cover your bowl with a towel and let autolyse for 40-50 minutes
6. After the autolyze phase add 20g salt to the dough and slowly pour your 50g reserved water on top
7. Use your dough scraper to turn the dough several times.

Now, leave this on the counter covered with a towel for the bulk fermentation phase of about four-five hours with frequent turns. For the first step, let it sit for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, turn the dough several times with your dough scraper. Now, turn the dough with your scraper every 30 minutes for two hours.  After that period, leave the dough to rise untouched for another two hours.

Pre-Shape

As many of you know, Tartine bread has high hydration and can be tough to handle. I lightly floured my surface and eased the dough on the top of it.  At this point, let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Shaping

I used the dough scraper to divide the dough in half before shaping into boules. Try not to add much flour.  I coated my hands with the walnut oil and put a little on the surface. I shaped it twice, letting it rest in between shapings.  Then place the shaped dough into a banneton dusted with brown rice flour and retard in the refrigerator overnight.

Baking

Preheat your oven with your covered baker inside at 500 F (260C) degrees.  Remove the tray from the oven, use a bit of cornmeal at the bottom to prevent sticking, place the dough into the tray and score.  I sprayed with just a touch of water to get the nice crust.  Bake with the dome on for 30 minutes at 500 degrees, then remove the dome and bake at 435F (224C) convention for 15 minutes or so; 450F/232C  if you don’t have convection).  I usually bake a bit longer to get the bold crust.  Just check it during this phase and thump the bottom to be sure it is done.

If you don't have a covered baker, place your baking stone in your oven pre-heat to 500F (260C). You can take your loaves out of the fridge to warm up while the oven is preheating.

Place the dough onto the stone, score it, get your steaming apparatus in place and turn the heat down to 450ºF (232C), bake for approximately 45-50 minutes until you have the crust color you desire.

Yesterday, I made one of my husband's favorite breads, the classic sourdough. His birthday celebration goes all week!

I was pleased with the open crumb.

I also made one of my husband's favorite dishes for dinner last night, "no cook" heirloom tomato sauce with homemade pesto and a parmesan crisp. Lots of fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic.  We are lucky in California to still have the tomatoes growing in our garden and heirlooms still at the farmer's market. Yum! (If you want recipes, let me know).

The celebration continues tonight when we go out to dinner and a show. I'll probably bake him another special loaf soon. I enjoyed my Tartine experiment!  Phyllis