Durum Spelt Feta Sourdough

The combination of fresh milled durum and spelt was a winner. This one had 69% fresh milled flour, with the only other being some KAF AP in the levain.

I added some feta to the levain build to give it a little extra feta flavor.

The dough was slightly underproofed, thus the tight crumb, but it tasted great. It made amazing grilled bread brushed with a little EVOO.

The durum was milled and sifted with a #30 drum sieve and then re-milled at my Mockmill 200’s finest setting and sifted with a #40. The spelt was only sifted once with a #30 and re-milled.

I used my Ankarsrum to mix up the dough and open baked it on a baking stone with steam.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer, so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all the water to your mixing bowl except the 70 grams of water. Add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 – 30 minutes.   Next, add the levain, salt, honey, and half the remaining water and mix on medium-low (about speed 3) for a few minutes until the water is absorbed, and turn the speed up a couple of notches for a few minutes until the dough starts to come together. Let it rest for another 20-30 minutes and add the rest of the water only if you feel you need it. Mix for 5-10 minutes and then add the cheese. If you prefer, you can laminate the dough and add the cheese that way.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and do several stretch and folds.  Make sure the dough is as flat as possible in your bowl/container, and measure the dough in millimeters and take the temperature of the dough as well. Based on the chart from http://www.thesourdoughjourney.com, determine what % rise you need and make a note. If you have a proofer, decide what temperature you want to set it at and what rise you are aiming for. If the dough is fully developed, you don’t need to do any stretch and folds, but if it’s not, do several sets 15-20 minutes apart.

Once the dough reaches the desired bulk rise, pre-shape and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Finish shaping and place in your banneton, bowl, or on your sheet pan, and cover it so it is pretty airtight (note: I just read a post that suggests it is not necessary to cover the dough when refrigerating it. I have not tried this yet, but that is how most professional bakeries do it, and they have dedicated retarders for dough. I usually don’t leave the dough in the refrigerator for more than 12 hours because of all the fresh milled flour, but it is possible to go longer.

When you are ready to bake, an hour beforehand, preheat your oven to 540°F and prepare for steam. Let your dough sit at room temperature while the oven is warming up. When ready to bake, score as desired. Prepare your oven for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water into the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.  I then lower the oven temperature to 450°F for a miche or 455°F for smaller individual loaves. Bake until they are nice and brown and the internal temperature is at least 205 – 210°F.

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a baker’s rack for as long as you can resist.