Parmesan Maple Sour Dough

1Jan

Last year had its ups and downs. I can’t believe it’s 2026! Time flies by so quickly as you get older. Anyway, as I was saying, last year, most of my bakes were made with 70-80% fresh-milled flour. The first one of 2026 only used 35% fresh-milled Butler’s Gold whole wheat and Spelt. Both from Barton Springs Mill, milled with my Mockmill 200, sifted once with a #30 drum sieve, and re-milled at the finest setting.

I used King Arthur bread flour for the balance. I added some real Vermont dark style maple syrup and a copious amount of shaved Parmesan cheese. You can imagine how amazing this bread smelled as it was baking.

I ended up overproofing this one slightly. The dough flattened slightly the next morning when taking it out of the proofing baskets, and the scoring almost disappeared. Overall, though the crumb we nice and custardy and open, and the taste is amazing, unless you don’t like cheese. Does anyone really not like cheese?

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 (I used my proofer set at 75°F) for around 5-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I like to use the starter as soon as it has peaked. You can refrigerate it and use it later or the next day, but it may lose some of its strenght if not used right away.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer, so my mixing order is slightly different from that of a KitchenAid or other mixer. Add all the water to your mixing bowl except for about 1/4 of the water. Add all the flour to the bowl and mix on low for 1 minute, until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 minutes.   Next, add the levain, salt, maple syrup, and the remaining water (as needed), and mix on medium-low speed (about speed 4) for around 15-20 minutes, until you have a nicely developed, smooth dough. Don’t be afraid to mix longer. I have found that upfront gluten development is key if you want a nice open crumb. Next, add the cheese and mix for a minute until it’s incorporated. You can also laminate the cheese by hand if desired. The dough will be sticky since it’s a pretty high hydration, and the small amount of spelt will also add to the stickiness.

Remove the dough from the 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. 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.

Do a set of stretch and folds after 30 minutes, and a second one 30 minutes later, and one additional one 30 minutes later. You can also do coil folds instead if you prefer. It’s important to build the layers of gases by doing the stretch and folds or coil folds.

Once the dough reaches the desired bulk rise, pre-shape and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Finish shaping and place the dough in your banneton, bowl, or on a sheet pan, then cover it to keep it airtight.

When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 500°F an hour beforehand 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 and 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.