Semolina Wheat Sourdough Loaf

Hello all. Sorry to keep you all waiting so long for the recipe. Got caught up with some work at home. Omg!! Got few more half drafted posts that was supposed to be uploaded long back. So, as you all might be aware, I am in the process of experimenting with my starter to reduce the tangy flavour of the sourdough bread. Honestly speaking, I am not liking even the slightest

bit of tangy flavour in breads. So all my concentration is to make it as least tangy as possible. And fortunately, I am more or less there.

There are many ways by which you can reduce the sour taste in your breads. Increasing the starter is one way. Yes, yes, you might be surprised hearing this right? Same day baking, refreshing the starter more frequently, using a starter with higher hydration, making a sweet levain, using milk and enriching the dough are other ways. My quest for improvement is not going to end here 🙂 I have realised that such sandwich loaves are better baked with the lid on and at a temperature of about 180-200 than 230-250 degree Celsius. This will give a softer crust making it easy to slice. Also I would skip such scoring in future, especially when I use semolina.

If you are maintaining a small amount of starter the day before you plan to bake, feed your starter so that you have more than 60 grams with you to prepare the levain. Note that you can feed your starter in the ratio 1:1:1, 1:2:2…. Upto 1:5:5. I am using little more water than the flour to get a slightly wet starter. And as I always say, Keep trying and be ready to take risks should be your mantra 🙂 the cup used is 240 ml. Please watch You tube videos to see stretch n told and coil method.

Ingredients:

For the levain:

• Starter 60 gm
• Wheat flour 75 gm
• Lukewarm water 90 gm
• Sugar 1-2 tbsp

For the main dough:

• Semolina 400 gm
• Levain entire
• Milk 120 ml (1/2 cup)
• Water 1/4 cup plus 2-3 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Butter 1-2 tbsp

Method:

To make the levain:

• Mix around 75 grams of whole wheat flour to 60 grams of starter.
• Add sugar and lukewarm water and mix well to form a smooth batter. Note that I have made a sweet levain here to reduce the tanginess of sourdough bread.
• Keep it in a warm place till it doubles in size. Mine took around three and a half hours.

To make the dough:

• Take half cup (120 ml) of lukewarm milk in a big mixing bowl. Add the entire levain to it and mix well till there are no lumps.

• To this mixture, now add the semolina and mix well with a wooden spatula. Make sure that there are no dry flour particles. I added one fourth cup of lukewarm water.

• Cover and keep aside for around half an hour. This is called the autolysis period.
• After the autolysis stage, add salt mixed with around 2-3 tablespoon of milk or water and squish it into the dough.
• Knead the dough on a clean kitchen counter till the dough looks smooth, elastic and bouncy
• Incorporate the butter into the dough while kneading.
• Transfer the dough into a well oiled bowl and allow it to double in volume. You can perform a set of folds at an interval of 30 minutes for around two or three times. Wet your hands, pull at one end of the dough and fold onto itself. Rotate the bowl by 90 degrees and repeat it. Do it on all four sides of the dough. You may refer you tube videos on how to do stretch and fold on the dough.

• After the two set of folds, you will notice that the dough has become more stronger and elastic and wouldn’t break on stretching.
• I did one set of coil fold. Please refer you tube videos. The dough really felt strong and I could feel the gluten strength
• Now allow it to rest till it’s almost double in volume. Mine took almost 3.5-4 hours from the time the dough was mixed.

• Once the dough has doubled, gently degas it and roll it into a tight log to fit a 9 by 4 by 4 inches Pullman loaf tin and place it seam side down. (See the lovely gluten strands)

• Grease the tin well with butter and if needed, line it with parchment paper. Of you may sprinkle semolina on the sides and bottom of the tin to prevent the dough from sticking. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place.

• Once the dough looks ready to be baked, check using the poke test (if on poking lightly, if the indentation fills up lightly it’s ready to be baked). Mine took almost 2.5 hours to become nice and puffy. Please pay attention to the behaviour of your dough rather that the time frame mentioned in the recipe.

• Preheat the oven at its maximum temperature for 15-20 minutes. Place a bowl filled with water to produce steam while baking.
• Score the bread loaf with a sharp blade.

• Place the loaf tin in to the oven and after five minutes reduce the temperature to 190-210 degree Celsius and bake for 40-45 minutes till the internal temperature of the bread is around 100 degree Celsius. Look at the rise in the oven !!!

• Remove the loaf from the oven and apply butter on top.
• Transfer onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• Please please do not slice the bread while its still warm. Wait for atleast 2-3 hours before you slice them.
• Enjoy the spices with a smear of butter or make grilled sandwiches.

Notes:

• Proofing times may vary according to your place, starter, flour, humidity etc.
• Use liquid ingredients according to how much your flour absorbs.
• My schedule :

7 am made levain

10:30 am mixed flour

11 am added salt n kneaded

11:35 am 1st stretch n fold

12:10 pm 2nd stretch n fold

1 pm coil fold

2:30 pm shaping

5:05 pm baking

5:54 pm finished baking