Buckwheat Sourdough with Pumpkin Seeds

Build the Levain:
In a clean jar, mix together the sourdough starter, bread flour, buckwheat flour, and water for the levain.
Cover and set the jar in a warm location (between 75-80ºF) for about five hours until it is ripe. The ripe levain should at least double in size and be full of bubbles and gases.
30 grams Sourdough Starter, 20 grams Bread Flour, 10 grams Buckwheat Flour, 30 grams Water
Autolyse:
About an hour before the levain is ripe, begin autolyse. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the bread flour and buckwheat flour. Create a well in the center of the flour and pour in the water.
Mix together the flour and water just until it comes together and there are minimal dry bits of flour left. The dough will be very sticky during mixing.
Cover and rest an hour or more until the levain is ripe.
379 grams Bread Flour, 21 grams Buckwheat Flour, 280 grams Water
Add Levain, Salt, and Mix:
Add all of the levain to the mixing bowl. Dimple the levain into the dough and stretch and fold the dough upon itself for a few minutes to combine.
Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Sprinkle sea salt on top of the dough along with a few grams of water. Dimple the salt and water into the dough. Stretch and fold the dough upon itself for 10 minutes or more until thoroughly mixed. At the end of mixing, the dough will be smooth, you should not feel any individual salt granules between your fingers, and the dough will be much stronger.
Cover and rest 15 minutes.
8 grams Sea Salt, 80-90 grams Levain
Bulk Fermentation:
At 78ºF (26ºC), bulk fermentation typically takes about 4.5 hours.
Perform six coil folds during bulk fermentation with the first two in 15 minute intervals, the second two in 30 minute intervals, and the last two in one hour intervals. Cover the dough and place in a warm location in between folds and until the end of bulk fermentation. It's okay if they're not timed perfectly but these folds will make the dough stronger throughout bulk fermentation.
At the end of bulk fermentation, the dough should be smooth, rounded, feel full of air, have visible bubbles, and should wobble/jiggle if shaken. The dough should rise about 50%.
Preshaping, Shaping, and Topping:
Lightly flour the top of the dough in the mixing bowl and the bench/counter. Gently loosen the dough from the sides of the mixing bowl to turn the dough out onto the counter.
With the help of a bench scraper, preshape the dough into a taut round. To preshape, use the bench scraper in one hand and your other hand to push and rotate the dough to create surface tension.
Lightly dust the top of the shaped dough with flour and rest for 20-30 minutes.
As the dough rests, evenly distribute the pumpkin seeds to a flat sheet pan, plate, platter, or towel where you will top the dough. Lightly flour your banneton to prevent sticking.
Shape the dough into a batard (oval) or boule (round) and place seam side down on the counter. Spritz the top of the dough with water to help the seeds stick to the top of the dough.
Invert the dough and lay gently onto the pumpkin seeds. Slightly roll the wet top of the dough on the pumpkin seeds until the dough is seeded. Lift the dough and place directly into the floured banneton. If the dough is still slack or lost some shape during topping, stitch the dough to add additional strength.
75 grams Pumpkin Seeds/Pepitas
Cold Overnight Proof:
Cover the banneton and place in a cold refrigerator to proof overnight and up to 48 hours.
Bake:
Place empty dutch oven with lid in oven and preheat for an hour at 500°F (260ºC).
When the dutch oven has preheated for an hour, remove the banneton from the refrigerator. Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper.
Using a bread lame or sharp knife, score the dough with one slash down the middle for a batard (oval) or a cross section for a boule (round). The score should be ¼-½" deep.
Transfer the scored dough into the baking vessel and cover with the lid.
Bake at 500°F (260ºC) for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the oven temperature to 450ºF (232ºC) and bake for 15 minutes with the lid off.
The bread is done when the crust is dark brown and the pumpkin seeds are toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack at least an hour before slicing.
Slice and enjoy!

Buckwheat Sourdough with Pumpkin Seeds

Equipment

Ingredients

Levain:

Buckwheat Sourdough Bread:

Instructions

Notes