Emmer Sourdough Bread

Make the Levain:
In a clean jar, mix the sourdough starter, bread and emmer flours, and water for the levain.
Cover and set in a warm location (between 75-80ºF) for about 4-5 hours until doubled and bubbly.
Alternatively, skip making a levain and use 90g of active sourdough starter below.
30 grams Sourdough Starter, 15 grams Emmer Flour, 30 grams Water, 15 grams Bread Flour
Autolyse:
About 30 minutes before the levain is ready, mix together the bread flours, emmer flour, and water in a mixing bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in 276g of warm water.
Use a dough whisk or your hands to mix together the flour and water just until it comes together.
Cover and rest in a warm location for 30 minutes.
271 grams Bread Flour, 129 grams Emmer Flour, 276 grams Water
Add Levain, Salt, and Mix:
Add all of the levain into the bowl and dimple it into the dough. Then, stretch and fold the dough for a few minutes to incorporate.
Cover and rest in a warm location for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the salt on top. Dimple the salt into the dough. Stretch and fold the dough for about 5 until thoroughly mixed and the salt dissolves. While mixing, if the dough seems stiff and you think the dough can handle it, you can add another 10g of water or so.
Cover and rest in a warm location for 30 minutes.
Levain, 9 grams Sea Salt
Bulk Fermentation & Folds:
At 78ºF (26ºC), bulk fermentation typically takes about 4.5-5 hours. Emmer can proof faster, so keep an eye on it during fermentation.
During bulk fermentation, perform 4 or 5 sets of strong stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. Add more folds if the dough still seems very slack after the last set. Rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation.
At the end of bulk fermentation, the dough should be smooth, feel full of air, have visible bubbles, and jiggle if shaken. The dough should rise about 75%.
Shape:
Lightly flour the top of the dough and the counter. Gently loosen the dough from the sides of the mixing bowl and turn the dough out onto the counter.
With the help of a bench scraper, shape the dough into a batard (oval) or boule (round).
Lift it up and place it into a floured banneton.
Stitch the dough in the banneton if it's still slack.
Cold Overnight Proof:
Place the covered banneton into a refrigerator to proof overnight and for up to a day.
Bake:
Place the empty Dutch oven with lid in the oven and preheat for an hour at 500°F (260ºC).
Once preheated, remove the banneton from the refrigerator and turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper.
Score the dough with a sharp bread lame about ¼-½" deep.
Transfer the scored dough to the Dutch oven and cover it with the lid.
Bake at 500°F (260ºC) for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the oven temperature to 450ºF (232ºC) and bake for about 15 minutes with the lid off.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.
Slice and enjoy!

Equipment

Ingredients

Levain

Emmer Sourdough Bread

Instructions

Notes