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LoafintermediateNew recipe

Rustic wholemeal loaf

A hearty, flavourful wholemeal loaf that delivers the nuttiness and nutrition of wholegrain without the density that puts beginners off. At 40% wholemeal this dough is forgiving enough to teach real sourdough technique while still producing a genuinely complex crumb and a thick, crackling crust. A practical everyday loaf for families who want something more substantial than white bread without committing to a 100% wholemeal brick.

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Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf · about 985g of dough

  • Bread flour300g
  • Wholemeal flour200g
  • Water375g
  • Active sourdough starter100g
  • Fine sea salt10g

75% hydration

  • Kitchen scale
  • Mixing bowl, 4 litres or more
  • Bench scraper, metal
  • Banneton, 23 cm round or 25 cm oval
  • Dutch oven, with a lid
  • Bread lame, or a sharp blade
  • Baking parchment
  • Thermometer, probe or instant-read
Alternatives, sizes and where to buy

Method

  1. 1

    Mix starter and water

    5 min

    Add 100g active starter to 375g room-temperature water and swirl with your hand or a dough whisk until the starter is dissolved and the water looks cloudy. Dissolving it first means it blends evenly through the dough.

  2. 2

    Add flour and autolyse

    55 min

    Add 300g bread flour and 200g wholemeal flour to the bowl. Squeeze and fold until no dry flour remains; the dough will look rough and shaggy, and that is correct. Cover and rest for 45 to 55 minutes. Wholemeal drinks slowly, so give it the full rest.

  3. 3

    Add salt

    10 min

    Sprinkle 10g fine sea salt over the rested dough and squeeze it through with wet hands, using firm pinch-and-fold motions, until no gritty salt remains. The dough may feel a little looser right after; that settles during the first rise.

  4. 4

    Bulk fermentation with coil folds

    5 h

    Cover and leave to rise at room temperature, 22–24°C / 72–75°F. Do 4 sets of coil folds at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes, then leave it undisturbed. This first rise (bulk) is done when the dough has grown by 50–75%, the surface is domed and bubbly, and it jiggles gently when you shake the bowl. At 22–24°C / 72–75°F this takes about 4–5.5 hours.

    At 20–24°C / 68–75°F this usually takes about 5 hours; a warm kitchen (24–28°C / 75–82°F) can be ready in about 4 hours, a hot one (28°C+ / 82°F+) sooner still, and a cool kitchen (below 20°C / 68°F) may need about 6½ hours.

  5. 5

    Pre-shape

    25 min

    Lightly flour the bench. Gently tip the dough out without knocking the air out. Use a bench scraper to drag the dough toward you while rotating it, so the surface tightens. After 4–6 passes you should have a taut round. Leave uncovered on the bench for 20–25 minutes.

  6. 6

    Final shape

    10 min

    Dust the banneton generously with rice flour. Lightly flour the bench. Flip the rested round so the folded side is up. Fold the four edges into the centre like an envelope and flip it back over. Cup both hands around the dough and drag it toward you until the surface is taut. Lift it into the banneton, folded side up, and pinch the fold closed. Dust the top with flour. Cover.

  7. 7

    Cold retard (overnight)

    10 h

    Place the covered banneton in the coldest part of your fridge at 4°C. Leave undisturbed for 8–16 hours. Bake straight from the fridge: no need to let it warm up first.

  8. 8

    Preheat the oven and Dutch oven

    60 min

    Place Dutch oven (lid on) on centre rack. Set oven to 250°C (230°C fan) / 480°F. Preheat 60 minutes. Keep dough cold while oven preheats.

  9. 9

    Score and bake (covered)

    20 min

    Take the banneton out of the fridge and flip the dough onto parchment. Cut the top with a lame or razor: one curved slash or a cross at 30–45°, 1cm deep. Lower it into the Dutch oven by the parchment. Put the lid back on. Bake at 250°C (230°C fan) / 480°F for 20 minutes.

  10. 10

    Bake (uncovered, crust development)

    25 min

    Take the lid off the Dutch oven after 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 230°C (210°C fan) / 450°F. Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes to deep mahogany. Internal temperature: 96–98°C / 205–208°F. Transfer to a wire rack.

  11. 11

    Cool completely

    1 h 30 min

    Transfer to wire rack immediately. Minimum 90 minutes before cutting. 2 hours preferred.

Keeping it

  • Up to 3 days on the counterCut side down on a board, or in a cotton bread bag.
  • Up to 3 months in the freezerSlice first, then wrap tightly in parchment and a freezer bag.
  • Warm it upSprinkle the cut side with water and warm at 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F for 10 minutes. Toast slices from frozen.

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