I bake this loaf for the purpose of avocado toast, dipping in soups, bruschetta, and spreading almond butter, jams, and honey. It’s light and airy but also moist and dense with earthy undertones from the buckwheat. I love the flavor! It’s a wonderful balance! I feed my starter at 8am and 8pm everyday and I start the dough for this recipe around 12pm after my starter has doubled in size. My starter is made with all purpose flour.
Ingredients
- 300g bread flour
- 100g buckwheat flour
- 150g active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly. Doubled in size 4-6 hours after being fed)
- 240g water (low hydration at 60%)
- 8g salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
Instructions
- Mix the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, buckwheat flour, and salt.
- Add the sourdough starter and water. Mix until everything is incorporated into a stiff dough. Buckwheat flour tends to be absorbent, and combined with low hydration, this will result in a firm dough.
- Autolyse
- Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes to one hour after mixing. This helps the flours hydrate and the gluten to develop before kneading.
- Since the dough will be stiff and low hydration, it will need to be kneaded well to develop structure. Knead by hand for 8-10 minutes, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5-7 minutes, until the dough feels elastic and smooth.
- You should be able to perform a windowpane test (stretching the dough until it’s thin enough to let light through without tearing) to check the gluten development.
- Bulk Fermentation
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and allow it to rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours, depending on the ambient temperature. You should see a significant rise in the dough, though buckwheat may still cause it to rise slightly less than 100% bread flour dough.
- After the first rise, lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out. Shape the dough into a loaf shape that will fit into your glass pan.
- Tighten the shape by pulling the dough against the counter using your hands to create surface tension. This helps give the loaf better structure during the second rise and baking.
- Final Proof
- Place the shaped dough into a lightly greased or parchment-lined glass loaf pan (greasing is optional if the glass is non-stick). Cover with a shower cap and allow the dough to proof for another 2-4 hours until it rises to nearly the top of the pan. It should be about 1.5 times its original size.
- Preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F) about 30 minutes before baking. If you want extra rise, place a tray with water at the bottom of the oven to create steam.
- Bake the loaf at 230°C (450°F) for the first 10 minutes. This initial high heat helps with the oven spring (rise).
- After 10 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 200°C (390°F) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. The loaf should develop a deep, golden-brown crust.
- Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool for at least one hour before slicing. I allow my loaves to cool 1-3 hours before placing them in my bread box for the night. In the morning, I use a bread slicer to cut my slices for toast for the week
Kneading
Shape the Dough
Preheat the Oven
Bake the Load
Cooling
Higher bread flour percentage: Using more bread flour (75%) and less buckwheat flour (25%) helps ensure there’s enough gluten for a good rise.
Moderate hydration: Though the hydration is low (60%), it still provides enough moisture for the dough to ferment well and rise in the glass pan.
Active starter: Ensure your starter is strong and bubbly for the best possible rise.