INGREDIENTS:
1 cup filtered Water
¼ cup Sourdough Starter; fed
¼ tsp. Dry Active Yeast
⅓ cup High Extraction Whole Wheat Flour
(made by sifting whole wheat flour and separating the fine flour from the bran flakes)
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp. Salt
½ cup dairy-free White Chocolate Chips
¾ cup raw Pecans; broken into pieces
3 Tbsps. Wheat Bran (leftover from sifting Whole Wheat Flour); for dusting
PREPARATION:
To make the high extraction whole wheat flour, I use a fine mesh strainer to sift out the larger pieces of bran and wheat germ. I’m left with a very fine version of whole wheat flour - this is what is referred to as high extracting whole wheat flour. I save the coarser parts and use it for dusting the bread dough before baking.
I quickly mix the following ingredients together in a medium bowl:
1 cup filtered Water
¼ cup Sourdough Starter; fed
¼ tsp. Dry Active Yeast
⅓ cup High Extraction Whole Wheat Flour
(made by sifting whole wheat flour and separating the fine flour from the bran flakes)
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp. Salt
½ cup dairy-free White Chocolate Chips
¾ cup raw Pecans; broken into pieces
I use a spurtle for stirring the ingredients together (the handle of a wooden spoon works too) because this dough is quite wet and too messy to handle with my fingers. Due to this stickiness, it requires a few folds after 20 minutes which help transform the wet shaggy mass into a dough with shape and a bit more spring. Folding works best by grabbing part of the dough from the bottom with wet fingertips, stretching it as far as it will go, then folding it over top, turning the bowl a quarter torn and then repeating this stretching and folding twice more.
After another 20 minutes rest, I repeat the folding process. Afterwards, I cover the bowl with a plate or lid and let it rest overnight or for at least 10 hours.
The dough is ready for shaping when it’s risen by a noticeable bit and has a bubbly and stringy texture like string cheese when I pull part of it away from the bowl.
To shape, I turn the dough onto a floured counter and give it 10 folds, which results in a very tight ball.
Next, I dust a clean cotton napkin or kitchen towel with flour and the wheat bran and then place the dough ball on it with the good side facing down. I lift the cloth by the ends then place the dough for a final rise into a small and narrow bowl or basket. Set up this way, the dough gets to rise to its final shape for 1 to 2 hours.
I preheat a dutch oven at 450℉ for at least 20 minutes with the cast iron dutch oven inside so the pot gets very hot.
Scoring the top of this loaf isn’t necessary, but if desired, a simple cut down the middle right before baking would do the trick.
I place the dough inside the piping hot dutch oven, close the lid and bake at 450℉ for 25 minutes. Now, I remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes or until the bread’s internal temperature reaches 205℉.
I remove the cast iron pot from the oven and turn the bread out onto a rack to cool. Honestly, the flavor gets nicer and deeper once the bread is cooled, but wait for as long as you can stand it to cut the first slice. Bread fresh from the oven is always temping... so I understand if you cut into it sooner rather than later.
Happy Baking!
♡ Nina
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