Black Garlic Sourdough Bread

This Black Garlic Sourdough brings all of the flavor along with an incredible taste. It didn’t last for a day in my house.

Black garlic is a type of fermented (aged) garlic that has a deep brown color, also it has incredible taste: sweet and syrupy with hints of balsamic vinegar and tamarind.

It will bring the flavor of your bread to a new exquisite level.

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter 

• 5g sourdough starter
• 35g water
• 30g all purpose flour or bread flour
• 5g rye flour

Dough

• 240g bread flour (90%)
• 60g stone ground whole wheat flour (20%)
• 207g water (69%)
• 27g (9%) cold water added along with salt, total hydration 78%
• 60g sourdough starter (20%)
• 1 head of black garlic
• 6g salt (2%)

Directions 

Starter 

• 7 am add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).
• Learn how to make starter from scratch here

Note: for starter’s refreshments follow your regular proportions 

Dough

• 5 pm mix water with flour and cover, let it rest 1 hour for autolyse.
• During the autolyse process flour absorbs water, becoming fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
• 6 pm add sourdough starter. 
• Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
• Cover, let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile prepare black garlic by cutting it in half and squeezing the soft part.

• 6:30 pm add salt and extra water. 
• The process of adding extra water is called bassinage, it helps to tighten up gluten. Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or with KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 minutes until well incorporated. The dough should come up together, but still be sticky on the bottom.
• We will continue gluten development and structure building by performing stretches and folds during the warm fermentation period.
• Leave to rest 30 minutes. At 74-78F /23-26C
• 7 pm spray your work surface with water, wet your hands to perform lamination.
• Lamination is the process of stretching the dough as thin as you can without ripping it.
• Spread black garlic all over the dough, fold and let it rest for 45 minutes.

• 7:45 pm 1st stretch and fold.
• 8:30 pm 2nd stretch and fold.
• 9.15 pm 3rd stretch and fold.
• Performing stretches and folds will help with gluten development. Keep monitoring the dough, if it rises too fast, you can shorten the time between stretches to 40 minutes or less.
• After the final stretch let the dough proof for 30 minutes at 76-80F/ 23-26C. You should see some bubbles on the surface, the dough has to become lighter. We are looking for 50% rise. 

Preshaping sourdough 

• 9:45 pm transfer the dough on to a work surface and dust its top with flour. Flip the dough over so the floured side faces down.
• Fold the dough onto itself so the flour on the surface remains entirely on the outside of the loaf. This will become the crust.
• Place the dough round on a work surface and let it rest for 30 minutes uncovered.

Shaping sourdough 

• 10.15 pm dust the dough with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over on to a work surface so the floured sides face down.
• Starting with the side closest to you, pull the right 2 corners of the dough to the left, then fold them up into half of the dough. Repeat this action with the other side too.
• Finally, roll the dough. Shape it into a smooth, taut roll.
• Transfer the roll, seam side up, to a prepared proofing basket (loaf pan with kitchen towel).
• Cover it with plastic and return the dough to the 80F (27C) environment for 15 minutes.
• Then transfer the dough to rise for 14-24 hours in the refrigerator.

Baking

Next morning

• Preheat your oven to 500 F, place a cast iron pan with the lid inside for 45 minutes -1 hour.
• Remove the dough from the fridge. 
• Flip it over on a parchment paper, score it with a sharp knife or a scoring lame. 
• Transfer on to the hot cast iron pan, cover with the lid (to create steam for a beautiful and crusty crumb).
• Bake at 500F for 15 minutes with lid on.
• Remove the lid, lower temperature to 450F. 
• Bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Black Garlic Sourdough Bread

1219kcal

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Prep 35 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Rise & Rest Time 19 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total 20 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

This exquisite loaf brings your sourdough baking to a whole new level. Black garlic is a type of aged garlic with a deep brown color and an incredible sweet, syrupy taste that carries hints of balsamic vinegar and tamarind. It pairs beautifully with the mild tang of whole wheat and wild yeast.

Cuisine Sourdough

Ingredients

The Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)

• ▢ 5 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 35 g Water
• ▢ 30 g All-purpose flour (or bread flour)
• ▢ 5 g Rye flour

The High-Hydration Artisan Dough

• ▢ 240 g Bread flour (90%)
• ▢ 60 g Stone ground whole wheat flour (20%)
• ▢ 207 g Water (69% – For initial autolyse)
• ▢ 27 g Cold water (9% – Reserved strictly for bassinage hydration adjustment)
• ▢ 60 g Active sourdough starter levain (20%)
• ▢ 6 g Salt (2%)
• ▢ Head of black garlic

Equipment

• ▢
  Large Mixing Bowl
• ▢
  Stand Mixer (Optional, can be mixed by hand)
• ▢
  Proofing Basket (Banneton) or a bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel
• ▢
  Dough Scraper
• ▢
  Cast Iron Combo Cooker or Dutch Oven
• ▢
  Sharp Bread Lame or razor blade
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Overnight Levain Build & Flour Autolyse

1. 7:00 AM (Day 1): In a small glass jar, whisk your 5g of starter culture into 35g of water. Add 30g of all-purpose flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix well, cover loosely, and let it ferment at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 8 to 10 hours until it triples in volume and peaks.
2. 5:00 PM – The Autolyse: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the 240g of bread flour, 60g of whole wheat flour, and the initial 207g of water. Stir until a shaggy mass forms with no dry flour remaining. Cover and let rest for 1 hour so the flour completely absorbs the liquid and kickstarts natural gluten development.
3. 6:00 PM: Add 60g of your active overnight starter to the autolysed dough. Mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or on a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until fully incorporated. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the inclusion: Cut your head of black garlic in half and gently squeeze the soft cloves out into a small dish. It should look like a thick, sticky paste.

Bassinage, Lamination, and Bulk Fermentation

1. 6:30 PM – The Bassinage: Add the 6g of salt and the reserved 27g of cold water directly to the dough. Mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or on speed 3 for 5 to 6 minutes) until the extra liquid is fully absorbed. The dough will look sticky on the bottom but should hold together nicely. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
2. 7:00 PM – Lamination & Garlic Fill: Spray your counter lightly with water and wet your hands. Tip the dough out and gently stretch it from the center outward as thin as possible without ripping it. Spread the sticky black garlic paste evenly across the entire surface of the dough, fold it up neatly into a tight bundle, and return it to the bowl. Let rest for 45 minutes.
3. 7:45 PM: Perform your 1st stretch and fold. Pull the edges of the dough up and fold them over the center to build structure. Rest 45 minutes.
4. 8:30 PM: Perform your 2nd stretch and fold. Rest 45 minutes.
5. 9:15 PM: Perform your 3rd stretch and fold. Let the dough proof undisturbed for 30 minutes at 76–80°F (24–26°C). Look for bubbles forming on the surface and a 50% rise in total volume.

Preshaping, Final Shaping, and Cold Retard

1. 9:45 PM – Preshaping: Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and dust the top with flour. Flip it over so the floured side is down. Fold the dough over onto itself into a loose round, flip it back over so the smooth side faces up, and let it rest uncovered on the counter for 30 minutes.
2. 10:15 PM – Final Shaping: Dust the top with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over. Pull the lower corners inward and fold them up over the center, then roll the dough forward away from you into a smooth, taut log or boule.
3. Transfer the dough seam-side up into a proofing basket lined with a floured towel. Cover with plastic wrap, let sit at room temperature (around 80°F/27°C) for 15 minutes, then move it into the refrigerator to cold-ferment for 14 to 24 hours.

Next Morning – High-Heat Steam Baking

1. Place a cast iron pan with its lid inside the oven and preheat thoroughly to 500°F (260°C) for 45 to 60 minutes.
2. Pull the cold dough out of the fridge and flip it gently onto a sheet of parchment paper. Score the top with a sharp razor blade.
3. Carefully transfer the loaf into the hot cast iron pan, cover with the lid to lock in the steam, and bake at 500°F (260°C) for exactly 15 minutes.
4. Remove the lid from the pan, lower the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C), and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the crust turns a rich, deep golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack completely before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories1219kcalCarbohydrates245gProtein44gFat6gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat3gMonounsaturated Fat1gCholesterol9mgSodium442mgPotassium596mgFiber14gSugar1gVitamin A19IUVitamin C0.2mgCalcium80mgIron6mg

Notes

• Handling Sticky Black Garlic Inclusions: Black garlic cloves are incredibly soft, syrupy, and naturally sticky, which can make spreading them evenly quite challenging. Using the wet-counter lamination method in step 6 is the absolute best way to handle this. Sticking the paste across a broad, ultra-thin sheet of dough guarantees the sweet balsamic flavor notes twist beautifully throughout the entire loaf without clumping into one heavy mass.
• The Technical Role of Bassinage: Holding back 27g of your formula’s water until you add the salt serves a specific structural purpose. Salt naturally tightens up the developing gluten network. Injecting a secondary stream of cold water alongside the salt forces the expanding wheat proteins to absorb liquid under stress, resulting in an airy, strong open crumb structure.
• Monitoring the Fermentation Speed: Keep a close eye on your ambient room conditions during the stretch and fold window. If your kitchen runs warm (above 80°F / 27°C) and the dough appears to be bubbling and expanding too quickly, do not hesitate to shorten the resting intervals between your folds to 35 or 40 minutes to prevent overproofing.
• Why the Lid Stays On for 15 Minutes: Baking with a heavy cast iron lid locked down creates an enclosed steam chamber as moisture evaporates from the raw dough. This steam blocks the outer starch layer from drying out into a hard crust too early, allowing the internal gases to lift the dough sky-high for a proud oven spring.

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