Flaxseed Sourdough Loaf

It is always so interesting to track back where the inspiration comes from. Here is a short story behind the Flaxseed sourdough loaf

Last week I went to Target, and saw a bag of Flaxseed meal by Bobs Red Mill.

On the back of the bag i found a description that really grabbed my attention: “Hippocrates The Father of medicine, prescribed flax to patients with intestinal issues. King Charlemagne was so convinced of its benefits that he passed laws requiring his subject to consume flaxseed.

Today the nutritional data backups the wisdom of the ancients. There is general agreement among experts of all sorts that folks should consume more omega-3 fatty acids to promote good health. 2 tablespoons of Flaxseed meal offers 2430 mg of omega-3s.”

Sure I grabbed a couple of those bags and rushed to my kitchen to mix another healthy loaf!

Ingredients

Sourdough starter 

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

Soaker

• 30g flaxseeds meal or just grounded flaxseeds (10%)

• 60 g water

Dough

• 270 g bread flour (90%)
• 30 g stone ground whole wheat flour (10%)
• all soaker
• 207g water (69%) 
• 24g extra water added with salt (8%). Total hydration 77%
• 60g levain (20%)
• 6g salt (2%)

Directions 

Starter

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

Soaker

• 10 pm weigh flaxseed meal, or grind flaxseeds to get 30g. Cover them with water, let them soak overnight.

Dough

• 7 am mix water, flour and all soaker, cover, let it rest 1 hour for autolyse.
• During the autolyse the flour absorbs the water, becoming fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
• 8 am 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. 
• Also if for some reason you don’t have a mixing machine, you can incorporate starter into the dough by hands. Using Rubaud method or slap and fold method (about 5-7 min).
• Cover, let it rest for 30 minutes.
• 8:30 am add salt and extra water . 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. 

Note:  if you perform mixing by hands, using Rubaud method or slap and fold method, that takes about 10-20 minutes. Do a couple of stops in between kneading, it helps tightening up the gluten.

• Continue gluten development and structure building by performing stretches and folds during the warm fermentation period.
• Leave to rest 30 min. At 74-78F /23-26C.
• 9 am wet your hands and table and perform nice stretching and folding on a table.
• 9:45 am 2nd stretch and fold.
• 10:30 am 3rd stretch and fold.
• 11:15 am 4th stretch and fold.

Performing stretches and folds helps with gluten development. Keep monitoring the dough, if you feel it proofs slowly, you can extend the time in between stretches, or add 1 extra stretch and fold.

• 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 40%-50% rise. 

Preshaping sourdough 

• 11:45 am 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 

• 12.15 pm Dust the dough with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over on to a work surface so the floured side faces down. 
• Starting at 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 left side as well.
• Finally, roll the dough. Shape it into a smooth, taut roll.
• Transfer the roll, seam side up, into a prepared proofing basket (loaf pan with kitchen towel).
• Cover it with plastic and return the dough to the 78F/26C environment for 15 minutes. 
• Then transfer the dough to rise for 14-24 hours in refrigerator at 40F/4C.

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 it on to the hot cast iron pan, cover with lid (to create steam for a beautiful and crusty crumb).
• Bake at 500F for 15 minutes with lid on.
• Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 450F. 
• Bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.

Let it cool for 2 hours and enjoy your Flaxseed sourdough loaf.

Flaxseed Sourdough Loaf

1423kcal

No ratings yet

Pinterest Facebook Share on X

Share Print

Prep 45 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Overnight Levain & Soaker 9 hours hrs

Total 1 day d 3 hours hrs

An exceptionally healthy, nutrient-dense artisan sourdough loaf incorporating a flaxseed meal soaker directly into a whole-wheat blended sourdough base for a tender crumb and crisp crust.

Servings 1 Loaf (~800 g)

Cuisine Artisan Sourdough

Ingredients

1x2x3x

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

Overnight Flaxseed Soaker

• ▢ 30 g Flaxseed meal or ground flaxseeds (10%)
• ▢ 60 g Water

Flaxseed Artisan Dough

• ▢ 270 g Bread flour (90%)
• ▢ 30 g Stone ground whole wheat flour (10%)
• ▢ All of the prepared Flaxseed Soaker
• ▢ 207 g Water (69% – autolyse mix)
• ▢ 24 g Extra water (8% – bassinage liquid added with salt; 77% total hydration)
• ▢ 60 g Active levain (20% – from the stage above)
• ▢ 6 g Salt (2%)

Equipment

• ▢
  Digital Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Stand Mixer (or large bowl for hand mixing via Rubaud method)
• ▢
  Proofing Basket (Banneton)
• ▢
  Cast Iron Pan with Lid
• ▢
  Scoring Lame or Razor Blade
• ▢
  Parchment Paper

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

1. Night Before: Build Levain & Soaker

1. 10:00 PM (Levain): Whisk 5 g starter into 35 g water. Add 30 g bread/AP flour and 5 g rye flour. Mix well, cover loosely, and rest at 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 8–10 hours until peak volume (triples in size).
2. 10:00 PM (Soaker): Weigh 30 g flaxseed meal (or freshly ground flaxseeds), cover with 60 g water, and let soak overnight at room temperature.

2. Autolyse & High-Speed Mixing

1. 7:00 AM (Autolyse): In a mixer bowl, combine 270 g bread flour, 30 g whole wheat flour, 207 g water, and all of the soaked flaxseed meal. Cover and let rest 1 hour.
2. 8:00 AM (Levain Integration): Add 60 g peak levain. Mix on low speed (or KitchenAid speed 3) for 2–3 minutes (or 5–7 minutes by hand using Rubaud/slap-and-fold method). Cover and rest 30 minutes.
3. 8:30 AM (Bassinage & Salt): Add 6 g salt and 24 g extra water. Mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes, then medium (KitchenAid speed 3) for 5–6 minutes until dough comes together smoothly. Rest 30 minutes.

3. Stretch-and-Folds & Bulk Fermentation

1. 9:00 AM: 1st Stretch & Fold (on a wet table or in bowl)
2. 9:45 AM: 2nd Stretch & Fold
3. 10:30 AM: 3rd Stretch & Fold
4. 11:15 AM: 4th Stretch & Fold
5. Rest untouched for 30 minutes at 76–80°F (24–27°C) until light, aerated, and risen ~40%–50%.

4. Preshaping, Shaping & Cold Proof

1. 11:45 AM (Preshape): Turn dough onto a work surface and dust top with flour. Flip floured-side down, fold dough onto itself, shape into a round, and rest uncovered 30 minutes.
2. 12:15 PM (Shape): Flip floured-side down, pull right two corners to the left, fold left side over, roll into a taut log, and transfer seam-side up into a floured proofing basket.
3. Cover with plastic wrap, rest at 78°F (26°C) for 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator for 14–24 hours cold fermentation at 40°F (4°C).

5. Bake in Cast Iron

1. Preheat oven with cast iron pan and lid inside to 500°F (260°C) for 45–60 minutes.
2. Invert cold dough onto parchment paper and score cleanly with a lame.
3. Bake covered inside the cast iron pan at 500°F for 15 minutes.
4. Remove lid, reduce heat to 450°F (232°C), and bake uncovered for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories1423kcalCarbohydrates265gProtein47gFat18gSaturated Fat2gPolyunsaturated Fat11gMonounsaturated Fat3gSodium2358mgPotassium674mgFiber20gSugar2gVitamin A8IUVitamin C0.2mgCalcium144mgIron7mg

Notes

-**The Function of the Flaxseed Soaker:** Flaxseeds are highly hydrophilic and will aggressively steal moisture from the surrounding flour dough if added dry. Scalding them with boiling water the night before satisfies their absorption capacity completely and coaxes out a thick, natural mucilage gel. This gel coats the gluten matrix, locking in interior moisture and extending the bread’s shelf-life significantly.

– **Why Toasting Changes Everything:** Skipping the toasting stage results in a flatter, less aromatic loaf. Heating the dry flaxseeds in a skillet before soaking triggers the Maillard reaction, breaking down raw seed coat enzymes into complex pyrazines. This imbues your crumb with a rich, caramelized, distinctly nutty aroma that complements the sour tang of the wild yeast.

– **Handling Sticky Seed Matrices:** Because the flaxseed gel adds structural lubrication, the dough can feel slicker and harder to handle during the early stages of bulk fermentation. Utilizing the lamination method (stretching the dough thin on a wet counter) at the very start of bulk proofing mechanically layers the seeds evenly, preventing them from sinking or breaking down your gluten networks during subsequent folds.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.