Malted Sourdough with Dried Cranberries

This incredible Malted Sourdough with Dried Cranberries recipe was shared with me by a talented baker Zabavnikov Ivan.

Malted sourdough turned out so good, I absolutely had to share the recipe with you my friends.

It is lightly sweet from malt and cranberries and has a fragrant and elegant flavor.

Ingredients

Sourdough starter 

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

Soaker

• 25g rye malt 
• 25g  rye flour 
• 75g hot boiling water

Main Dough 

• 120g soaker
• 70g sourdough starter
• 280g bread flour
• 20g whole wheat flour
• 180g water + 25g water added along with salt
• 8g salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions 

Day 1

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

Soaker 

• 10 pm add hot boiling water to the rye flour and malt and whisk together. You should get a thick paste consistency. If you feel there is a need for more water, go for it. 
• Soaker has to stay at 149F/65С temperature for 9-12 hours. This process will make starches break into sugar, which will give a nice and deep color as well as special sweetness to rye bread.

Note: in order to keep soaker warm for extended period of time I used a small lunch thermos. If you don’t have a thermos, mix soaker in a regular bowl, preheat the oven to 350F, turn it off, cover the soaker with plastic wrap, place it into warm oven with light on and keep it there overnight.

Dough

• 6 am mix soaker, water and flour, cover, let it rest 1 hour for autolyse.
• During the autolyse the flour absorbs the water, becoming fully hydrated. This will activate gluten development.
• 7 am add sourdough starter. 
• Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 min until well incorporated.
• Cover, let rest for 30 min.

• 7:30 am 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 min 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 min. At 74-78F /23-26C.
• 8 am 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 dried cranberries all over the dough, fold and it let rest for 45 minutes.
• 8:45 am 1st stretch and fold.
• 9:30 am 2nd stretch and fold.
• 10:15 am 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 

• 10:45 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 

• 11:15 am 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

Malted Sourdough with Dried Cranberries

1425kcal

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Prep 45 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Total 1 day d 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Created in partnership with artisan baker Zabavnikov Ivan, this recipe yields an elegant, lightly sweet artisan loaf. By utilizing an overnight high-temperature rye malt soaker, the flour starches naturally break down into maltose sugars, rewarding you with an incredibly fragrant aroma, a deep mahogany crust, and a tender interior crumb beautifully studded with tart dried cranberries.

Cuisine Sourdough

Ingredients

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

High-Sweetness Rye Malt Soaker (Night Before)

• ▢ 25 g Rye malt
• ▢ 25 g Rye flour
• ▢ 75 g Hot boiling water

The Main Dough & Inclusions

• ▢ 120 g Prepared rye malt soaker From the stage above
• ▢ 70 g Active sourdough starter levain From the stage above
• ▢ 280 g Bread flour
• ▢ 20 g Whole wheat flour
• ▢ 180 g Main water For initial autolyse
• ▢ 25 g Bassinage water Held back for the salt stage
• ▢ 8 g Salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup Dried cranberries

Equipment

• ▢
  Small Lunch Thermos Crucial for holding the high-temperature rye soaker at 149°F / 65°C overnight to maximize natural sweetness
• ▢
  Stand Mixer A KitchenAid or standard commercial mixer handles the intensive mixing stages
• ▢
  Proofing Basket Banneton or a loaf pan cleanly lined with a dry kitchen towel
• ▢
  Cast Iron Pan with Lid Or a heavy Dutch oven to create a pressurized steam environment
• ▢
  Sharp Scoring Lame Or a fresh razor blade for clean, uniform decorative expansion cuts
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Night Before – Starter & Soaker Initialization

1. 10:00 PM – Starter Build: In a small glass jar, add your 5g of starter culture to 35g of water and whisk together cleanly. Stir in 30g of all-purpose or bread flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and at least doubles or triples in volume.
2. 10:00 PM – Malt Saccharification Soaker: In a small lunch thermos, whisk 25g of rye malt and 25g of rye flour with 75g of hot boiling water until it forms a uniform, thick paste consistency. Seal the thermos tightly. The soaker must rest undisturbed at roughly 149°F (65°C) for 9 to 12 hours to trigger the chemical breakdown of starches into natural sugars. (Alternative: If you do not own a thermos, mix the soaker in a standard bowl, preheat your home oven to 350°F, turn the oven completely off, cover the bowl tightly with wrap, and leave it overnight inside the warm oven with the oven light turned on).

Day 2 – Autolyse, Bassinage, and Lamination

1. 6:00 AM – The Flavor Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine all 120g of your warm rye malt soaker, 180g of main water, 280g of bread flour, and 20g of whole wheat flour. Mix mechanically just until a rough, shaggy dough forms and no dry flour spots remain. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm spot for 1 full hour to completely hydrate the flour particles and naturally initiate gluten development.
2. 7:00 AM – Sourdough Starter Integration: Add 70g of your active overnight starter peak directly into the autolysed dough mass. Turn your mixing machine on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until the starter is completely incorporated. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. 7:30 AM – Bassinage & Salt Incorporation: Add your 8g of salt along with the remaining 25g of held-back water into the bowl. This secondary hydration step (bassinage) tightens the gluten fibers. Mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or on a KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5 to 6 minutes) until the liquid is fully absorbed. The dough will pull together cleanly but should remain slightly sticky on the bottom of the bowl. Let rest for 30 minutes at 74–78°F (23–26°C).
4. 8:00 AM – Cranberry Lamination: Spray your clean work surface lightly with water and wet your hands. Gently tip the dough out and stretch it as thin as possible without ripping the matrix. Scatter the 1/2 cup of dried cranberries evenly across the entire surface of the stretched dough sheet. Fold the dough cleanly over onto itself into a tight package to trap the fruit securely inside. Place into a proofing container and let rest for 45 minutes.

Bulk Fermentation, Preshaping, and Cold Retard

1. 8:45 AM – 1st Stretch & Fold: Wet your hands slightly. Lift one side of the dough up cleanly from the edge and fold it directly over the center. Repeat this action for all four quadrants of the dough mass to build structured vertical tension. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
2. 9:30 AM – 2nd Stretch & Fold: Execute your second structured round of quadrant folds to organize the expanding gluten network. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
3. 10:15 AM – 3rd Stretch & Fold: Execute the third and final stretch-and-fold round. Cover and let the dough proof completely untouched for 30 minutes at a warm 76–80°F (23–26°C). The dough should look visibly lighter, show distinct surface bubbles, and hit a clean 50% volume rise.
4. 10:45 AM – Preshaping: Gently tip the expanded dough out onto your work surface and dust the top lightly with flour. Flip the mass over so the floured side faces directly down. Fold the outer edges cleanly onto itself so that the raw flour coating remains entirely on the outside of the loaf (this ensures a beautiful crust). Round the dough into a loose ball and let it rest on your counter completely uncovered for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
5. 11:15 AM – Final Shaping: Dust the top of the resting dough round with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over onto your counter so the floured side faces down. Pull the bottom two corners outward and fold them up into the center of the dough. Repeat this exact matching movement across the top corners. Roll the dough tightly away from you, shaping it into a perfectly smooth, taut, uniform log.
6. Basket Stabilization & Fridge Retard: Transfer the shaped roll seam-side up into your well-floured proofing basket. Cover with plastic wrap and return the basket to a warm 80°F (27°C) spot for exactly 15 minutes to stabilize. Slide the basket directly into your refrigerator to rise slowly for 14 to 24 hours of cold fermentation retard.

Day 3 – Blazing Cast Iron Bake

1. Next Morning – Preheating: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). Place your cast iron pan and lid onto the middle rack to heat up thoroughly for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Scoring & Loading: Remove the cold dough basket from the fridge. Flip it over gently onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the smooth surface with one clean, long, deep cut using a sharp lame or razor blade.
3. The Steam Bake: Transfer the dough carefully onto the smoking hot cast iron pan base, drop the heavy lid down tightly to lock in the steam, and bake at 500°F (260°C) with the lid on for exactly 15 minutes.
4. The Open Bake: Carefully lift the hot lid off to expose the loaf, lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and continue baking bare for an additional 20 minutes until the crust turns an incredibly deep, caramelized golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 full hours before slicing!

Nutrition

Calories1425kcalCarbohydrates286gProtein49gFat7gSaturated Fat2gPolyunsaturated Fat3gMonounsaturated Fat1gCholesterol12mgSodium633mgPotassium768mgFiber14gSugar18gVitamin A48IUVitamin C1mgCalcium98mgIron6mg

Notes

• The Magic of the Hot Soaker Process: Do not shortcut or skip the extended overnight heating phase for your rye flour and rye malt mixture. Maintaining this soaker at a steady $149^circtext{F}$ ($65^circtext{C}$) triggers natural enzymatic saccharification, converting the starches directly into complex maltose sugars. This provides the distinct deep mahogany crumb color and elegant fragrance characteristic of world-class artisan loaves without adding any industrial refined sugars.
• Managing Fast Summer Fermentation Ratios: If your home kitchen environment naturally sits at a high tropical climate (86-90 F / 30-32 C), wild yeast action accelerates aggressively. To prevent the dough from overproofing and collapsing into a sticky, unmanageable structure, tighten your bulk windows: execute your stretch-and-folds quickly every 25 to 30 minutes, and compress your warm fermentation step to a total of roughly 3 to 4 hours maximum before moving directly to cold shaping steps.
• Preventing Inclusions from Tearing Gluten: The lamination step at 8:00 AM is precisely engineered to introduce your dried cranberries cleanly without tearing your fragile dough matrix. Spreading the sticky dried fruit across a wide, paper-thin sheet of stretched dough ensures a beautifully uniform, pocketed distribution throughout the interior crumb without compromising your final oven spring or flattening your artisan ear.

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