Semolina Sourdough Loaf

Semolina adds creaminess to the sourdough loaf and gives it lightness.

This semolina sourdough loaf is a great option to add something new to your regular bread loaf.

I baked it many times before, and previously I have been mixing semolina with hot water first, because I was afraid that grainy semolina will be heavy for the loaf. 

But in this recipe I wanted to try it straight from the bag, and it worked just perfect.

Ingredients

Sourdough starter 

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

Dough

• 240g bread flour (80%)
• 60g semolina flour(20%)
• 207g water (69%)
• 30g (10%) cold water added along with salt. Total hydration 79%
• 60g levain (20%)
• 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 room temperature 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.

Dough

• 5 pm mix water with all flour and cover, let it rest for 1 hour to complete the autolyse.
• During the autolyse process the flour absorbs the water, becoming fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.

• 6 pm add sourdough starter. 
• Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, 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.
• 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.
• Please note, if you perform mixing by hands, using Rubaud method or slap and fold method, that takes about 10 minutes. Do a couple of stops in between kneading, it helps tightening up 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.
• 7 pm wet your hands and perform 1st stretch and fold.
• 7:45pm 2nd stretch and fold.
• 8:30 pm 3rd stretch and fold.
• 9:15 pm 4th stretch and fold.

Performing stretches and folds helps 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 40%-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 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 on the left side too.
• 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 80F (27C) environment for 15 minutes. 
• Then transfer the dough to rise for 14-24 hours in refrigerator.
• 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 temperature to 450F. 
• Bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy your semolina sourdough loaf 🙏

Semolina Sourdough Loaf

1286kcal

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Prep 1 day d

Cook 35 minutes mins

Total 1 day d 35 minutes mins

Semolina adds creaminess to the sourdough loaf and gives it lightness. This is a great option to add something new to your regular sourdough loaf.

Servings 1 loaf

Cuisine Italian-American

Ingredients

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Sourdough Starter (Levain)

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

Dough

• ▢ 240 g bread flour
• ▢ 60 g semolina flour
• ▢ 207 g water
• ▢ 30 g cold water (for bassinage, added with salt)
• ▢ 60 g levain (sourdough starter at its peak)
• ▢ 6 g salt

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer (or KitchenAid)
• ▢
  Dough Scraper
• ▢
  Proofing Basket (Banneton or loaf pan lined with a kitchen towel)
• ▢
  Plastic wrap or reusable bowl covers
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Sharp Knife or scoring lame
• ▢
  Cast-iron Dutch Oven with lid

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Step 1: Levain / Starter Prep

1. At 7:00 AM, add sourdough starter to the water and whisk together.
2. Add the all-purpose (or bread) flour and rye flour, mix well, and cover loosely.
3. Let it sit at room temperature (74-78°F) for about 8-10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and triples or more in volume.

Step 2: Autolyse

1. At 5:00 PM, mix 207g of water with all of the flour (bread flour and semolina flour) in a bowl until no dry flour remains.
2. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 1 hour to complete the autolyse, which hydrates the flour and activates gluten development.

Step 3: Mix in the Starter

1. At 6:00 PM, add 60g of the mature sourdough starter (levain) to the autolysed dough.
2. Mix on low speed of a mixing machine for 2-3 minutes (or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes) until well incorporated. If mixing by hand, use the Rubaud or slap-and-fold method for about 5-7 minutes.
3. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Add Salt and Bassinage

1. At 6:30 PM, add the salt and the 30g of extra cold water (bassinage process to help tighten up gluten).
2. Mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes (or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 minutes) until well incorporated. The dough should come together but remain sticky on the bottom. If mixing by hand, use the Rubaud or slap-and-fold method for about 10 minutes, taking brief stops to help tighten gluten.
3. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes at 74-78°F / 23-26°C.

Step 5: Stretch and Folds (Bulk Fermentation)

1. At 7:00 PM, wet your hands and perform the 1st stretch and fold. Cover and rest.
2. At 7:45 PM, perform the 2nd stretch and fold. Cover and rest.
3. At 8:30 PM, perform the 3rd stretch and fold. Cover and rest.
4. At 9:15 PM, perform the 4th and final stretch and fold.
5. After the final stretch, let the dough proof for an additional 30 minutes at 76-80°F / 23-26°C. Look for bubbles on the surface, a lighter texture, and a 40%-50% rise. Keep an eye on it—if it rises too fast, shorten the time between stretches.

Step 6: Preshaping

1. At 9:45 PM, transfer the dough onto a work surface and dust the top with flour. Flip the dough over so the floured side faces down.
2. Fold the dough onto itself so the flour on the surface remains entirely on the outside of the loaf (this will become the crust).
3. Shape into a round and let it rest on the work surface uncovered for 30 minutes.

Step 7: Final Shaping & Cold Proof

1. At 10:15 PM, dust the dough with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over onto the work surface (floured side down).
2. 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 on the left side.
3. Roll the dough tightly into a smooth, taut log/roll.
4. Transfer the roll, seam side up, into a prepared proofing basket (banneton or a loaf pan lined with a kitchen towel dusted with flour).
5. Cover it with plastic and return the dough to an 80°F (27°C) environment for 15 minutes.
6. Transfer the covered dough to the refrigerator for a cold fermentation lasting 14-24 hours.

Step 8: Baking

1. The next day, preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) with a cast-iron Dutch oven and its lid inside for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Remove the cold dough from the fridge and flip it over onto a sheet of parchment paper.
3. Score the top with a sharp knife or scoring lame.
4. Carefully transfer the dough into the hot cast-iron pan and cover it with the lid to trap steam.
5. Bake at 500°F for 15 minutes with the lid on.
6. Remove the lid, lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and bake for 20 more minutes until the crust is deeply golden brown.
7. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories1286kcalCarbohydrates257gProtein45gFat5gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat2gMonounsaturated Fat0.5gCholesterol9mgSodium442mgPotassium490mgFiber10gSugar1gVitamin A13IUVitamin C0.2mgCalcium70mgIron6mg

Notes

– **Bassinage Process:** The addition of 30g extra cold water during the salting stage is called bassinage. This technique helps tighten the gluten network while maintaining a high overall hydration rate of 79%.

– **Hand Kneading vs. Machine:** If you don’t have a mixer, hand kneading using the Rubaud or slap-and-fold method will take longer (about 10 minutes total for step 4). Taking brief breaks during hand mixing helps the gluten structure self-tighten.

–**Fermentation Timing:** Keep a close eye on your dough during the stretch and fold stages. If the ambient temperature is higher and the dough is rising too rapidly, shorten the rest intervals between your stretches to 40 minutes or less.

–**Steam Management:** Leaving the Dutch oven lid on for the first 15 minutes of baking

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