Flaxseed Sourdough Loaf
1423kcal
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
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
- Stand Mixer (or large bowl for hand mixing via Rubaud method)
- Cast Iron Pan with Lid
- Scoring Lame or Razor Blade
Method
1. Night Before: Build Levain & Soaker
- 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).
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 9:00 AM: 1st Stretch & Fold (on a wet table or in bowl)
- 9:45 AM: 2nd Stretch & Fold
- 10:30 AM: 3rd Stretch & Fold
- 11:15 AM: 4th Stretch & Fold
- Rest untouched for 30 minutes at 76–80°F (24–27°C) until light, aerated, and risen ~40%–50%.
4. Preshaping, Shaping & Cold Proof
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Preheat oven with cast iron pan and lid inside to 500°F (260°C) for 45–60 minutes.
- Invert cold dough onto parchment paper and score cleanly with a lame.
- Bake covered inside the cast iron pan at 500°F for 15 minutes.
- 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.