Home-Milled Flour Sourdough Sandwich Loaves

Home-Milled Flour Sourdough Sandwich Loaves

Heartwell and Spelt organic wheat berries bring a nutty flavor and forgiving handling to sourdough, with excellent rise and texture for toast and sandwiches. This overnight recipe makes two sandwich loaves from home-milled flour.

Ingredients

• 250 grams active sourdough starter (fed within the last 8-12 hours)

• 800 grams room temperature water

• 800 grams freshly milled Heartwell organic wheat berries

• 200 grams freshly milled organic Spelt wheat berries

• 30 grams unrefined salt

• Olive Oil (for light oiling)

Instructions

1. Mix the starter and water together.

2. Add the 1,000 grams of freshly milled flour straight from the mill. The flour's warmth helps activate the starter. Mix until the flour is fully hydrated.

3. Add the salt on top without mixing it in. Cover with a dish towel and let sit on the counter for 45 minutes.

4. Pinch and twist in the salt, then do one round of stretch and folds. Rest for 30 minutes, then repeat two more times (three rounds total). After the last fold, leave the dough on the counter to proof.

5. Home-milled flour ferments much faster than stone-ground or store-bought flour, often in 50% less time. Don't wait for the dough to double, that's overfermented. Watch for bubbles on the surface and a loose jiggle; this usually takes an additional 2-3 hours depending on your kitchen's temperature.

6. Divide the dough in half. Line two metal loaf pans with lightly oiled, crumpled parchment paper.

7. Shape each half: with lightly damp hands, press the dough into a rectangle. Fold the sides in and roll from the bottom, using a bench scraper to release the dough from the work surface as you go and press out air bubbles. Turn the log and roll in the opposite direction to build tension. Pinch the ends closed and fold under, then use the bench scraper or your hands to drag the dough toward you and tighten the surface once again.

8. Gently place each shaped loaf into a prepared pan.

9. Cold ferment in the fridge overnight, at least 12 hours and no more than 24.

10. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 450°F. Place an empty third loaf pan in the oven while it preheats.

11. Remove one loaf from the fridge and slice about an inch down the center. Place in the oven and set the hot empty loaf pan upside down over the bread. Bake 30 minutes, then remove the pan and bake another 25-35 minutes, until the loaf reaches 205°F internally.

12. Repeat with the second loaf.

13. Allow to cool.

Pro Tip for Busy Families: Let the loaves cool overnight or for 24 hours, then pre-slice and freeze the slices. Freezing causes the starch molecules to change, turning them into a resistant starch. Pull out single slices at a time or defrost in a matter of minutes  in the toaster. 

Tools: three loaf pans, bench scraper, parchment paper

Makes two sandwich loaves.