Oat & Seeds Porridge Sourdough

Made with our organic Yecora 00 and whole wheat flours, this nutty and hearty porridge sourdough is the great sidekick to any soups and stews this winter or simply bake into a pan loaf for those packed lunch sandwiches! 

Download a printable version of the recipe here.

Oat & Seeds Porridge Sourdough

*This requires the use of a sourdough leaven.

Yield: one large 1kg loaf or two half kg loaves

Tools: kitchen thermometer, kitchen scale, timer, 1kg proofing basket (boule or banneton), dough scrapper, bench knife, cast iron combo cooker or Dutch oven, bread lame

For our BSM sourdough tool kit-see here!

Ingredients:

400g BSM Yecora Rojo 00 flour

100g BSM Yecora Rojo whole wheat flour

400g water (76°F temp, reserve 50g)

100g sourdough leaven (fed and “just ripe”)

10g fine sea salt

Baker’s percentage:

flour: 100%

water: 80%

leaven: 20%

salt: 2%

porridge: 42%

Porridge:

45g old fashioned oats (Bob’s Red Mill used here)

118g water

25g raw pepita seeds

25g raw sunflower seeds

Garnish:

old fashioned oats and mix of pepita and sunflower seeds

(for the final shape)

Method:

 *Before mixing this dough, a float test of a fed and “just ripe” sourdough leaven is highly recommended to ensure it is ready to use in the dough mix. If the leaven looks really deflated, it will be “sluggish” and may struggle to rise. A strong, well-fed leaven should show plenty of bubble activity and look slightly domed on top. Spoon out piece of leaven and place into a bowl of water. If it floats, it is ready to use. If it sinks, it needs more time to ferment (or it has possibly over fermented). 

Porridge: In a small sauce pot or in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the oats and water. Cook until the water has been absorbed completely into the oats. This is a thick porridge and should not look runny at all. If too runny, it will interfere with the hydration level of the loaf. This can be made the night before or an hour before ready to mix the dough. Make sure this porridge is completely at room temperature before using.

Seeds: Combine both seeds and add very hot water, just enough to submerge the seeds. Allow the seeds to soak for at least 1 hour or until the water comes to room temperature.

*Both porridge and seeds should be prepared before moving onto the next step.

In a large mixing bowl, add 350g of water. Ensure the water temperature is 76°F. Add 100g of ready sourdough leaven and mix with a spoon or your hand until fully dissolved. Add both flours to the wet mixture and mix until a slightly shaggy wet dough has formed. Cover with a towel, set a timer, and allow to autolyse for 35 min.

*Autolyse is a period of rest time right after mixing that allows the flour to properly hydrate. It also helps with gluten development. 

After the autolyse period, weigh out 50g of water at 76°F. Add 10g of salt and mix to dissolve. Pour the salt water mixture into the dough and begin to mix until the water has been absorbed fully into the dough. At this point, the dough will feel somewhat elastic and wet. Give the dough a couple of simple folds by lifting the dough into itself. Cover the bowl with a towel and set a timer for 30 min.

After 30 min, it will be time for the first fold, as well as for adding in the porridge and seed mixture. Ensure the seeds are fully drained, then add the seeds and porridge to the dough. Spread the seeds out over the dough, and begin to “dimple” in the porridge with the tips of your fingers. Move onto the next step.

 The fold method used here is the coil fold. To do a coil fold, use both hands to pull the top end of the dough up and down, continuing this pattern until “coils” are created by the time you reach the bottom of the dough. It should take about 4-5 coil folds in total. With both hands, lift the dough from the middle and make a 180° turn clockwise. The dough should now look smoother and elastic on top. Be sure to tuck any loose porridge or seeds on the sides of the bowl into the dough. Set a timer for 30 min for the next fold.

Follow the above fold method for an additional three more folds, for a total of four folds over the course of the next 1 ½ hours. If the dough feels slightly “sluggish,” give it an additional 5^th fold. Periodically check the internal temperature of the dough, as this will guide the fermentation process. Ideally, it should remain somewhere between 74-76°F. The cooler the dough gets, the slower the fermentation process. The warmer the dough gets, the faster the dough will ferment. The temperature will also determine the next steps.

*Always go by the temperature and feel of the dough as your guide!

After the last fold and 30 min rest time, turn the dough over onto a moderately floured work surface. Using a bench knife, round the dough out using surface tension to create a tight ball. Cover with a towel and allow the dough to rest for an additional 30 min.

Final shape: Sprinkle flour moderately on the work bench. Reverse the dough ball onto the floured surface, and begin to slightly stretch into a rectangle. With each hand, pull the two bottom corners of dough into each other as they overlap inward. Pull the top corner up and over to the bottom of the dough. There should now be two “ears” or top corners poking out. Using your fingertips, gently pull the top corners inward, creating a stitch. Repeat this stitching pattern all the way down the length of the dough.

*Note: When stitching, it is best to not pull too roughly or pull too much of the dough. Slightly pinch the corners while allowing the weight of the dough to remain on the bench as if to use the weight of the dough to stretch each stitch rather than pull. This will create a better overall stitch.

After stitching the dough, roll the dough from the bottom upward and over itself to create a loaf. Pinch the ends of the dough to create a seam. Roll the top part of the dough into a bed of seed mix (the same above seeds) to coat evenly. Place the dough into a proofing basket that is not dusted, though can be lined with cloth. Cover with a towel and rest for 15 min. To test when the dough is ready to refrigerate, use a flour- dusted finger and poke the “belly” of the dough. If it feels like a really tight “belly,” let it bench rest for an additional 10 min. If the “belly” has some give to it, place in the fridge to cold ferment for a total of 12-15 hrs. 

Baking instructions:

Preheat an oven to 500°F for 1 hr with the baking vessel in the oven. Remove the dough from the fridge, and reverse onto a piece of parchment paper that has been cut to fit more easily into the baking vessel, but with enough excess paper to lift the dough. Score the dough with a lame at a 45° angle across the top of the dough to allow for controlled expansion. Pick up the ends of the parchment paper to lift the dough and place into the base of the baking vessel. Quickly cover with the lid and place into the oven. Lower the temperature to 450°F and bake for 25 min. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 18-25 min at 450°F depending on how dark you like the loaf to be. Remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool before slicing. Enjoy with your choice of butter and flaky sea salt or all on its own!