I made a Country Rye Sourdough Bread the other day. Now this is the base for my Country Sourdough Discard Bread. Here I have used my discard instead of my active starter. Plus a combination of bread flour and whole wheat flour. The bread has a hydration of 75%.
What actually surprised me was how much impact a temperature difference of only 2°C/36°F has on the speed of bulk fermentation. Instead of 26°C/79°F, it was “only” 24°C/75°F in my kitchen, which is still warm. But this led to the bulk fermentation taking 7 hours, instead of 4 hours last time. With every loaf I bake, I learn something new. I enjoy working with sourdough, whether with my active starter or discard starter.
The most exciting moment for me is when I lift the lid off the dutch oven after 20 minutes of baking and see how the bread has risen in the oven. And then, of course, cutting the bread, because that’s the moment of truth where you can see how well your dough has developed. The most important thing is for sure the flavor and all I can say is that this bread is absolutely delicious.
Tools & Equipment
- Banneton
- Bench scraper
- Deep ceramic dish
- Digital thermometer
- Dutch oven
- Kitchen towel or plastic wrap
- Large bowl
- Parchment paper
- Silicone spatula
- Scoring knife or razor blade
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Temperature: The ideal temperature for dough development is around 25-27°C/77-80°F. If your room temperature is lower than that, plan more time for bulk fermentation, mix the dough with warmer water or increase the temperature to speed up fermentation. This can be done by placing the container with the dough in a turned-off oven with the control light on.
Discard Starter: Depending on how long you have kept your discard starter in the fridge, it will develop more or less flavor. If you think your starter might be too sour, use less. However, the bread will not taste as sour as the starter smells. In the end, it is a matter of personal taste and the best thing to do is to experiment a little.
Bulk Fermentation: Your dough is well developed when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl easily when turned, the volume has increased by 20-30% and you notice more air bubbles along the sides of the bowl. These are all signs that the dough is ready for shaping. In case the dough is developing slowly, increase the fermentation time. Keep in mind that time is only an indicator, pay more attention to the dough itself to determine if the bulk fermentation is done.
Ingredients for Country Sourdough Discard Bread
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Country Sourdough Discard Bread
Autolyse
Place 350g of water in a large mixing bowl, add the discard starter and mix a little. Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour, mix with a silicone spatula or/and your hands until there are no dry bits of flour. Let the mixture rest for 25-30 minutes.
Add the salt and the remaining 25g of water to the bowl and knead for 3-4 minutes until the dough has a smooth surface. It will be quite sticky.
Bulk Fermentation
Place the dough in a deep ceramic dish to make it easier to handle. Cover and let the dough rest at 25-27°C/77-80°F for about 30 minutes.
After a 30 minutes rest, perform 3 sets of stretch-and-folds, every 30 minutes. Slide both hands (wet hands) under the dough in the center. Slowly lift the dough up and toward you until it releases from the bowl. Fold the dough under itself. Turn the bowl by 180° and work the other side, then turn the bowl by 90° and repeat the process (folding all 4 sides).
Turn the dough more gently now to avoid pressing gas out of the dough. By the end of the 3rd hour, the dough will feel more aerated and soft. After 3-4 hours of fermentation, leave the dough untouched for the rest of the time. Total fermentation time 7 hours at 24-25°C/75-77°F.
Shaping the Dough
Transfer the dough to an unfloured work surface. Lightly dust the dough with flour and turn it over, so that the floured side lies on the work surface. Fold the the dough over on itself so that the flour on the surface of the dough is sealed to the outside of the loaf. Work the dough into a round shape. It should have a tight, smooth outer surface. After this initial shaping, let the dough rest on the work surface for 20-30 minutes. Cover with a kitchen towel.
To shape the final loaf, lightly flour the top of the dough. Flip the dough over so that the floured side is now on the work surface. Fold the third of the dough closest to you up and over the middle third of the loaf.
Stretch the dough horizontally to the right and fold this third over the center, then stretch the dough to your left and fold this third over the previous fold. Stretch out the third of the dough farthest from you and fold this toward you.
Grab the dough closest to you and wrap it up and over, while rolling it away from you so that the smooth underside of the loaf is now the top and all the seams are on the bottom. Cup your hands around the dough and pull it toward you, rounding it against the work surface. Let the shaped loaf rest for 1 minute.
Proofing Stage
Prepare a 50/50 mixture of rice flour and whole wheat flour. Lightly dust a banneton with the flour mixture. This will prevent the dough from sticking during the final rise. Lift the loaf from the work surface and place it in the banneton with the smooth side facing down.
Now you have 2 options for the final rise:
- Let the dough rise at room temperature (25-27°C/77-80°F) for about 2-4 hours. After 2 hours the loaf will have a mild flavor.
- If you do not want to bake the same day, delay the process by placing the dough in the fridge for up to 12 hours. The cool environment slows down the fermentation, but does not stop it. After 8-12 hours, the dough will develop a more complex and slightly sour taste.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 260°C/500°F about 30 minutes before baking and place a dutch oven with lid inside. If you kept the loaf in the fridge, take it out now. Dust the top of the loaf with rice flour and carefully flip it from the banneton onto a sheet of parchment.
Score the loaf to make sure it can fully develop in the oven. When the oven reaches 260°C/500°F, carefully remove the heated dutch oven. Be careful because the dutch oven is very hot. Place the loaf with the parchment in the dutch oven and cover with the lid. Return the dutch oven to the oven and reduce the temperature to 230°C/450°F. Bake the loaf for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the lid. The color of the crust will be pale and shiny. Continue baking until the crust has a deep caramel color, for about 20-25 minutes. It is done when the core temperature reaches about 95°C/200°F. Remove from the oven and carefully lift the bread out of the dutch oven. Let cool on a wire rack. The bread should be light to the touch with a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Store your bread at room temperature for 3-5 days. Paper bags or kitchen towels are great to protect bread from drying out too much. Do not store bread in the fridge. If you do, it will get stale faster compared to keeping it at room temperature.
Freezing Instructions: Freezing Instructions: Let the bread cool completely and either freeze the whole loaf or slices of bread in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
My Summary for Country Sourdough Discard Bread
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Taste & Texture: This sourdough bread has a sour taste that is not too overpowering. It has a crunchy crust with a slightly chewy crumb and holes that are nicely distributed. A great flavor and texture.
Time: Autolyse takes about 30 minutes, bulk fermentation took me 7 hours (it depends on the temperature in your environment, in my kitchen it was about 24°C/75°F). The whole shaping process is done in about 45 minutes. For the final proofing, I placed the loaf in the fridge overnight (2-4 hours at room temperature is a faster option). Baking takes another 40 minutes or so.
More Recipes
- Basic Sourdough Bread
- Country Rye Sourdough Bread
- Sandwich Bread
- Turmeric Bread
- Whole Grain Sourdough Bread