PAIN INTÉGRAL | FRENCH WHOLE WHEAT SOURDOUGH BOULE

Cuisine: France

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour – 6 cups

Sourdough starter – 2.5 cups

Water – as required

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, sourdough starter and salt.

2. Add water little by little and mix into a soft dough.

3. Stretch and fold the dough once. Cover the bowl with a lid and let it rest for 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes, perform another stretch and fold.

5. Repeat the stretch and fold every 30 minutes until you have completed a total of 3 stretch and folds.

6. After the final stretch and fold, let the dough rest undisturbed for 3–4 hours for bulk fermentation. By the end of the bulk fermentation, the dough should have nearly doubled in size.

7. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Perform a gentle stretch and fold and shape it into a boule.

8. Line a bowl with a clean cotton cloth and dust it lightly with flour. Place the shaped dough seam-side up into the cloth-lined bowl. Cover the cloth on top too and let it proof for 1 hour.

9. Invert the bowl onto a greased baking tray. The dough will now be in a perfect boule shape.

10. Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife. You can make a single long slash, a cross, or decorative patterns such as leaves.

11. Bake in a medium-high hot oven until the bread develops a deep golden-brown crust on all sides. When tapped on the bottom, it should sound hollow.

12. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool completely for 2–3 hours before slicing and serving.