Whole wheat Levain Bread for Mellow Bakers

Last time I participated in Mellow Bakers was in January with Pain de Mie. It’s about time I baked a loaf for the group again. Although the April Breads are already announced I picked a bread from the March Bread list.

Whole wheat Levain Bread
makes 1 loaf

Levain
60 g flour
75 g water
12 g sourdough starter in my house also called Sauerteigi ;-)

Soaker
100 g 5 grain flakes
100 g water

Final dough
190 g flour
250 g whole wheat flour
210 g water
11 g salt
5 g fresh yeast
10 g honey (I forgot to add)
soaker and levain from above

Levain: Mix Sauerteigi with water, stir in flour and combine thoroughly. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight – 12-16 hours.

Soaker: Pour water over the flakes, mix thoroughly, and cover with plastic. Let rest for 3 hours at room temperature then transfer to the fridge.

Final dough: Add all the ingredients except salt to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes. Add salt and mix another 4 minutes on a higher speed. Let rest, covered, for 45 minutes. Fold dough. Let rest, covered, for another 45 minutes.

Shape dough into a oblong and place with seam side up in a banneton. Cover and let rise for about 60 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 250 C.

Remove loaf carefully from banneton. Slash and bake for 15 minutes, open oven door to release steam, reduce heat to 220 C and bake another 15 minutes, reduce heat to 190 C and bake a final 15 minutes. Remove loaf from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

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Unfortunately the taste of the bread was not convincing. Perhaps I will bake it again and then use seeds like Lutz did.

This is my 8th bread for the Mellow Bakers, till now I made Rustic Bread, Light Rye Bread, 40 % Rye with Caraway, Roasted Potato Bread, Country Bread, Brioche Loaf with dark Chocolate and Pain de Mie.

In addition this is my submission to Susan’s YeastSpotting, the weekly showcase of yeasted baked goods and dishes.

More entries and recipes in English.