Aug 23, 20203 min read

Bordelais Recipe: Country Sourdough

If you love sourdough, whole wheat, rye and a crispy crust this is for you! This can be used for toast with jam at breakfast or toasted for a fruit and cheeseboard or make a killer grilled cheese!

This bread is close and dear to my heart. Back when I lived in Yakima I worked at Essencia Artisan Bakery during high school. There I met Ryan Low, Ivone Petzinger and Jessica Smith. I was a 16 year old that was overconfident that felt indestructible. These three influenced my life and set me on a course at this point has been almost 20 years. They taught me culinary techniques, what quality food was, flavors I had never experienced, wine (shh... don't tell anyone). I have stories I can share later that I learned here.

Ryan taught me so much about bread, pastries and life that continues to this day. I owe a lot of what I know to him. Ryan has a samurai dedication to his craft and a focus on quality that has blessed Yakima with amazing baked goods for years.

At the time when I was at Essencia Ryan was the head baker then as years go by Ryan moved from baker to owner. Ryan here is my attempt to recreate one of my favorite breads you taught me and bake at home. I hope I did it justice.

Portion: 1 Loaf

Ingredients

350g Bread Flour

50g Whole Wheat Flour

20g Rye Flour

166g Indestructible Sourdough Starter

241g Water

10g Salt

Ice Cubes for oven spring

Equipment

Pizza Steel

Bread Lame

9" Proofing Basket

Cast iron skillet or Steel pan that is oven safe

Direction

Scale out each ingredient. Add dough hook to electric mixer.
Add starter,water and all the three flours. Mix for 2 min and then stop.
Let dough partially mixed rest for 15 min. This is called the autolyse.
Mix on medium speed for 6 min. Scrape sides as needed.
Once done mixing add to a lightly greased Cambro or air tight container.
Dough should look like picture below.

Initial Proofing

Proof for 2 hrs and then letter fold.
Proof for 2 more hours.

Shaping

No need to portion unless you for smaller loaves. Shape into a round boule.
Place in well floured proofing basket. Bottom seem up. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge overnight.

Final Proof

Remove from fridge and allow to proof for 2.5 to 3 hrs.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit with pizza steel and skillet.
Place on peel or wood cutting board lightly floured.
Using bread lame score bread in desired pattern.

Baking

When the oven has reached 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Wait 10 min for pizza stone and pan to come up to temp. (See picture below. This is how I set up my oven)
1. Pan can be cast iron, steel or even a baking 9x13 pan.
Get ice cubes ready. Generally about 2 cups of ice cubes in a oven safe container like a pyrex container or coffee cup works great.
When dough has completed final proof open oven and safely using peel or cutting board place dough on pizza steel in the center of the oven.
Quickly pour ice in pan below pizza steel and close oven door
Bake for 10 min.
Lower temp to 460 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 15-20 more minutes or until internal temperature is 210 degrees.
Place on cooling rack.