Oh, yeah baby.
Country sourdough with walnuts and raisins!
You’re lucky this bread even made it to post, because I kept picking at it as I was trying to shoot. It was nearly impossible to stay away!
The inside is so chewy, studded with plump organic raisins and bits of crunchy, toasty walnuts.
And the crust…
Crispy, crackly and delicious!
Raisin bread reminds me of when I was kid. My mom used to slather it with cream cheese and pack it for my lunch (bless you, Pepperidge Farm).
I still love raisin bread to this day, and I’m proud to share my homemade grown-up version.
For my baking friends, here’s the breakdown of my method:
- I used a 50/50 whole wheat + bread flour starter (100% hydration)
- 1 hour autolyse (during that time I soaked the nuts and raisins)
- Salt and fillings added after autolyse
- Stretch and fold every 30 minutes for 2 hours
- Bulk ferment at room temperature (currently 65 F) overnight, about 12-18 hours
- 2nd proof = approximately 45 minutes- 1 hour
- Baked in Dutch oven @450 F for 20 minutes (covered) + 40 minutes uncovered.
- Cracked open the oven door during the last 10 minutes of baking to harden the crust.
Confused?
I don’t blame you (I have a headache after reading that myself…)! Refer to my in-depth Beginner’s Guide for everything you need to know about sourdough.
As always, bread baking is as much of an art as it is a science.
What works for me, may or may not work for you. Ingredients, starters, and overall environment play a key role in how your bread will turn out.
So, get to know your dough. Tweak as you go. Weigh your ingredients. Trust your instincts. Own your style. Eat your mistakes (breadcrumbs, French toast, bread pudding- it’s all good).
Most of all, have fun. Enjoy this recipe!
Tips:
- This bread is best if consumed within the first 1-2 days of baking. If you prefer, you can cut the dough in half to make 2 small loaves. Eat one + freeze one.
- You will need a proofing basket, cloth lined basket, or bowl for the 2nd rise. I line my bowls with a cotton kitchen towel or sometimes I’ll even use a paper towel (shh! don’t tell…)
- To freeze, wrap your bread in plastic wrap and then in foil. It should last up to 3 months.
- All ingredients are weighed using a digital kitchen scale for best results. This is the one I use.
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Country Sourdough Bread with Walnuts & Raisins
- Yield: 1 Loaf 1x
- Category: Sourdough Recipes
Ingredients
150g bubbly. active starter
350g water, preferably filtered
500g bread flour (not all purpose)
9g fine sea salt
65 g chopped walnuts
65 g raisins
fine ground cornmeal, for dusting
*You will need a 6 quart Dutch oven for baking
** The starter I used for this recipe starter is 50/50 bread flour + whole wheat (100% hydration)
**** This recipe was tested with King Arthur, Gold Medal + Pillsbury bread flour
Instructions
- To make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the starter, water, and bread flour. Squish everything together with your hands until all of the flour is absorbed. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest (autolyse) for 1 hour.
- Soak the filling: Add the chopped walnuts and raisins to a bowl and cover with ½ cup of water. Leave to soak while the dough is resting. Drain before using. Roughly chop the raisins.
- To the dough: Add the salt + ½ tsp. of water (to help it dissolve). Add the walnuts and raisins. Lift and fold the dough over itself several times, and squish with your hands to incorporate. The dough will tear slightly as you fold, and the salt will not fully dissolve. Don’t worry- this is normal. Work the dough as best you can until it comes back together into a rough ball. At this point, you shouldn’t feel any grains of salt beneath your hands.
- Bulk fermentation: Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm, sunny spot to rise. Your dough is ready when it no longer looks dense, and has increased in volume about 1½- 2x its original size. This can take anywhere from 3-12 hours depending on the temperature of your ingredients, the potency of your starter, and surrounding environment. In the winter, I make my dough in the afternoon and leave it to rise overnight at room temperature (65 F) for about 12-18 hours. In the warmer months, I bulk ferment in the fridge to control the rise rate and to prevent over proofing. *See note below.
- Stretch & fold: To strengthen your dough, do a series of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for 2 hours during bulk fermentation. Simply gather a portion of the dough, stretch it upwards and then fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn, and repeat until you have come full circle. You will have completed 4 folds. Try to keep the nuts and raisins tucked into the dough and not on the outside to prevent burning.
- Cut the dough: To cut and shape the dough, divide your work surface in half; lightly flour one side (for cutting) and leave the other half clean (for shaping). Remove the dough from the bowl, and place onto the floured section so that it does not stick. You do not need to ‘punch down’ the dough; it will gently deflate as you fold and shape it. Cut the dough in half to make 2 loaves, or leave it whole for a single loaf.
- Shape the dough: Use a bench scraper to move your dough to the non-floured section (if there is any flour present, it will be difficult to shape- brush away any excess). Gather the dough, one side at a time, and fold it into the center. Flip the dough over and place it seam side down. Using your hands, gently cup the sides of the dough and rotate it, using quarter turns in a circular motion. You can also pull it towards you to even out the shape. Repeat this process until you are happy with its appearance.
- Second rise: Place the dough into a cloth lined 8-inch basket, bowl or floured/lined proofing basket. It will need to rise again, this time for a shorter period, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. It is ready when the dough is slightly puffy.
- Prepare the baking vessel: Preheat your oven to 450F. Generously coat the bottom of a Dutch oven(s) with cornmeal to prevent sticking. Sprinkle a good amount of cornmeal on top of the dough as well (this will be the bottom once it’s flipped over). Carefully invert the dough into the pot, cornmeal side down.
- Slash the dough: Right before your bread goes into the oven, make a shallow slash about 2 inches long in the center of the dough. Use a bread lame, sharp pairing or serrated knife.
- Bake the bread: Place your bread into the oven (lid on) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, and continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 40 minutes or until deep, golden brown. During the last 10 minutes of baking, crack open the oven door. This allows the moisture to escape, leaving your bread with a crisp crust. You can also take the internal temperature of your bread to double check that it is done. For sourdough, it should read about 205 F.
- Cool: Remove the bread from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. The longer you wait, the easier it will be to cut. Don’t slice into it too soon or else the texture will be gummy!
Notes
Because sourdough does not contain commercial yeast, it takes considerably longer to rise. In the summer months, it can take anywhere between 3-4 hours @ 85 F whereas in the winter, about 8-12 hours @ 65 F. It is very important to watch your dough and not the clock. It’s ready, when it’s ready.
Comments
Morgan says
Can this be made into rolls?
Alexa says
Hi Emilie! My starter is 100% bread flour. Would you recommend doing a wheat flour mix for the dough to achieve a similar flavor to 50/50 starter?
Giuliana says
Hello! I am cold proofing overnight and wanted to know if I should let it sit for an hour before baking tomorrow or should I put it cold into the oven? So excited!!
mb says
hmmm, just took bread out of the oven and I too only left in the oven 45 minutes with lid off after 20 minutes; it is definitely done using my thermometer. It smells done and looks done as well- perhaps a little too brown.
how long is the bread to be kept in the oven?
I also placed in the fridge overnight to bulk ferment as it was to be too warm overnight and a/c was off. it looked good
Lily Wood says
Hi Emilie! I have made this recipe multiple times! The taste is fantastic! I have noticed that my sourdough bread never gets quite the loft and large holes that I see in bakeries or in your pictures online. Any tips? I think I’m being pretty scientific about the process and following your recipe quite closely. :) Thanks!
Carol Fourre says
This is one of my favorite breads to make. Especially in the fall, and for the holidays. I use dried cranberries and orange zest to brighten the flavor. The smell when it’s baking is divine!
Ritu says
If I wanted to make this loaf with a maple flavour, how much maple syrup would you use and how would adjust the water? Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! I wouldn’t add maple syrup to this recipe. The added sugar will cause the loaf to darken and possibly burn. Plus, you won’t taste the maple syrup that much. As an alternative, I recommend soaking the raisins in a combination of vanilla, sugar, and maple extract.
Joanne Tucker says
Emilie! This is one of my favorite sourdough recipes! I make it every week. Since I have a sweet tooth, I add a cinnamon sugar swirl. I just stretch the dough into a long narrow rectangle and throw a cinnamon sugar mixture over it. Roll it up and put it in the banneton to rise right before baking. My oven only requires a 40 min baking time, the last 20 mins uncovered with a piece of foil loosely covering to prevent burning. Yum, this is a fantastic recipe! I thank you and my friends and family thank you!
MiMi McGee says
Hi Emilie,
Is this dough supposed to be super wet? 150g starter, 350g water and 500g flour makes equal flour and liquid which produced a very wet dough for me. I feel like maybe I missed some other flour…
Thanks!
MiMi
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Mimi! Yes. The dough is supposed to be wet, but not too wet that it’s difficult to handle. Perhaps you missed some of the flour (did you weigh your ingredients?) or you used all purpose flour instead of bread flour (ap flour absorbs less water than bread flour). Also, be sure to pat the raisins dry from excess moisture. If none of this resonates, just cut back on the total amount of water next time, adding more as needed. Start with 300 g and take it from there.
Vange Langford says
Mine is also super wet even when I weighed everything. I live in Sweden & there’s so many types of bread flour & the one I use is for airy breads & not the 00 or pizza flour. I will try a different flour and/or reduce the water next time.
Lynda Weis says
Thank you for the beautiful recipe. How do I convert grams to cups? I don’t have a gram scale.
Emilie Raffa says
I would plug the info into an online converter for best results. Heads up: the gram to cup conversion is not exact, only approximate, but enough to get you started!
Beverly j Paglia says
I just finished adding my nuts&raisins and it’s in the bowl rising which will take up to ? hrs. After I do S&F , can I put the dough in the refrigerator for the night and bake tomorrow?
Teri Lund says
ps. no need to reply to my earlier post. I found a comment from a while ago where you had already answered this question.
Jennifer Moskal says
Where is the earlier response. I was wondering the same thing. After letting it start to rise on the counter I realized I’d rather bake it in the morning can I put it in the fridge halfway through
Teri Lund says
Emilie – I love this recipe but have a question about baking. Do you have your baking vessel in the oven while it’s preheating? It’s not clear in your instructions but that’s what I’ve always done when baking artisan sourdough loaves. Thanks for these lovely recipes and for clarifying this for me. Teri, from Laramie Wyoming
Michelle R K says
I find mine turns out better when I preheat my Dutch Oven :)
Jo Wignell says
Yes ye she’s it turned out amazing omg the crust as crispy and tasty – best loaf ever ! Delish thank you
Jo says
I did and it’s cooking now, super excited but I preheated the Dutch oven and not sure I was suppose to? It’s still got 14 mins left and looks almost done ? Xx will post photo on TT if nice 😊
Michelle R K says
It helps to temp your bread. I pull mine around 205. If its getting dark, cover it again with the lid or foil
Theresa says
I placed my dough on top of parchment paper, on top of a rack in my Dutch oven, and placed 3 ice cubes in the bottom of the pan. Baked for 20 min with the lid on, baked another 30 min with the lid off @ 450°. It should have gone another 10 min with the oven door cracked open, but I got scared when I checked it because it looked so dark and crunchy already. It’s cooled down and the crust is soft and thin all the way around. The crumb looks beautiful. Haven’t tasted it yet! Great recipe. I have only baked your recipes so far (I’m new to sourdough baking) and all have turned out great (no failures).
Susan Clarke says
I’ve made the sourdough raisin swirl from your cookbook and am wondering why the instructions call for a 60 minute bake. I only baked my second attempt for 20 minutes covered and 20 uncovered (accidental assumption of cooking time) and it was perfect! I’m wondering what the benefit of baking the loaf for so much longer would be. I use a cast iron Brundmor Dutch oven. This recipe seems pretty close and recommends a 60 minute bake as well. I’m going to give this one a try today. I love your recipes! Thanks for sharing them!
Rachel says
I love these recipes but have had the same issue with baking time. 20 min with lid on and 20 min with lid off and it was really dark- cannot imagine another 20 min! And I have a thermometer in my oven. But otherwise so delicious and I love the cookbook!
monique says
Hi again. Can I use white rice flour instead of cornmeal.
Thanks,
Monique
Emilie Raffa says
Yes. You can also use parchment paper to line the pot instead.
monique says
Hi. I am trying your bread and just realized it doesn’t have cinnamon. Can I add, and at what point.
Thanks
Monique
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! You can add cinnamon to the dough itself, when first mixing the ingredients together. However, you won’t taste it much in the finished product. Doing a cinnamon swirl is actually much tastier (I have a recipe for this in my book). Or, for quick reference, pop over to my sourdough cinnamon roll recipe for ideas on how to incorporate a swirl.
Chris says
My bread turned purple. I eliminated raisins and didn’t soak the nuts. Any thoughts. Never had this happen before. 🤷♂️ Otherwise was fine
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Chris! Purple? Oh my! At first, I was going to say it was the raisins. Oftentimes when they’re too wet, they can stain the dough. But since you didn’t add raisins, it has to be the walnuts. Nuts can have the same effect even without soaking.
Pwvon says
Mine turned purple too and I used golden raisins! 😋 I really didn’t think much of it til I saw the comment. Still delicious and we even ate it with some fresh ricotta!!
Emilie Raffa says
Must be the walnuts then! Omg… you had this with fresh ricotta? Sounds absolutely delicious.
Pwvon says
It was! And I just made my second batch of this bread! I read that the purple color is a chemical reaction between the walnuts and the “yeast”. Blanching the walnuts for five minutes may help but not eliminate. It doesn’t bother me…taste is wonderful! Thank you!
Sharon Bennett says
Emilie
Is there a recipe for pumpkin sourdough rolls?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Sharron! I have a recipe for pumpkin cranberry sourdough bread in my book. You can use the exact recipe and turn them into rolls, if you like. Linked here.
Twanna says
Made this recipe for the first time today and it turned out beautifully. Purchased your artisan sourdough book and I cannot wait to try your other recipes.
Mary Lou Billingsley says
If I make this into 2 loaves rather than one, do I still cook it the same amount of time? I would only be cooking one at a time. Thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
Hello! I would reduce the bake time for (2x) smaller loaves. Check at the 40 minute mark and adjust your timing from there. Enjoy!
Mary Lou Billingsley says
Thank you! I will try that!
andre conradie says
Awesome bread! I made the flour 200g wholewheat and 300g white. Added grated rind of an orange, heaped teaspoon cinnamon, heaped tablespoon brown sugar and half teaspoon grated nutmeg. I bake at 245°C for 43m in dutch oven with lid and then 7m without lid. Heat dutch oven for 30m beforehand.
Emilie Raffa says
This sounds wonderful. I love orange zest & cinnamon together- thanks for the inspo!
Joan Von Feldt says
I use your beginner recipe for sourdough bread every time. It’s the best. However I wanted to make olive bread. So after fussing with some other online recipes I used this recipe with olives (1 cup) instead of walnuts and raisins, and. it came out perfect. Thanks for all your advice- the trouble shooting blog etc!
Donna Steslow says
I am just about to bake this for the third time! It always rises nicely. I added chopped dates, and this time experimented by adding extra raisins and nuts. It worked. My question is: Many recipes call for preheating the Dutch oven; this one seems to not require that. Should I be preheating the Dutch oven?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Donna! I love dates in sourdough- so delicious and sweet. Preheating the Dutch oven is optional. I used to do it in the past, but after many burnt wrists, I skipped this step for practical reasons. Doing so did not compromise the final product. Test out both ways and see what suits you best!
rhi says
This loaf tastes amazing, and I love how easy your recipes are to follow. Thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
You are very welcome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Peggy says
What would happen if I didn’t soak the raisins and walnuts before putting them in the dough?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Peggy! Dried fruit and nuts tend to soak up additional water in the dough, which changes the texture of the finished product. Soaking ahead of time prevents this, however not every recipe requires it. Up to you.
patricia mary moran says
I cut the dough in half to make 2 loaves; I only have one dutch oven and certainly not enough room in my oven for another pot, so can i bake one loaf at a time.? Will the second loaf that has to wait til the first loaf is finished baking lose its rise if it has to wait to get baked? Thanks. great recipe.
Florence says
Hi Emilie, the sourdough looks so good and I want to make one for my friend. I have two questions. First, can I use starter with bread flour only? Second, what is the baking time if I use 250g flour instead of 500g flour? Thank you.
Angela Yeung says
Hi!
Can I incorporate some whole wheat or rye flour?
Emilie Raffa says
Sure! It will change the texture considerably though. You might want to start small, say 50 g or so of whole wheat flour, and see how you go.
Lexi Cotcamp says
Any chance I could use AP flour instead of the bread flour, similar to your AP sourdough recipe?
Emilie Raffa says
Absolutely. Personally, I would just use the AP flour recipe and add the proper amount of raisins and walnuts per this recipe. :)
Toby says
This recipe looks soooo good! Was wondering if I can use my all-purpose flour starter or do I have to use a half whole wheat and half bread flour starter for a good result? Thanks in advance!
Emilie Raffa says
Absolutely!
Elizabeth says
I’m confused about the 50/50 whole wheat + bread flour starter. Do you remove some of the starter from the jar and start a new one using 50% whole wheat and 50% bread flour? This bread looks so delicious! I can’t wait to make it.
Thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! To clarify, it’s one starter fed with 50% bread flour & 50% whole wheat flour. Whether you feed the jar directly or pour some off to feed in the bowl, it’s fed with equal parts of the two flours. Hope this makes sense :)
Elizabeth says
Thank you for your very prompt response! It came out beautiful! I used cranberries instead of raisins. Thank you to the poster who said to drain and take out excess water after soaking the cranberries and nuts. I think it would have been very wet otherwise. The house smells wonderful. I wish I could post a picture. Great recipe!
Emilie Raffa says
Fantastic! Cranberries would be delicious in this recipe- yum :)
Frances says
Hello Emilie, came across your recipe yesterday and eagerly gave it a try. I am still a newbie regarding sourdough and totally in love with my sourdough journey. I followed your recipe, doubling it and was able to make three beautiful loaves of your Raisin and Walnut bread. They are beautiful as did the crumb. I have already gave to of them away to our neighbors. I have also tried your sourdough chocolate chip recipe as well as your cinnamon rolls recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. I just purchased your Artisan Sourdough Made Simple and cannot wait to receive it! THANKS!!
Regina says
Hello there! I baked this recipe twice already, the first time it was kind of a soupy coz I think I over-proofed it😅 I didn’t quite read the intsructions clearly but it turns out really good since I made a lot of tension on the dough before I scored and put it in the oven. Second time, I adjusted the water but when proofed the volume was not doubled. But still it turned out really good in terms of taste and the rise after it baked. I added dates and raisins to these loaves. Thanks for sharing this recipe, next time I’ll add cinnamon in it😉
P.S.
Can I add oats in this recipe? Do i need to increase the water?
Thanks in advance!😊
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Regina! Practice makes perfect ;) I’m sure you could add oats to the dough with additional adjustments. But I haven’t tested it myself so I’m unable to advise on the specifics. If you experiment, please let us know.
Myrna says
What to do if the dough was too soupy and does not retain the shape?
Emilie Raffa says
Weigh your ingredients for best results (sounds like there was too much water in the dough), use a high protein bread flour (plain or all purpose flour doesn’t absorb as much liquid which can make the dough sticky), and make sure the dough doubles in size during the bulk rise for proper gluten development (if it rises for too long, it will over proof and become sticky). Good luck!
Natasha says
Hi! So I have the bread in the oven now after an overnight fridge proof but this morning when I turned it out the cinnamon sugar was leaking out of it. I have a picture but can’t attach it here.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! I’m not sure I’m understand your comment? There is no cinnamon sugar in this recipe. Thanks!
Jodie Sharp says
Wonderful recipe! I subbed the raisins for cranberries and it is the most beautiful loaf.
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds fantastic! :)
Hoa huynh says
This look so good, would like to make this, what kind of raisins do you used in this recipe.
Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you! I use organic Thompsons seedless raisins.
Lisa Keys says
This is one of my favorite loaves, but I did make a few changes as I went along. My dough was quite wet as a result of not drying out the fruit and nuts enough, I suspect. I use King Arthur bread flour, but chose not to add any extra. Following the bulk fermentation dough was too sticky to shape so I just popped it into the fridge for an overnight rise. It grew more than I would have expected. I baked one large loaf and after 20 minutes at 450F I lifted off the pot lid and lowered my oven to 400F. 20 minutes later this loaf was fully baked reading 205 degrees on instant read thermometer. Quite dark on the top but inside was perfectly baked with a crisp crust and chew. I used dried cranberries instead of raisins and loved the marbling effect. Enjoyed by all.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Lisa! Yes: if the dried fruit is too wet, it will definitely change the texture of the dough. But from what you’ve described, it still sounds amazing! Thanks for the feedback ;)
Samantha says
Hi Emilie!
I made 6 loaves of this bread for Christmas gifts for my co workers. Turned out absolutely beautiful and delicious! I added cinnamon and sugar to the dough after the salt. Your instructions were so easy to follow. I’ve been baking with sourdough only for about a year and I’ve learned so much. I feel like it’s endless learning and experimentation, which is my favorite part!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Samantha! Sounds ABSOLUTELY DIVINE! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Dana Dougherty says
Solid recipe. I subbed in dates, and toasted the walnuts. Tastes great. Thanks again.
Emilie Raffa says
Awesome, thanks for your tips, Dana! :)
Pat says
If you want to add cinnamon how much can you safely add. Also would you add the cinnamon with the salt
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Pat! Great question. I haven’t tested this recipe with cinnamon mixed directly into the dough, so I’m unable to advise. As an alternative however, I’d recommend adding a cinnamon swirl instead. It’s added after the bulk rise (so you don’t have to worry about the cinnamon slowing down the gluten development). If you have my book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, you can find the full the details on pg. 51. Otherwise, combine 1/4 c. of sugar with 2 tsp of cinnamon. Set aside. Stretch the dough to roughly 16 x 8 inches. Brush lightly with water and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top leaving a 2-inch border around the top, bottom, and sides. Roll up the dough pinching the ends to seal. Note: this method works best with an oval-shaped loaf. Hope this helps!
Chau says
Hi , can I use less water in this recipe? Because 350g gives a very different spongy texture. Not fluffy .
Thank you .
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Chau,
Absolutely. You are more than welcome to decrease the water in this recipe. I would start with 50 g and take it from there. Also: the recipe as written shouldn’t yield bread with a spongey, wet texture. If this was the case for you, it’s possible that the brand of flour you used doesn’t absorb as much liquid and/or your raisins were too wet. Hope this helps.
Kaitlyn says
You say to line your brotform, but every time I line it, it doesn’t get the lovely swirls. I have a liner that came with the basket, but that is no thicker than a towel – possibly thinner. What do you suggest?
Jessica says
I’m so keen to try this! I’m fairly new to sourdough bread-making. The 2 hours of the stretch & fold process — do I just do this anywhere within the bulk fermentation time? It’s cold here in Australia, so I’ll need a longer bulk fermentation time.
Jessica says
Also, how do I get a lovely blistered crust like yours?
Sarah says
Hi! This recipe looks great & I would love to try it this weekend- just to clarify on the bulk fermentation, it’s 100 degrees in Phoenix today (!) so I’m considering making the dough this afternoon and bulk fermenting overnight in the fridge- do you think that would be ok, and would I do the turns just for the first 2 hours?
Thanks!!
Emilie says
Hi Sarah, you can do the bulk fermentation overnight in the fridge. You might have to play around with the start time in the after noon though (100 degrees is hot!). The dough might take off and over proof! You can always slow it down by using cool water in the initial mix. For the turns, yes, you can do those of the first two hours. :)
Sadie says
This bread is excellent! I still have a lot to learn about sourdough but I was very happy with how much my loaf resembled the one pictured with the recipe. The crumb on mine isn’t quite as holey, but my crust is golden, and blistered and delicious! The dough was the wettest, most slack dough I’ve worked with so far and I was tempted to add more flour, but didn’t. It rose well both in the bulk fermentation and the second rise. I didn’t use cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking to the proofing basket or my Dutch oven. I lined the basket with a linen cloth and dusted it well with rice flour. To transfer the wet, fragile dough to the Dutch oven I covered the top of the dough with a round of parchment paper, inverted the Dutch oven over the dough and gently flipped the Dutch oven and proofing basket over. The dough dropped out effortlessly and the parchment paper, which was now at the bottom of the Dutch oven, prevented the dough from sticking. I didn’t have raisins, so subbed coarsely chopped black mission figs, which added a chewiness to the bread. Thanks for a great recipe and the detailed instructions.
Emilie says
I love the addition of dried figs here, Sadie. Thank you for sharing your tips with us! xx
Magda says
Hello,
One more question— how do I make 50/50 whole wheat and bread flour starter, using your traditional one with AP flour?
Thank you,
Magda.
Emilie says
Hi! To covert your starter, I would feed it with whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour. It might take a while for your starter to adjust, but eventually it will get there.
Magda says
Hi,
Today, I baked your bread. Just don’t know, if the dough was supposed to be liquidy.
The loaf turned ok, but I had a hard time to place it into a baking pot,it rolled under itself.
Tooo soft!? I also baked it the same day, bcs it has risen nicely.
Thank you for your information.
Magda.
Emilie says
Hi Magda,
It’s hard to say without seeing a picture of the dough/finished loaf. However generally speaking, this dough shouldn’t be very wet. For best results, make sure to weigh your ingredients including the liquid for accuracy. If you’re still running into trouble try reducing the water by 20g until you have reached your desired consistency. It could be that the brand of bread flour you’re using doesn’t absorb that much water (resulting in a wetter dough). Hope this helps!
J. D. George says
Emilie, I know bread baking is a science with exact measurements. If I wanted to add a whole cup of my sourdough starter what other adjustments should I make? I know by doing so I will end up with a lot of dough but I bake bread weekly so this would be ideal because I could freeze the extra! Also, would I freeze the extra before letting it rise overnight? I love your blog!
Emilie says
Hi there! Do you mean you’d like to add an additional 1 cup (about 100 g) of starter to the pre-existing recipe? If so, the total would be appx. 1 1/4 cups (about 250 g) in total? Thanks!