--- title: Flax seed levain with spelt author: Wouter type: post date: 2012-09-28T17:55:59+00:00 url: /flax-seed-levain-with-spelt/ featured_image: /wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MG_7213-001.jpg categories: - recipes --- This is a slightly altered version from Mr. Leader’s “[Local Breads][2]” recipe called “**pain au levain**” but with flax seeds. Coincidence or not, after preparing the preferment, I saw I was out of plain bread flour or high gluten flour! So I had to adapt the formula (or I could of course put the fermented piece back into the fridge but hey, what’s baking bread without a little bit of experimenting?) **preferment** 1. 45gr ripe sourdough starter (90% white, I used high gluten flour, and the remaining stone-ground whole wheat flour), at 50% hydratation. Very stiff. 2. 50gr water 3. 85gr high gluten wheat flour (bread will also do) 4. 15gr stone-ground wholewheat flour Make this 12 hours before you plan on mixing the final dough. I used more wholewheat flour than suggested (only 5 grams) and I like the result. **seed soaker** 1. 100gr flax seeds 2. 227gr water Make the same time as you mix the preferment. The seeds will stick and absorb everything, it looks kind of gross! FInal dough 1. **230gr** water – reduced as the seeds contain some moisture! 2. 320gr white spelt flour (the book calls for all-purpose wheat flour) 3. 150gr stone-ground wholewheat flour (30gr more) 4. 30gr wholerye flour (instead of medium) 5. 125gr preferment from above 6. 10gr salt 7. all of the soaked flax seeds
I did not divert from the baking instructions much – autolyse for about 30 minutes, kneaded using the french fold technique for a minute or 5-6 and folded once after 1 hour of bulk fermenting. The total fermentation time took up to 3 hours because the kitchen temperature was only 20°C and I wanted to make sure they were well risen. After shaping them into bâtards, proofed on the couche for 1,5 hour and baked at 250°C with steam (reduced the heat to 230°C after 10 minutes).
I did not scale the salt and should have added a bit more but apart from that, the bread tasted amazing. We wolfed down a whole bâtard with a baked egg and some salad this evening. Lovely!
[1]: http://www.redzuurdesem.be/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MG_7213-001.jpg [2]: http://www.amazon.com/Local-Breads-Sourdough-Whole-Grain-Recipes/dp/0393050556/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348854339&sr=8-1&keywords=local+breads [3]: http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5u-Kg_igtfk/UGXhkE2l39I/AAAAAAAAGl8/sGC5JquShDw/s1024/_MG_7214.JPG "Make sure you create smaller points at the end of the bâtard" [4]: http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0e2UqfWxjwg/UGXhl7cjzlI/AAAAAAAAGmE/6VMHFQgXZug/s1024/_MG_7217.JPG "_MG_7217.JPG" [5]: http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IaM7VSS-vdc/UGXhpNA84bI/AAAAAAAAGmU/3PJoCaQ_qxM/s1024/_MG_7223.JPG "_MG_7223.JPG" [6]: http://lh3.ggpht.com/-q6W39aek9ls/UGXhnp4PdPI/AAAAAAAAGmM/YSJKpxGce0M/s1024/_MG_7218.JPG "_MG_7218.JPG"