Add flax seed to your sourdough loaf for a perfect crunch of healthy fats. They add just the right taste and texture!
There's nothing like a fresh loaf of sourdough! Does it take time to ferment? Sure - but it's super hands-off and the reward is so worth it! This adds the crunch of seeds but it's not so overwhelming the kids think it's "healthy" and gross.
Make sure and have Homemade Butter from Raw Milk on hand to slather on top! I also love a good hunk of aged cheese, too. Makes for the perfect lunch. Add a glass of Strawberry Banana Kefir Smoothie for a cooling touch, and you can have a great picnic lunch on the porch.
Key Ingredients
Levain - This is a great way to begin your long fermentation. It ensures you get that great yeast and lift to your bread as well as get the true fermentation started.
Flax - I use a mix of both brown and golden, it really doesn't matter. Just whatever you have on hand is fine.
Flour - We will be using fresh ground wheat but you can also reach for all-purpose or bread flour, whatever you have.
How to Make Flaxseed Bread
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Grind the wheat berries and make a levain.
Step 2: Moisten bread flour and rest to autolyse.
Step 3: Toss in the flax seed with the remaining ingredients.
Step 4: Gently knead them in and do a long ferment.
Step 5: Shape in a banneton if desired, then transfer to a Dutch oven to bake.
Step 6: Bake until crusty and golden!
FAQs
For this recipe, yes. Sometimes I think it truly is easy to just pull out that scale and weight everything out. You can get super accurate results this way - though you also need some knowledge of the feeling of dough since you might not need all the water that's called for. That's why I also recommend learning Intuitive Sourdough because those techniques serve you well even with weighed ingredients.
It's not required as long as you have very happy starter. I recommend feeding it the night before you want to bake so you can get started right away. Even without a levain you will autolyse your flour/dough. Especially when using fresh ground grains you need to allow the wheat to hydrate properly before proceeding.
Use an instant-read thermometer to check the center, underside, for 190-200°F to know it is done. You can also give it a knock on the underside to listen for it to sound hollow, but because it has such a thick crust I don't find that test as reliable as when I am making Crustless Sandwich Bread.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Sourdough Recipes
Hey friends, don't forget to follow me over on Instagram, cause if you like me here, I post there a LOT! I'm also on YouTube with tutorials and Facebook for all sorts of things.
If you like this recipe, I’d love if you reviewed it so others can find it easier. Sharing this recipe on Facebook or Pinterest is another way you can help us out at no cost to you. Thanks, xo Kate
Flax Seed Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
Levain:
- 20 grams bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 20 grams freshly milled whole wheat flour
- 40 grams water
- 20 grams active sourdough starter
Dough:
- 550 grams bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 43 grams whole wheat flour
- 500 grams water
- 12 grams salt
- 100 grams levain from above or active sourdough culture
- 100 grams flax seed golden or brown
Instructions
- Make sure your starter is fed and bubbly; feed the night before so you are ready to start in the morning.
- If using levain, mill wheat berries, and mix levain ingredients in a small container, leaving for 5 hours at 77ish F, or longer if cooler.
- Mix fresh wheat flour (43 g), bread flour (550 g) and 400 grams of water (100 grams set aside) mixing with hands until no dry bits are left. Cover for 2 hours with plastic or wet towel to autolyse.
- When levain is ready, or after dough has autolysed, add salt, flax seed and levain or sourdough starter. Add remaining water (about 100 g) but slowly as it may not all be needed.
- Mix all ingredients together by hand, pinching and folding, until well incorporated. Cover.
- During bulk fermentation (4 hours) give the dough 6 sets of stretch and folds, the first 3 in 15 minute intervals and the last 3 in 30 minute intervals.
- Lightly flour your working surface and pour out the dough.
- Shape into a rough round shape and leave for half an hour uncovered.
- Shape dough into round or oval shape and put into floured proofing basket or banneton.
- Cover with large plastic bag or tea towel and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning take out your loaves and set oven to 450°F.
- Line Dutch oven with parchment paper and carefully transfer loaf over into it.
- Bake for 20 minutes with lid on, then remove lid for another 30 minutes until loaf is a golden hue.
- Cool on rack for 30 minutes.
Notes
- You can use a levain or just very happy, healthy starter.
- Either golden or brown flax seeds work here, whatever you have on hand or can find.
Leave a Reply