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Wholemeal Sourdough and some bread scoring tips!

Updated: Apr 11, 2021

Not every single sourdough loaf is good for scoring some beautiful wheat spikes on it. Do you know what makes a loaf good for bread scoring? Check out the tips I share on this post!

This loaf was made with stoneground organic flour. 78% hydration with 100% hydration sourdough starter.

Recipe

How much time you need?

  • Preparation time: 2 hrs

  • Cook time: 40 min

  • Total time: 26 hrs

  • Resting/Proofing time: 20hrs

These times are approximate. The proofing times will depend on the ambient temperature.

The higher the temperature, the shorter the proofing times.

Ingredients:

  • 400gr organic white flour

  • 75gr organic wholemeal flour

  • 25gr wholemeal spelt flour

  • 75gr active sourdough starter

  • 10gr fine salt

  • 390gr water

I am using organic stone milled high protein content (13%) flour.

For the recipe, please follow the steps on my original recipe of sourdough bread here. The only variation here is the types of flours I use and the proofing method (ambient-cold-ambient). If you have made sourdough bread before, you may want to directly check the short weekend schedule below =)

Method:

Follow the steps on my original recipe of sourdough bread here and see below a sample of the schedule I normally do on weekends.


Saturday schedule:

  1. 7AM take starter out of the fridge

  2. 8AM fed starter

  3. 11.15AM autolysis for 45min (mix flour & water)

  4. 12PM add starter. Mix, stretch and fold for 1 min.

  5. Rest 30 min. With wet hands, add salt and stretch and fold. Repeat 4 stretch and folds for 1-2 min every 30 minutes.

  6. Rest 30 min after the last stretch.

  7. 2PM pre-shape. Rest 30min

  8. 2.30PM shape the loaf and place in a floured proofing basket. Proof at 25°C for aprox 2 hrs and then covered with clinging wrap and place in the fridge till next day. If it's warmer, proof for less time.

Sunday schedule:

  1. 12.30PM take loaf out of the fridge and let proof at room temperature for 1.5 hours if the temperature is about 25 degrees C. If it's warmer, proof for less time. I would go for only 30 minutes if temperature is between 28-30 degrees C.

  2. 2PM preheat oven at 250°C with Dutch oven in, or at 235°C with steam function level 2 for 2 min before putting the loaf in.

  3. Score bread. The dough should still feel cold, just a little bit.

Scoring tips:
  • When you take the loaf out of the banetton and place it on a working surface, if the dough keeps its shape nicely, it's a good loaf to do bread scoring.

  • Dust some rice flour on top and spread it evenly. It will help making a great contrast of colours during the baking process. If you don't have rice flour, use white plain flour instead.

  • Always use a very sharp blade. When scoring, make sure you don't cut too deep. It's just a question of breaking the thin layer that covers the loaf. Cut the dough with a firm hand, be confident when doing it.

  • It's always better to score a loaf that is cool rather than warm. If the dough is too warm, the scoring could end up being not a really nice thing to do as the dough looses its tension very easily and it might collapse on the sides.

  • Draw what you like and do a final cut on the side before putting the dough in the oven. It's always better to leave room for a big cut on the side so the dough can expand through that cut during the oven spring, and not through the drawings.

  • Don't feel like scoring the bread or the dough does not seem good for scoring? Overproofed dough? Make a big cut on the side so the loaf can at least expand through that cut and form a classic sourdough ear.

  1. Place in Dutch oven, bake for 20min, lid on. Decrease temperature to 230°C. Remove lid and bake for 23-25min. Many people go with 20min but I prefer to go for extra few minutes to caramelise the crust. Turn oven off, let rest for 20 min with oven door slightly open to cure the crust.

  2. If your oven has a steam function, go for 235°C, put the loaf in the oven just in a preheated baking tray, steam level 3 for 20 min, decrease temperature to 200°C and remove steam, continue baking till crust is golden up to 20 min more.

Other scorings:
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