Sourdough Autumn Spice Bread Made with Fresh Milled Flour
I make this bread when I am craving autumn spice blends. It is delicious toasted and served with butter, pumpkin butter, apple butter, peanut butter, dulce de leche, and more. It makes wonderful French toast or French toast casserole.
Equipment
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Flour Mill
- 1 Set of Measuring Spoons
- 1 Kitchen Scale in Grams
Ingredients
- 500 Grams Hard Flour Hard Red or Hard White
- 9 Grams Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon Ground
- 2 teaspoons Ginger Ground
- ½ teaspoon Cloves Ground
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg Ground
- 150 Grams Honey
- 300-350 Grams Milk
- 200 Grams Sourdough Starter
Instructions
Mixing the Dough Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Then make a well or hole in the middle of the flour that the wet ingredients will be poured into.
- Add the milk to the well in your flour first; then add the honey and starter.
- Mix until combined and no dry pockets of flour remain. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Stretch and Fold Instructions
- You can choose to knead your dough for 5-10 minutes right now. I prefer to preform sets of stretch and folds with a wet hand.
- Stretch and folds are where you take a piece of the dough in our hand and stretch it up and then fold it over the top of the dough. Turn the dough 90 degrees and then stretch the dough up and fold it over the top again. Turn 90 degrees again and stretch and fold again. Do it once more to the final side of the bowl.
- Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes. Then preform another set of stretch and folds with a wet hand.
- Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes. Then preform another set of stretch and folds with a damp hand.
- You may do another set of stretch and folds if you feel like your bread dough is still not ready. You are looking for the dough to be smooth like it wants to stick to itself more than it sticks to you.
- Once you are happy with how the dough looks and feels cover the bowl with a damp towel, shower cap, or plastic wrap.
Bulk Ferment
- Set your dough into a warm space for 8-10 hours.
- Check the bread after 7 hours in the warm environment. Has it grown in size? If you shake the bowl gently does it wiggle at all? Yes to both means it is time to shape.
- If the answer is no to either, then let the dough sit for another 30 minutes to an hour and check again.
Shaping Instructions
- Before you start shaping, butter a 9x5 loaf pan.
- Once your bread has bulk fermented turn it upside down onto your work space. I don't flour it, but you can if you feel you need to.
- Press and stretch your dough into a rectangle shape that is about 8 in wide and 12 inches long or 20.5 cm by 30.5 cm.
- Take 1-2 inches of the short edge and fold it on top of the rest of the rectangle. Then use that larger edge to pull gently away from the bread and roll the next section up. Continue pulling and rolling until it is log. If your dough is sticking to your work surface use a bench scraper to help you lift it without stretching it too far.
- Tuck the short ends under the loaf so the ends add tension to the top of the loaf.
Rise and Baking Instructions
- Place the loaf into a buttered 9x5 in pan. Let it rise about 2-3 hours. Test if it is ready to bake by gently shaking the pan to see if the loaf jiggles too. That means there is air in it!
- Bake at 375℉ for 45-60 minutes. It is done when you stick a thermometer in the middle of the loaf and it measures 195-205℉.
- Let cool for about 15 minutes then take out of the pan onto a wire rack. Cool, slice, and enjoy!