This sourdough with flax seeds recipe is a variation of my basic loaf recipe with flax seeds added. The entire process takes about four days, but most of the time, the dough is in the refrigerator to develop flavor.
I like adding flax seeds to my sourdough because they add a subtle earthy flavor while increasing the nutritional profile of the bread with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and polyphenols. In addition, flax seeds are useful to have on hand in your kitchen because they can be used as an egg substitute for some baked goods, such as banana bread or cookies.
For the refrigeration steps of this recipe, feel free to adjust the timing based on your schedule. You don’t need to wake up in the middle of the night to tend to the dough!
Recipe Overview
Ingredients and Equipment
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- 192 g active sourdough starter
- 142 g whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s whole wheat flour)
- 940 g bread flour ( I used Central Milling’s Artisan Bakers Craft Plus)
- 17 g sea salt
- 92 g ground flax seed
- water
Also, you’ll need a scale for this recipe for accurate measurements. I use this scale below because it can weigh up to 22 lbs of dough. In addition, this scale can be used to weigh cats (or, your cats will sit on it like mine do). If you’re looking for a full list of my sourdough baking tools, check out my post under Baking Tools.
Baking Schedule overview
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0 | Feed your starter if it hasn’t been fed recently |
| 1 | First, mix your leaven, dough and refrigerate dough overnight |
| 2 | Then, stretch and fold the dough, shape the loaves and refrigerate them. |
| 3 | Shaped loaves are still in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, you’re free to do other activities! |
| 4 | Finally, bake the loaves! |
Sourdough with Flax Seeds
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 192 g active sourdough starter
- 142 g whole wheat flour I used King Arthur's whole wheat flour
- 940 g bread flour I used Central Milling Artisan Bakers Craft Plus
- 17 g sea salt
- water
- 92 g ground flax seed
Instructions
- First, make the leaven by mixing together 192 g active sourdough starter, 511 g water, 142 g whole wheat flour and 340 g bread flour in a large mixing bowl or container. For my sourdough baking, I use a container with a lid such as one of these linked here.
- Then, cover the leaven and leave out at room temperature until very bubbly. This should take about 7 -12 hours depending how warm your kitchen is and how active your starter is. During this step, I would recommend checking on it every hour after the four hour mark. However, if you are limited on time, you can put it in the refrigerator overnight and continue the next day.
- Next, mix the 92 g flax seeds with 135 g water in a small bowl and set aside.
- Once the leaven is very bubbly, add 150 g water and 600 g bread flour to the leaven mixture. Gently mix by hand until combined. Next, let the dough mixture sit at room temperature for 40 minutes so the flour can absorb the water.
- After the dough mixture has rested for about 40 minutes, add 17 g sea salt, 50 g water and the hydrated flax seeds. Then, mix the dough by hand to combine, cover and rest again at room temperature for 30 – 60 minutes.
- Next, after the dough has rested for 30 – 60 minutes, stretch and fold the dough by lifting up the edges of the dough and folding toward the middle. Then, cover and put the dough in the refrigerator overnight for about 18 hours.
- After about 18 hours, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then, stretch and fold the dough. Repeat the stretch and folds every hour for the next 2-5 hours or until the dough is very elastic and billowy. For reference, my dough took 3 hours until it was very elastic and billowy.
- Then, remove the dough from the container or bowl and divide into two pieces. Subsequently, shape each piece of dough into a taut ball by first folding it four times (like a book) then tucking the edges in underneath. Then, rest the shaped loaves on the counter for 25 minutes. Here is a demonstration.
- Next, transfer the shaped loaves to bowls or bannetons with the “seam” up. In order to prevent your dough from sticking, I recommend dusting your bowls or bannetons with rice flour.
- After about 40 hours in the refrigerator, preheat your oven and Dutch oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, quickly transfer a loaf to the Dutch oven. Then, score with a sharp knife across the top and cover with the lid. Bake for 25 minutes at 500 degrees. Next, decrease the heat to 460 degrees, uncover the Dutch oven and bake until golden brown (20-40 minutes longer). Repeat for the second loaf.
Notes
Enjoy your fresh bread!
Once the loaves are out of the oven, allow them to cool completely. Otherwise, the inside texture might be gummy if they are sliced before cooled.
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