This bread was developed after regulars at our Toast Bar inquired about a gluten free option. We used our Approachable Loaf formula, subbed in 100% buckwheat flour for the whole wheat flour, tweaked the method a bit, and the loaf was a hit! We now serve it at nearly every event.
Recipe yields 2 loaves.
Overnight Levain
Ingredients:
- 119 g buckwheat flour (we like Chimacum Grainery lightly sifted buckwheat flour)
- 119 g water
- 3 g sourdough starter (*use buckwheat sourdough starter for gluten free product)
Method:
- Mix flour, water and starter until well incorporated. Cover and let sit 12-15 hours at room temperature.
Final Dough
Ingredients:
- 870 g buckwheat flour
- 742 g water
- 19 g salt
- 7 g yeast
- 69 g honey
- 52 g olive oil
- 240 g levain
Method:
- Mix buckwheat flour and water until fully incorporated. This will be sticky. (If hand mixing, remember to take off your rings if that’s something you care about.)
- Once there are no dry spots in the dough, let sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Add yeast, honey, olive oil, levain and salt.
- Mix well, about 4 minutes by hand, 2 by mixer on second speed. Really, you just want to make sure the dough is well incorporated. Not looking for any gluten development here because, well, there’s no gluten!
- Let sit, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Oil 2 loaf pans. We use olive oil, but any oil or butter will do.
- Divide evenly into the 2 pans (1 kilo of dough per pan). We like to set the pan on the scale and scoop the dough (which is almost like a thick batter) into the pan. When you reach 1000 g, smooth the dough into place with a spatula or your fingers (dipping the spatula or your fingers into water first makes the process easier, less sticky).
- Proof in a warm (80-85 degrees F) place, covered in plastic, for 45 minutes to an hour. The dough will rise about an inch.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Once proofed, remove the plastic and load the loaves into the hot oven. Use steam if that is available, no biggie if it’s not.
- Immediately lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- After baking, remove the loaves from the pans onto a cooling rack. Let cool before slicing. (We know, sometimes it’s hard to wait… cut into it if you want! This bread is great warm with butter. But to allow the bread’s flavor to develop to the fullest, best to wait if you can. Even just an hour.)