Buckwheat sourdough loaf (gluten free)
Gluten free, nut free, xanthan gum free, vegan Proofing time: 6-12+ hours, depending on the proofing schedule you choose and the season (bread proofs more quickly in hot, humid climates)
Equipment
- Steel Pullman pan - 10.16 x 10.16 x 22.86 cm; 612.35 Grams or 9 x 4 x 4 inches
Ingredients
- 100-200 g gluten free sourdough starter see notes
- 500 g light buckwheat flour see notes
- 100 g tapioca flour/starch
- 12 g fine salt
- 20 g psyllium husk powder
- 20 ml (4 teaspoons) neutral oil of choice
- 20 ml (4 teaspoons) maple syrup or sweetener of choice
- 600-700 g water see notes
Instructions
- Make sure your sourdough starter is fed and on a rise before you begin.
- Grease and line your steel Pullman loaf pan. Line the tin so that one strip of baking paper covers the thin sides of the tin and a larger strip covers the thick sides. Leave extra baking paper overhang to act as handles to lift the bread out later. I like to secure the baking paper with bulldog clips to ensure it won’t move around when I pour the dough in later.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly to combine. The mixture should thicken quite quickly, so you may need to switch to a silicone spatula or your hands to mix the dough and ensure there are no flour lumps.
- The dough should be stickier and thicker than a pancake batter but thinner than a dough. To move it around, you should need to use a silicone spatula. If it is drier than this, add 50g more water and assess the consistency. A dry loaf won’t reach a lovely lofty height, so we want to ensure the right consistency now.
- Pour the dough (or at least, use a spatula to encourage the dough) into the lined Pullman pan. Use a wet hand to flatten the top of the dough, then cover the dough in an airtight manner. I use an inverted plastic produce bag that sits snugly around the sides of the Pullman pan but gives the bread plenty of space to proof upwards.
- Proof anywhere from 6-12+ hours, depending on the heat in your kitchen and how much sourdough starter you use (see notes).
- The bread is proofed when it domes nicely over the top of the Pullman pan.
- About 30 minutes before the dough reaches a full proof, preheat the oven to 220C/428F.
- When the bread is ready to bake, remove the plastic bag and bulldog clips if you have used them. Place the dough in the oven. I like to add 3-4 ice cubes to the bottom of the oven when I add the loaf to add steam and encourage good oven spring.
- You can turn the oven down to 200C/400F for a lighter crust, or keep it as is for a darker crust. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and carefully. Use the baking paper handles to gently lift the bread onto a wire cooling rack. Peel away the baking paper.
- Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing. You can flip the loaf from side to side and upside down as it cools to prevent the crumb from being crushed as the bread sets. I flip it every 10 minutes or so, but this is totally optional.
- The loaf keeps well on the bench for a day or two, but I like to slice it and keep it in the fridge or freezer. I use it for toast straight from frozen. If your loaf has a little mushroom top, it can be easier to flip it upside down to slice it.
Notes
- This recipe and the hydration are based on using light buckwheat flour which is the most common variety in Australia where I live. Your perfect hydration might be different to mine so you need to use your intuition. See the hydration notes in the body of the post.
- I have a recipe for dark buckwheat flour sourdough coming up on my paid Substack community. I have only tested Bob’s Red Mill dark buckwheat flour in that recipe.
- For a same day proof and bake, use 200g sourdough starter and proof for 6-8 hours (season dependent). This results in less sour loaf.
- For an overnight proof, use 100g sourdough starter and proof for 10-12+ hours (season dependent). This results in a more sour loaf.
- Proofing changes dramatically based on the weather. Sourdough takes much longer to proof in winter because yeast needs heat and humidity to thrive and grow.
- See notes in the body of the post for tips, ingredient notes, hydration notes and more.
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