Dada Bread

This is the Wargo family's daily bread, affectionately called "Dada" bread by our kids, as I try to bake frequently enough that it's always available. It all started in 2010 when my wife and I were still dating, when I decided I wanted to bake some bread. But as is typical of my ideas, I didn't want to make just any bread, I wanted to make 100% whole wheat sourdough bread. This turns out to be...challenging. But I kept at it, and after about 8 years of baking 1-2 times per week, I could finally consistently get the loaf of bread I wanted. May you get there sooner than I did 😅.

My process

Note that I call this a process and not a recipe. In my mind, a recipe is something that if you just follow the steps, you'll get the expected result. This is not the case for sourdough bread, and in particular, 100% whole wheat sourdough bread. There are too many variables that will be different in your situation. E.g. you'll be using a different flour, your kitchen will be a different temperature, your starter will be more or less active than mine, you have a different schedule than met, etc. Plus, there are variations on every step on this process, which allow you to cater the process to your environment and schedule. However, I note my specific process here to let you get an idea of what the overall flow looks like.

Make the starter

Stir until combined:

Cover and let rest on counter until the following evening. At that point, the starter should be very bubbly.

Make the dough

Mix together until combined:

Cover and let rest for 45 minute to an hour.

Add to the dough:

Using your hands, fold the dough repeatedly until the water is absorbed and the dough is homogeneous. This should only take a couple minutes. Stop once the dough begins to stick to your hands. Wait 10 minutes, then fold the dough until it starts sticking to your hands again. The dough should look like smooth now, and not just a sticky mass.

Fold the dough

Cover and place in the fridge overnight, folding once if you have a chance before bed.

Shape the loaves

Wet your hands and your work surface and turn the dough onto the work surface. Divide the dough into two pieces. Fold the edges of each piece in to create a rough ball. Let rest for 15 minutes. Dust your work surface with white rice flour and do a final shaping of the loaves. Dust generously with rice flour and place in a proofing basket or a towel-lined bowl.

Let rise

Let the loaves rise on the counter for 2-4 hours or overnight in the fridge.

Bake

If you used the fridge to proof the loaves, remove them and let rise on the counter 2-4 hours prior to baking. Place your bread baker in the oven and preheat to 550 degrees F, or as hot as your oven or bread baker allows, for 45 minutes. Tip the loaves onto a cutting board, slash them, and slide them into your bread baker. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the bread baker, reduce the temperature to 450 degrees F and bake another 20-25 minutes until done. Remove the bread baker lid after 30 total minutes of baking. Let cool before cutting.

Key to success

  1. Good flour. I buy flour from Chimacum Valley Grainery. Fairhaven Mill is another great source if you live in Western Washington. At the grocery store, Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur flour are good choices.
  2. A very active starter. Make sure your sourdough starter is refreshed a couple times before you start.
  3. High hydration. This dough will seem much less stiff than typical bread recipes.
  4. Time. You don't need to knead much if you give the dough enough rest time to develop the gluten.
  5. High temperature bake. This makes for a nice crust.

Resources

Baking sourdough bread became immensely popular during Covid, so there are a plethora of resources online, but here are my favorites.

Recipes

Supplies