Sonora Blend Heritage Bread
Best with: White Sonora (paired with sifted bread flour for structure)
A beautiful, naturally leavened loaf that balances the delicate sweetness of White Sonora with the strength of high-gluten bread flour. Long fermentation and a touch of yeast bring lift, flavor, and a crisp crust with tender crumb.
Thanks to our friend Kelly for sharing this recipe!
Ingredients
400 g freshly milled White Sonora flour
400 g sifted bread flour
620 g water (85–90 °F / 29–32 °C)
21 g sea salt
360 g active levain (starter)
½ tsp yeast
Directions
Initial mix: In a large bowl, combine Sonora flour, bread flour, and warm water. Mix just until incorporated. Let rest 20 minutes (autolyse).
Add remaining ingredients: Sprinkle in salt, levain, and yeast. Mix or fold until evenly distributed and dough begins to develop structure.
Bulk fermentation: Cover and let sit at room temperature (~75 °F) for 5 hours, until dough is about 2–2½ times its original size.
Shape: Divide and gently round into loaves or boules. Place into floured proofing baskets.
Cold proof: Cover and refrigerate 12–14 hours for slow fermentation and flavor development.
Bake: Preheat oven (and Dutch oven if using) to 475 °F (245 °C).
Bake 30 minutes with the lid on.
Remove lid and bake another 20 minutes until deep golden brown.
Cool completely on a rack before slicing.
Notes
The 800 g total flour can be adjusted based on your available grains.
If substituting harder wheats, keep those additions to ≈200 g maximum to avoid a dense crumb.
For a nuttier loaf, replace up to 100 g bread flour with Amber Eden™ Wheat or Elwha River Spelt.
