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Which Bread Wins? Sourdough vs Wild Yeast Water

This recipe is a version of a recipe by Laila of the Early Rise Baker. I followed her high temp of 84F for the sourdough preferment/levain. The high temperature and using whole wheat flour to feed the starter contribute to a sour flavor.
This is a cool, overnight long rise, further contributing to flavor of either the sourdough or wild yeast water methods.
Instructions are for making either with sourdough starter or wild yeast water preferment.
Prep Time1 day
Cook Time30 minutes
2nd rising before baking4 hours
Total Time1 day 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 2 loaves

Equipment

  • Dutch oven optional

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter/Levain

  • 75 g cold water
  • 15 g active sourdough starter starter that has been recently fed and doubles in 4-6 hours after feeding at 70-75F
  • 75 g whole wheat flour

Wild Yeast Water Preferment/Levain

Main Dough

  • 130 g Prepared sourdough or wild yeast water Levain
  • 650 g cool tap water
  • 600 g white bread flour Kirkland brand all-purpose flour is very similar to bread flour. It works well.
  • 100 g whole wheat flour
  • 19 g Kosher salt

Instructions

Preparing Sourdough Starter Preferment/Levain - the morning before you want to bake

  • In a small bowl or jar (I use a glass pint jar) stir together the 75g cold water and 15g active sourdough starter. Add 75g whole wheat flour and stir well.
  • Cover and place in a very warm place, ideally at 84F for 12 hours. I used my Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer.

Preparing Wild Yeast Water Preferment/Levain - morning before or several days before you want to bake

  • Place the 80g yeast water in a glass pint jar; heat about 15 seconds in microwave to 80-90F. Not hotter.
  • Stir in the 80g whole wheat flour. Cover and let stand at room temperature or up to 80F in the folding proofer until at least double in volume. This can be done the day before baking, or several days before then refrigerated for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before continuing with recipe.

Main Dough - suggestion: mix at 9pm

  • Stir the sourdough starter or wild yeast water preferment with the 650g cool water in large bowl of stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. Mix to mostly blend with the water.
  • Add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt; stir to incorporate all the dry flour and water using a spoon and scraping sides of bowl.
  • In a stand mixer (such as KitchenAid) mix on low speed for 10 minutes. If mixing by hand use the slap and fold method for 5-10 minutes to thoroughly develop the dough.
  • Place dough in large bowl or cambro for bulk fermentation. Cover and let stand at approximately 70F for 9-10hrs until about double in volume and dough feels soft and pillowy. Optional: give the dough 3 or 4 stretch and folds during the first two hours. If doing an overnight rise, timing may not be convenient late in the evening, so no worries to skip this step.
  • After 9-10hrs, dough should be about double in volume, appear soft and fluffy and may have some bubbles on top. Turn out onto dampened surface. Divide in half and shape lightly just to pull edges together into rounds. Let rest 15-30 minutes. Dough should relax and expand, with edges still rounded not flattened which will happen if resting too long.
  • Dust top of dough with flour or rice flour. Turn floured side down. Gently fold two sides over like an envelope. Roll short side down and let rest a moment on bench seam side down.
  • Use bench scraper to gently lift dough and place seam side up into banneton. Let rest 2-4hours at 70-85F, until dough feels puffy and a light depression with finger slowly fills in the dent.
  • When dough looks ready, place in refrigerator while preheating oven to 475F. If using a Dutch oven, pizza stone or baking steel, place in the cold oven before preheating.
  • Turn dough out of banneton onto parchment paper or well-floured pizza peel. I use a rimless baking sheet. Score top of dough.
  • Turn into preheated Dutch oven and cover, or open bake on stone or steel with or without a baking shell. Bake 20 minutes, then uncover if covered. Continue baking 5-10 minutes until well browned. Depending on your oven, with experience you may decide to reduce temperature to 450F after putting dough in oven. Sometimes if oven is too hot, the crust sets too quickly and produces either no ear or a bulging belly.
  • Cool on a wire rack and try not to tear into it for at least 1 hour, preferably 3 hours. Then send me pictures!