Tomato Basil Sourdough Bread
Tomato mozzarella is one of our favorite summer dishes. As soon as tomato season is in full swing, there is simply no better dish. Simply delicious with olive oil, basil and a good balsamic vinegar.
But which bread to eat with it? Ciabatta isn't really always available here, we tend to have baguette and sometimes I don't have any in the freezer, so I have to buy it from the bakery.
Now I've developed the perfect bread with sun-dried tomatoes and basil. It just smells incredibly delicious and the dried tomatoes bring a sweetness and acidity to the bread. Wonderful not just for summer!
I could also imagine this bread being great for a barbecue!
| Ingredient | Weight | % |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 80g | 100 |
| Water | 80g | 100 |
| Sourdough Starter | 8g | 10 |
Levain
- Fermentation Time: Overnight at room temperature
Combine the flour, water, and sourdough starter. Mix well and let it ferment overnight on the countertop.
| Ingredient | Weight | % |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 800g | 100 |
| Water | 600g | 75 |
| Levain | 168g | 21 |
| Tomato Paste | 15g | 2 |
Main Dough
- Mixing Time: 10 minutes at low speed
In a mixer, combine the flour, levain, tomato paste and water. Mix for about 10 minutes at low speed. Chop the sund dried tomtatoes and remove the stemps from the basil.
| Ingredient | Weight |
|---|---|
| Salt | 16g |
| Remaining Water | n/a |
| Sun dried tomatoes | 150g |
| Basil | 30g |
Add Salt and Remaining Water
- Mixing Time: 5 minutes at maximum speed
Add the salt and the remaining water little by little. Increase the speed to maximum and mix for 5 more minutes. Ad the sun dried tomatoes basil leaves and mix for another minute or two.
Bulk Fermentation
- Fermentation Time: 6-8 hours with coil folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours.
Transfer the dough to a greased container and perform a set of coil folds every 30 minutes for the first two hours. Bulk ferment for about 4-6 hours afterwards until the dough nearly doubled.
Shaping
- After Pre-Shaping: Rest 20 minutes, than final shaping
Divide the dough into two balls and shape them with tension using a dough scraper. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes before placing them into proofing baskets.
Cold Proof
- Refrigeration Time: Overnight
Place the shaped dough into proofing baskets and let them cold proof in the fridge overnight.
Baking
- Preheat Temperature: 250°C/482°F
- Baking Time: 10 minutes at 250°C / 482°F with steam, then 35-40 minutes at 230°C/446°F
Preheat the oven. As you see in my video I'm using 2 pizza steels. There is one where the bread goes on and another one that will help to trap some steam. You can also use an upside down baking tray. I've placed another baking tray on the bottom of the oven. To create steam, put boiling water on top. Score the loaves and place them onto a pizza steel.
Add steam and bake for 15 minutes at 250°C/482°F. Then remove the second pizza steel trapping the steam and bake for another 30 minutes at 230°C/446°F.
Let the bread cool down before enjoying!
