Sourdough bread 50% wholemeal flour with 75% hydration

Mix the wholemeal flour, the bread flour, 250 grams of the water and the active sourdough in a box until there is no dry flour left, and let it rest for 30 to 60 minutes. This is paramentolysis: the flour, water and sourdough rest together from the beginning, the flour absorbs the water and the gluten starts to build while the fermentation is already working.

Start kneading, by hand or with a standing mixer. I work with the Wilfa ProBaker, which holds heavy doughs without the motor getting tired in the middle of a long kneading, and you have a discount code ofri7 on the Wilfa website. While kneading, add the 50 grams of water we kept aside a drop at a time. Wait for each addition of water to be completely absorbed by the dough before adding the next one, and that's how you reach 75% hydration without the dough falling apart.

After a few minutes of kneading, add the salt along with the last drop of water, and continue kneading until the dough is uniform and smooth, detaches from the sides of the box and passes the window test. With 50% wholemeal flour the dough will feel a little coarser than white dough, which is perfectly fine.

Leave the dough in the same box, close with a lid and start baking. A rectangular box with straight sides is better than a bowl because it doesn't need oil, it's easy to fold inside and the sides show exactly how much the dough has risen. Make a round of folding every 30 to 45 minutes for the first two hours, then let the dough rest until it almost doubles in volume and feels alive, plump and airy.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface, preshape and let rest for 20 minutes, then shape into a tight loaf and transfer to a floured basket with the seam facing up.

Put the basket in the fridge overnight. The cooling stabilizes the loaf, makes it easier to gouge and deepens the flavor. If necessary, you can also freeze for about an hour before entering the oven.

Preheat an oven with a cast stone to 250 degrees at least 45 minutes before baking, so that the stone is really hot.

Turn the loaf over on a floured surface, cut one deep slit lengthwise and slide it onto the stone. Bake for 15 minutes at 250 degrees with steam, then lower to 230 degrees and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until the loaf is deeply browned and sounds hollow when tapped.

Cool on a wire rack for at least two hours before spreading, otherwise the crumb will be crushed and the bread will be sticky.