Recipe for

The Nonna G Sourdough

Baker’s Note: This recipe works just as well with any home bakers’ bread recipe for (sourdough or yeasted) that uses 1kg total flour–just add the inclusions to your favorite base dough. The following is our simplified instructions for Rebel Bread’s preferred sourdough process. 

If you’re new to sourdough baking at home, we recommend you check out our recorded online sourdough class or in-person workshop, or follow a baking book (we love Flour Water Salt Yeast).

Nonna G Inclusions:

95g whole cloves of roasted garlic (about 1 head)

10g Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5g salt

5g ground black pepper

8g fresh rosemary

8g fresh sage

1. Chop the bottom ½” off an entire head of garlic to expose each clove. Drizzle the cut side of the cloves with a little extra virgin olive oil to lightly coat. Wrap garlic exposed-side-up in aluminum foil, and place in a 400ºF oven for one hour. Once cool, squeeze the soft garlic cloves out their skins. 

2. Add roasted garlic cloves to a bowl with other inclusion ingredients and stir to combine. Can be made a day in advance and left in the refrigerator.

Sourdough Starter (Levain):

75g bread flour

25g whole wheat flour

20g active sourdough starter

90g water

Process:

8-12 hours before you plan to mix your bread dough:

1. Combine all ingredients in a 1-quart plastic container and mix thoroughly until homogenous. 

2. Cover container and allow to ferment at room temperature for 8-12 hours, until more than doubled in volume.

Final Dough:

900g bread flour

100g whole wheat flour

770g 100-105ºF water, (divided: 720g for Water 1, 50g for Water 2)

100g mature sourdough starter (made using above recipe)

20g salt

Prepared Nonna G inclusions

BREAD PROCESS

Autolyse

In a large bowl (approx 5-quart) combine 720g of the hot water with the bread flour and whole wheat flour. Mix to combine thoroughly, about five minutes. You can use your hands, a dough scraper, a dough whisk, or your stand mixer with a dough hook on the lowest speed. The dough should be sticky and mostly-homogenous. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your inclusions (see above).

Mix

Add remaining 50g water, mature sourdough starter, and salt to your flour and water mixture. Mix for another five minutes. The dough will seize up on itself at first, creating a stiff ball in your hand while leaving excess water in the mixing bowl. Continue to mix until the dough relaxes, absorbs the remaining water, and becomes slightly-sticky again. When finished, it should feel the same as how it felt before you began mixing.

Add your inclusions mixture and mix for 30 seconds more to begin incorporating the ingredients. They do not have to be evenly-dispersed at this point.

Transfer dough to a 4-quart lightly-oiled plastic container. Stretch one side of the dough up out of the container and then fold it back down on itself. Repeat with all four sides to create a neat package, then flip the dough upside down.

Take the internal temperature of the dough with a probe thermometer. Our “Desired Dough Temperature” is 75-85ºF. Cover with a fitted lid or plastic wrap and dish towel to insulate the dough. If warmer, place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until cooled to about 80ºF before returning to room temperature. If cooler, place in a warm spot like your oven with just the oven light on.

Bulk Fermentation

Allow the dough to rest at a warm room temperature (ideally 80ºF) for three hours. After 45 minutes, complete a dough fold by picking up each side of the dough and stretching it up and away, then setting it back down on itself. Repeat with all four sides to create a neat package, then flip the dough upside down. This will gradually add strength to the dough and incorporate the inclusions.

Repeat every 45 minutes for a total of three folds during this bulk fermentation period.

Pre-Shape + Bench Rest

Flip the dough onto a lightly-floured work surface. Use a dough or bench scraper to divide into two equal portions. 

Shape into taught boules by tucking the sides of the dough underneath itself, and creating tension by rounding the dough in your hands against the work surface.

Cover with a dish towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes

Final Shape

Lightly coat two, round cloth-covered bannetons or baskets with rice and/or whole wheat flour. 

Flip the resting dough boule upside down on a clean work surface to expose its sticky side. Fold the left and right over themselves to meet in the middle, then repeat with the top and bottom to create an envelope fold. Flip upside down again so the smooth, seamless side faces up. Repeat the boule-shaping process to add tension to the dough ball and smooth together the seams on the underside.

Place each finished boule upside down into the prepared banneton, so the seam side is facing up. Refrigerate overnight until ready to bake.

Preheat + Bake

Place the top and bottom of a dutch oven in your oven and preheat at 500ºF for one hour. 

Once preheated, remove from the oven onto a safe work surface and separate the lid from the base. Sprinkle the base lightly with cornmeal or flour. Retrieve one loaf from the fridge, and flip upside down into the hot cast iron base so the seam side is touching the pan. 

Use a razor blade or lame tool to score the loaf. Decisively slash the loaf’s surface from top to bottom with the blade parallel to the surface, creating a flap (rather than a gash) in the loaf. Spritz the top of the loaf generously with water, cover with the Dutch oven lid, and return to the 500ºF oven for 25 minutes. 

After 25 minutes, lower oven temp to 450ºF and remove the lid from the pan. Return the loaf in the base to the oven to finish cooking for another 15 minutes. The loaf is finished baking when it reaches an internal temperature of 203ºF, and sounds hollow when tapped on its underside.

Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least one hour. Slice or tear, and enjoy on its own, as a sandwich, or dipped in great olive oil.