WOLFGANGS FARMER’S BREAD (GLUTEN FREE SOURDOUGH BREAD)

Directions

1. First, you need to prepare the sourdough starter. This takes 4-5 days. Sourdough: (Instructions cited from www.ploetzblog.de) 50 g buckwheat flour (20°C/68°F) 50–60 g water (40°C/104°F) Mix the flour and water, cover it and let it sit at warm room temperature for approx. 24–36 hours at approx. 28–30 °C/82-86°F) until you see bubbles forming.
2. 100 g of the step 1-mixture (approx. 30°C/86°F) 50 g buckwheat flour (20°C/68°F) 50–60 g water (40°C/104°F) Mix the 100 g of the first step with the new flour and water, cover and let the mixture sit for 8–24 hours at 28–30°C/82-86°F until the volume has at least doubled. Continue with the next step at the latest when the mixture has “collapsed” a little bit.
3. 200 g from the step 2-mixture (approx. 30°C/86°F) 50 g buckwheat flour (20°C/68°F) 50–60 g water (40° C) Mix the 200 g with the new flour and water, cover and let it rest for 2–12 hours at 28–30°C/82-86°F until the volume has at least doubled. Continue with the next step at the latest when the mixture has “collapsed” a little bit.
4. 5–10 g from previous step (approx. 30°C/86°F) 50 g buckwheat flour (20°C/68°F) 50–60 g water (40°C/104°F) Mix a small part of the previous batch vigorously with flour and water, cover and let sit for 6–12 hours at 28–30 °C/82-86°F until the volume has increased by approx. 50–70%.
5. Bread: Mix all types of flour and the salt carefully in a mixing bowl. Dissolve sourdough and yeast in the 450 ml of lukewarm water. Mix the water, yeast and sourdough with the flour mixture.
6. Now knead the dough with a food processor with the dough hook or with your hands for 15 minutes until a smooth dough ball forms. Shape the dough into an even ball, place in the lockable mixing bowl and put on the lid. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes. You can put it in the oven and only switch on the light.
7. After 30 minutes fold the dough like an envelope from all four sides to the middle. Don't worry if it breaks where you fold it, this can happen because the dough is gluten free and lacks the stickyness of dough containing gluten.
8. Let the dough rise for another 60 minutes. After this time is over, remove the lid from the bowl and form the dough into a round bread. If you want to learn the exact technique to do this professionally, you can have a look here on the Plötzblog. Now put the lid back on and let the bread rise for another 60 minutes.
9. Before this time is over, you can preheat the glass bowl that you use for baking in the oven to 250 degrees Celsius. It is best if you place the baking bowl on a grill in the oven and not on a baking sheet. This way, the bread gets heat from all sides.
10. When the bread is done, carefully take the glass bowl out of the oven, remove the lid, and carefully put the bread in without burning yourself. Dust the bread with some buckwheat flour. Then cut the bread crosswise with a sharp knife. This way, it gets a nice pattern when baking. Don’t forget to close the oven door immediately after removing it, otherwise the heat will escape.
11. Now put the lid back on and let the bread bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes take off the lid and bake the bread for another 15 minutes.
12. Now you take the grill with the bowl out of the oven, carefully remove the lid and let the bread “tumble” onto the grill. It should easily “fall out” of the bowl and not stick to it. Turn it the right way up and leave to cool for 60 minutes. Then it is ready and can be eaten straight away.