Sourdough Bread at 18°C: A Practical Record

Balancing Home-Milled Whole Wheat and Bread Flour

This was a loaf made entirely in a cool environment (room temperature around 18°C), starting from levain.

Throughout the process, I deliberately controlled hydration and didn’t chase after dramatic holes. Instead, I focused on observing whether the structure could hold itself up and whether fermentation was accurate.

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Formula (Single Loaf)

• Total flour: 350 g
  • Home-milled whole wheat: 75% (262 g)
  • Bread flour: 25% (88 g)
• Hydration: 65%
• Salt: 2%
• Levain: Cultured with home-milled whole wheat, used when mature

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Observing the Levain

The levain didn’t expand dramatically in the early stages.

The aroma was mostly grainy and biscuit-like, with a noticeable lactic, yogurt-drink smell developing later.

This meant the culture was active but leaning toward a gentle, non-aggressive state—perfect for long operations in cool temperatures.

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Hydration and Mixing Strategy

I wasn’t aiming for high extensibility this time.

The goal for autolyse was simply “full absorption, no dry flour left.”

After mixing, the dough felt firm and not sticky—a result of deliberately controlled hydration, leaving room for shaping later.

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Building Structure Mid-Process (Pre-Shape)

I only did the necessary stretch and folds, avoiding over-handling:

• Stretched about 1.5x in each of four directions
• Folded toward the center
• Seam side down, gently rounded with palm

At this point, the dough could stand on its own, and surface tension was starting to develop.

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Final Shaping

For the final shape, I didn’t force anything.

I gently spread the dough out and tucked the edges in, like folding a blanket.

The point wasn’t to elongate it, but to not destroy the internal structure already built.

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Judging Fermentation (In the Banneton)

After placing the dough in a floured banneton, the surface was smooth with a slight dome.

The poke test showed slow spring-back but still had support.

This was the “just right for the oven” state.

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Baking in a Dutch Oven

• Preheated the oven with the Dutch oven inside
• High heat when loading
• Covered for the first 20 minutes to create steam
• Uncovered later for browning

Even with a slight delay during transfer, the thermal mass of the Dutch oven was enough to support the oven spring.

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Out of the Oven

The finished loaf wasn’t a tall, dramatic artisan bread—it was structurally solid with balanced proportions.

• Score opened naturally
• Bottom intact
• Crust crisp with deep color
• Crumb expected to be tight, good for everyday eating

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Takeaway

This bread was a decent practice run.

At 18°C, going slower and doing less actually felt safer.

I think I can do better next time.