Recipe · Artisan Breads

Fresh Milled Orange Raisin & Walnut Sourdough

By: Eleen Beisner

A fresh milled sourdough loaf filled with toasted walnuts, sweet raisins, and orange zest. Honey and barley malt syrup add a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor, while an overnight refrigerator proof makes the baking schedule easy to manage.

Prep time: 3 hours · Overnight ferment: 8–12 hours (cold proof) · Bake time: 45–55 minutes · Yields: 1 medium loaf, approximately 12 slices

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Prepare the Raisins and Walnuts

   Toast the walnuts at 325°F for 8–12 minutes, checking early, until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool completely, then roughly chop.

   Use soft, plump raisins directly. If they are dry or firm, soak in warm water for 10–15 minutes, then drain thoroughly and pat dry. Chop any very large raisins. Soaking water is separate from the dough water.

2. Mix and Rest the Dough

   Whisk together both fresh milled flours and the vital wheat gluten in a large bowl.

   In a separate bowl, stir together the active starter, 240 g water, honey, barley malt syrup, and orange zest. Pour into the flour mixture and mix until no dry flour remains. If the dough is too firm to bring together, add a little of the reserved water.

   Cover and rest for 1 hour. This initial rest, called a fermentolyse, allows the flour to hydrate while fermentation begins.

3. Add the Salt and Knead

   Sprinkle the salt over the dough and knead for approximately 3 minutes, until evenly incorporated and the dough begins to feel smoother and more elastic. If it still feels firm, work in the remaining reserved water a little at a time, only as needed.

   Cover and rest for 15 minutes.

4. Add the Raisins and Walnuts

   With damp hands, gently stretch the dough into a rectangle on a lightly dampened work surface. Scatter the raisins and cooled walnuts evenly over it.

   Fold the dough into thirds, then fold in the opposite direction to enclose the additions. Return to the bowl and cover.

5. Build Strength

   Rest for 30 minutes, then perform a set of stretch-and-folds. Gently lift one side of the dough and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat around all four sides, stopping before the dough tears.

   Repeat twice more at 30-minute intervals, for 3 sets total. Keep the bowl covered between sets.

6. Shape the Loaf

   After the final set of folds, gently turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a round or oval to fit your banneton, tucking exposed raisins beneath the surface where possible.

   Place seam-side up in a well-floured banneton.

   Fermentation timing will vary with dough temperature and starter activity. At shaping, the dough should look slightly expanded and aerated while still holding its strength. If it remains dense with little sign of fermentation, allow additional covered resting time before shaping.

7. Refrigerate Overnight

   Cover well to prevent drying and refrigerate immediately for 8–12 hours, ideally around 38°F. Skip a separate room-temperature final proof.

8. Preheat the Oven

   The next day, place a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven. Preheat to 450°F for 45 minutes, following your cookware’s preheating guidelines.

   Keep the dough refrigerated while the oven heats.

9. Score and Bake

   Turn the cold dough onto parchment paper suitable for the baking temperature. Score approximately ¼ inch deep, then carefully lower into the hot Dutch oven and cover.

   Bake covered for 25 minutes at 450°F.

   Remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 400°F, and bake for another 20–30 minutes, until deeply browned and the sides feel firm. Loosely tent with foil if exposed raisins darken too quickly.

10. Cool Completely

    Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 3 hours before slicing so the crumb can set.

Baker's Notes

Volume measurements are approximate. For the most consistent results, weigh the ingredients, especially fresh milled flour.

Use barley malt syrup, not diastatic malt powder.

Fermentation begins when the starter is mixed into the dough. The initial one-hour rest and the folding intervals all count toward bulk fermentation.

This loaf is smaller than the typical sourdough loaf. Feel free to double all ingredients for a traditionally sized loaf.

Storing and Freezing

Storing

Once completely cool, store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days. Toast slices to refresh as needed.

Freezing

For longer storage, slice and freeze in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. Toast directly from frozen or thaw covered at room temperature.