Blueberry-Lemon Kernza®
1 two pound loaf of bread
12 to 24 hours, depending on how the dough is proofed
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Clay baker or dutch oven, preferred but not essential
Ingredients
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 400 grams (1 3/4 cup) liquid, juice of 2 lemons plus water
- 150 grams (1 1/3 cup) whole wheat flour
- 150 grams (1 1/3 cup) Kamut flour
- 100 grams (7/8 cup) Kernza Flour
- 100 grams (7/8 cup) AP flour
- 75 grams (1/3 cup) starter
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 30 grams (2 T) honey
- 9 grams (1 t) salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
- ½ cup dried blueberries
My sourdough bread file includes a recipe for cranberry-orange bread. This is the blueberry-lemon variation of that recipe, substituting Kernza for a portion of the whole grain flour.
Instructions
- Chop the pecans, toast in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Set aside.
- Zest 2 lemons and set aside. (Meyer lemons preferred)
- Juice 2 lemons and add sufficient water to make 400 grams liquid.
- Melt the butter. Stir the butter, honey and lemon zest into the liquid.
- Stir the whole wheat, Kamut and Kernza flour into the liquid and let rest for 2 hours (autolyse).
- Stir the starter into the dough.
- Stir the dried blueberries and chopped pecans into the dough.
- Blend the salt into the AP flour and mix into the dough until the flour is completely incorporated. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Do a series of 4 or 5 “stretch & folds” at 30 minute intervals, resting the dough in between.
- Cover and let the dough stand at room temperature for an additional 2 to 4 hours. Then refrigerate the dough and bulk ferment for another 12 hours. During the bulk ferment, the dough should about double in volume.*
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, degas the dough and shape the dough. Place the dough into a proofing basket that has been dusted with rice flour. Cover and let stand for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in volume.
- Place the baking vessel (clay baker or dutch over) in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Remove the pre-heated base of the baking vessel from the oven, place the dough onto the base, cover and return to the oven for 25 minutes. I used a clay baker for this loaf and transferred the dough to the baker on a piece of parchment to avoid blueberry stains on the baker.
- Remove the cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.** The bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 200 to 205 degrees F.***
- Remove from the oven. Let cool for one hour and savor your handiwork.
Notes
*Timing for the bulk ferment is variable, depending on the temperature at which the dough is proofed. Refrigeration retards the process. Proofing time would be shorter if the dough is proofed at warmer than room temperature.
**If a softer crust is desired, increase the covered baking time
***Baking times will vary, depending on oven performance.
Cranberry-Orange Kernza
Substitute zest and juice of one orange (Valencia orange preferred), walnuts and craisins for the lemon, pecans and blueberries.