Porridge Sourdough Bread

Adding whole grain porridge to sourdough is a surprisingly simple and incredibly delicious method for making delicious sourdough. Pretty much any grain can be used as porridge, and can be used to complement the grains being used in the main dough, or for added flavor complexity. Emmer, Kamut, Oat, Millet, Spelt… you name it!

The method described here is just a general guide. If you’re interested in exploring in more detail, check out Chad Robertson’s Tartine #3 book.

To make a whole grain porridge, you will need to crack the grain kernels with a mill or food processor. I generally use my stone mill on a coarse setting to crack the berries I will use. Alternatively, you can use rolled grains from the store to make the porridge.

This is meant as a guideline if you are a baker who already knows the ropes for basic sourdough, and wish to incorporate this technique into your bread making. 

How to make porridge sourdough bread based on a 1000 g flour recipe

For the porridge:

• Place 250g cracked or rolled grains to a pot

• Add 500g water to the pot at medium heat

• Add a pinch of salt

• Cook the grains until tender; about 10 min

• Let it cool thoroughly before adding to your bread dough

For the bread dough

• Mix your flour and water for autolyse. The rule of thumb when making a porridge loaf is to use 5-10% less hydration than you normally would for your recipe. So if you are making a country loaf and usually prep at 80% hydration, use 70% for your porridge loaf. NOTE this is a general guideline, and may differ depending on the flour(s) you are using

• After autolyse, add the starter and salt using your preferred method and do you 1st stretch and fold

• After 30 min you will fold in your porridge. Use the pincer method to fully incorporate the porridge into the dough

• Follow your regular stretch and fold regimen, bulk ferment, shaping and baking