Bran levain & 50% whole grain sourdough

I have been milling my own flour on a blender which is coarser than commercial flour. Following the suggestion from Dabrownman, Danni and others, I have sifted the flour and used the bran and large bits to build up the levain. First I soaked the bran for 2 days and left in the fridge to soften up before building the levain.

I do not have precise measurements, but the approximate quantities are:

Levain

25 g bran

30 g starter

30 g bread flour

80 g water

Dough

110 g fresh milled flour (whole wheat + rye)

120 g bread flour

130 g water

70% hydration (felt like 75% when handling the dough)

Following standard steps, dissolved the levain first and added the dry ingredients, 4 g salt, a dash of honey and a dash of olive oil. No autolyse, 3 stretches and folds in the bowl, 5 hours bulk fermentation, shaped and straight into the fridge for 4 hours. Baked from fridge in a cold pot and cold oven for 55 min at 230C.

I can tell that I experienced the best aromas ever when baking. The levain also had a sweet and nutty smell because of the bran. Tasting this morning, the crumb revealed softness, nicely aerated, and nutty. I also got a nice oven spring, which I think has to do with the bran levain since it looked more active than normal. Overall it has been a great experience worth while repeating whenever I mill my own flour.

Happy baking to ALL

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