Print

Turkey-Shaped Sourdough Bread

Turkey-shaped sourdough bread brushed with garlic, parsley, and Parmesan oil on parchment and a cooling rack.
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This turkey-shaped sourdough bread is a sourdough batard cut into drumsticks and wings and brushed with garlic, parsley, and Parmesan oil. You can tie the drumsticks and wings with cotton twine if needed. It makes a fun and tasty Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Ingredients

Scale

For the levain (an active starter):

  • 35 g sourdough starter
  • 35 g bread flour
  • 35 g water

For the dough:

  • 450 g bread flour (I use King Arthur bread flour)
  • 338 g water (75% hydration)
  • 90 g levain (active starter at peak)
  • 9 g fine sea salt (I use Redmond fine sea salt)
  • Rice flour, for dusting

For the garlic parsley Parmesan oil:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan

For shaping (optional):

Instructions

  1. Autolyse: Pour the water over the bread flour and mix until all the flour is wet. Cover and leave until the dough looks smoother and stretches a little.
  2. Add levain and salt: Pinch the levain into the dough with wet hands and fold until you see no streaks. Bulk fermentation begins. Mix in the salt, cover, and let the dough relax.
  3. Fold the dough: Do two sets of stretch and folds, then two sets of coil folds, about 30 minutes apart.
  4. Finish bulk fermentation: Let the dough rise until it has grown 75 to 80%, about 7 to 7 hours 30 minutes at 73°F (23°C). The dough should be domed, bubbly, and jiggly.
  5. Preshape and shape: Turn the dough onto a counter dusted with rice flour. Preshape into a round, rest 15 to 20 minutes, and shape into a tight batard. You can shape a boule instead.
  6. Cold proof: Place the batard seam side up in a 12-inch (30 cm) oval banneton dusted with rice flour. For a boule, use an 8-inch (20 cm) round banneton. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  7. Prepare for shaping: Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a large Dutch oven inside. Always use oven mitts when you handle the hot pot and lid. Flip the dough onto parchment and brush off the rice flour. Do not add more flour.
  8. Shape the drumsticks: Turn the batard lengthwise. With a bench scraper, cut a strip on each side of the top end, about 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 cm) long, leaving it attached. Fold each strip toward the center into a rounded drumstick, and pinch the two ends together in the middle. Tie them loosely with twine if they do not stay together.
  9. Shape the wings: Cut a strip along each side of the lower half. Bring both strips down to the bottom end and twist the ends into a small knot. You can tie the knot with twine, leaving a little slack.
  10. Score: Score two small wheat patterns down the breast.
  11. Bake: Wearing oven mitts, lift the lid of the Dutch oven. Lower the turkey on the parchment into the pot and cover it. Reduce the oven to 450°F (230°C). Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes in total. (Optional: I made a delayed slash down the middle after 6 minutes.) Then, wearing oven mitts, remove the lid and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until deep golden brown.
  12. Brush and cool: Mix the olive oil, garlic, parsley, and Parmesan. Wearing oven mitts, take the turkey out of the oven and brush the oil over the hot bread right away. Let it cool about 10 minutes, then snip off the twine.

Notes

  • Equipment: You need a 12-inch (30 cm) oval banneton, 100% cotton kitchen twine, a large Dutch oven, oven mitts, parchment paper, a pastry brush, a bench scraper or sharp knife, a bread lame, and scissors.
  • Hydration: Keep the dough at 70 to 75%. Wetter dough spreads and loses the turkey shape.
  • All-purpose flour: If you use all-purpose flour, lower the water to about 70% (315 g).
  • No extra flour: Brush off the rice flour and do not dust again. A slightly sticky surface helps the wings and drumsticks stay in place.
  • Shape it cold: For firmer dough, freeze it in the banneton for 20 to 30 minutes before shaping.
  • Twine or toothpicks: Tying is optional. If the wings do not stay in place, you can pin them with toothpicks instead. Remove the toothpicks before serving.
  • Oven mitts: The Dutch oven and lid are extremely hot. Wear oven mitts every time you load the dough, lift the lid for the optional delayed slash, and take the bread out.
  • Large Dutch oven: Give your turkey room so the pot does not squash the wings and drumsticks.
  • Variations: Add thyme, rosemary, sage, or smoked paprika to the oil. You can also sprinkle seasoning on the misted dough before baking, or rub cold butter over the hot turkey instead of oil.
  • Garnish: Lay a sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme down the breast after brushing.
  • Mini turkey loaves: Divide the dough into three pieces of about 300 g. Make smaller cuts, bake on a baking sheet, and check them early.
  • Doneness: The bread is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 205 to 210°F (96 to 99°C).
  • Nutrition: Nutrition is for the whole loaf and includes the levain and the oil. It does not include the rice flour.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://sourdoughtalk.com/turkey-shaped-sourdough-bread/