Print

Turmeric Sourdough Bread with Black Pepper

Sliced turmeric sourdough bread loaf on a wire rack.
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This turmeric sourdough bread is vibrant, fragrant, and a bit unexpected with warm turmeric and a gentle kick of black pepper baked into a beautifully golden loaf.

Ingredients

Scale

For the levain (an active starter):

  • 22 g sourdough starter
  • 22 g bread flour
  • 22 g water

For sourdough bread:

  • 300 g bread flour (I use King Arthur organic bread flour)
  • 225 g water (75% hydration)
  • 60 g levain (active starter at peak)
  • 6 g fine sea salt (I use Redmond ancient fine sea salt)
  • 3 g turmeric
  • 1.5 g black pepper (freshly ground)

10 g white rice flour (for dusting)

Instructions

  1. Make levain: Feed the sourdough starter at a 1:1:1 ratio and let it rise in a warm place until it peaks.
  2. Autolyse: Pour the water into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with turmeric and black pepper. Add the flour mixture to the water, mix until combined, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Incorporate levain and salt: Add levain (active starter at peak) and mix. Sprinkle in the salt and mix using one of the bread dough mixing techniques. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  4. Bulk fermentation: Perform two sets of stretch and folds and two sets of coil folds, with a 30-minute rest between sets.  After the final set of coil folds, let the dough continue bulk fermentation and monitor its rise closely. Bulk fermentation is done when the dough shows bubbles on the surface and along the sides, the edges appear slightly domed, and the dough gently wobbles when you shake the bowl.
  5. Preshape and shape: Lightly flour your work surface, pre-shape the dough into a round, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Perform the final shaping into a battard, then place it in a prepared 8-inch oval banneton.
  6. Proof: Cover the banneton with a clean towel, disposable plastic cap, or place it inside a reusable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight (8–14 hours).
  7. Bake: Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a Dutch oven inside for 30 minutes. Transfer the dough onto parchment paper, score the top, and place it inside the Dutch oven. Decrease the oven temperature to 450°F (232 °C), then bake, covered, for 20 minutes; uncover and bake for another 17-20 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Notes

  1. Adjust hydration: Powdered turmeric absorbs water from the dough. Increase your usual, comfortable dough hydration by about 1–2% of the flour weight to keep the dough manageable.
  2. Storage and freezing: Store sourdough bread for 3-5 days. Freeze individual slices for up to 1-2 weeks, a whole loaf for 1-2 months.
  3. Safety tip: Always use oven mitts or silicone gloves when handling hot pans. 
  4. Check for doneness: Your bread is fully baked when the internal temperature reaches 205–210°F (96–99°C). I usually aim for 207°F (97°C) or higher. Use a digital probe thermometer to check.
  5. Want to create a custom formula for your loaf? Try my sourdough calculator.
  6. Need help getting started? Check out my beginner's sourdough bread guide to learn sourdough basics first.
  7. Note: Nutritional information does not include the white rice flour used for dusting.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://sourdoughtalk.com/turmeric-sourdough-bread-with-black-pepper/