During my university days, I ate buckwheat frequently. It was affordable, nutritious, and incredibly satisfying. Its versatility allowed for numerous dishes: fry some onions with tomatoes and sausages for a hearty meal, or boil it in vegetable stock with chanterelles for a wholesome dish. This same wonderful grain can be transformed into a delicious sourdough bread.
For this recipe, I used dehydrated boletes I foraged last season. While I haven’t tested this recipe with other mushrooms, you could substitute any variety with a robust flavor and aroma. Bland mushrooms like button mushrooms (champignons) likely won’t yield the best results.
You don’t need to use dehydrated mushrooms specifically—fresh or frozen work well too.
If you don’t live in Eastern Europe where buckwheat is commonly available (and buckwheat flour in some countries), your best option is to find an Eastern European store that sells buckwheat groats, which you can then mill into flour.
We used to have plenty of buckwheat flour in stores, but it has become scarce recently. Although I don’t own a grain mill, my inexpensive coffee and spice grinder worked perfectly. Simply toast the buckwheat in a dry pan until golden brown and crackling, let it cool, then grind it as you would coffee. If large pieces remain, sift the flour and regrind the larger particles.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 285g wheat bread flour (Veski Mati T550)
- 105g wholegrain wheat flour (Veski Mati Täistera Nisujahu)
- 30g rye flour (Veski Mati Täistera Rukkijahu)
- 75g buckwheat flour
- 350g mushroom stock (from soaking dried mushrooms)
- 11g salt
- 20g honey
- 50g sourdough starter
For the filling:
- 30g dried mushrooms (I used porcini/boletes)
- 1 medium onion
- Olive oil
Method
- If using dehydrated mushrooms, soak them in water overnight.
- Chop the onion and sauté in olive oil until nearly translucent. Add the chopped mushrooms and continue cooking over medium-high heat for a few more minutes.
- Mix the flours with all of the mushroom soaking liquid until no dry spots remain. Leave to autolyse for 30-60 minutes.
- Add the starter and salt, mixing thoroughly.
- Add honey and continue mixing.
- Incorporate the mushrooms and onions, combining until evenly distributed.
- After 45 minutes, perform the first stretch and fold.
- After another 45 minutes, do a coil fold. Observe the dough—if it holds its shape for 3-4 minutes, proceed to bulk fermentation. Otherwise, perform another set of coil folds.
- Bulk ferment until the dough increases 1.5-1.8 times in size. In my kitchen at approximately 23°C, this takes 6-8 hours.
- Pre-shape the dough, cover with a towel, and rest for 15 minutes.
- Shape the loaf and refrigerate for cold bulk fermentation overnight.
- Bake the following day.
My favorite way to enjoy this bread is to fry a slice in butter until both sides are golden brown. Then I add a few slices of cheese, cover with a lid for about a minute until the cheese begins to melt, and it’s ready to serve.
