venturing into the unknown world of mix-ins and non-flour/water/salt ingredients has always intimidated me. i get nervous about the crumb closing, or the additional ingredients weighing the dough down, or the dough becoming way too sticky.
i didn’t approach experimentation as a way to be creative, as a way to keep developing my craft, a way to learn more about sourdough. i was more nervous about messing up a few times.
i let these thoughts hold me back from trying a bunch of new, fun things — until this year 🙂
the inspiration behind this loaf comes from a baker i really admire in this regard, @fullproofbaking. her beautifully curated, colorful instagram feed showcases many, many unique flavor combinations, the kinds that i’m always dying to try, but scared to.
when i saw this loaf on her feed, it gave me the final push to adapt and bake this yellow, punchy turmeric onion sourdough. this bread is soft, fragrant, and carries so much flavor on its own. i’d recommend eating it plain, the same day it’s baked, untoasted.
here’s to doing all the things that scare us — especially (i’d like to think) if the thing that scares us involves baking lovely, delicious things into bread.
notes
don’t skip the lamination step — it builds strength and yields a wonderful open crumb and soft, light texture. for lamination pointers, check out the video in my guava cream cheese recipe.
you could use oil instead of butter to sautee the onions, but i’m partial to butter (self explanatory).
as always, tweak levain and bulk times for when your kitchen is colder or warmer. for me this means closer to 9 hours in the winter, and 7 hours in the summer.
baker’s percentage & basic timetable
the percentages for water and flour only account for the final dough build, and do not include the levain formula build.
| ingredient | baker’s percentage |
| bread flour | 65% |
| all purpose flour | 25% |
| whole wheat flour | 10% |
| levain | 25% |
| water | 78% |
| salt | 2.5% |
| turmeric powder | 0.7% |
| caramelized onion | 25% |
| step | time |
| levain build | 8 hrs |
| bulk rise | 8 hrs |
| folds | 3 folds 1 lamination |
| cold proof | 12 – 16 hrs |
| bake | 45 – 50 min |
tumeric onion sourdough
formula
- 20 g levain
- 80 g water @ 85-90°F
- 20 g king arthur whole wheat flour
- 80 g king arthur all purpose flour
- 260 g king arthur bread flour
- 100 g king arthur all purpose flour
- 40 g king arthur whole wheat flour
- 3 g turmeric powder (1.5 tsp)
- 342 g water @ 90-95°F
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 100 g ripe starter
- 100 g caramelized onions (200 g raw)
method
- refresh your starter using levain build formula, and stiff starter method: reserve 20 g of levain, discard the rest, and add in water. mix thoroughly with spoon, or hands. then add the flours, mixing thoroughly again until all flour is absorbed.
- dice raw onions. melt 1 tbsp butter into saute pan, and cook onions on low heat for about 20 minutes, or until they are golden/caramel color. make sure there is minimal crowding in the pan. let cool completely.
- in a separate large bowl, mix all flours and tumeric together.
- slowly add water, mixing with a rubber spatula, making sure to incorporate the water into the flour well, stopping when all the flour is hydrated. let sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
- sprinkle salt evenly over autolysed dough. incorporate gently by folding dough over a 2-3 times.
- then, measure out ripe starter, and add to bowl.
- mix using the pincer method, for about 6-7 minutes. target final temperature should be 78 degrees.
- this dough bulks for about 8 hrs during spring/fall, longer if your kitchen runs cool or during winter, and shorter if your kitchen runs warm or during the summer.
- this dough needs 3 stretch and folds, and a round of lamination after the first fold to incorporate the onions, spaced about 45 minutes apart if possible. alternatively, you may also perform coil folds, at about the same cadence.
- slowly transfer dough from bowl on to lightly floured surface, so it lays out in a rectangular shape. at this point, feel free to use your favorite shaping method. lately, i've been using a simple one: gently grab two horizontal ends and tug. fold the sides onto itself, so it looks like a taquito. then, grab the top and roll it in the other direction, like a burrito.
- lightly flour a lined bannetone/proofing basket or generously flour an unlined one. gently transfer the dough seam side up to the bannetone. cover with a plastic bag, and put in fridge for 12-16 hrs.
- preheat oven to 495°F and place a 5-6 qt lidded dutch oven inside.
- dough is proofed when it passes the finger dent test.
- sprinkle coarse corn meal on the bottom (optional), and flip out onto a cut sheet of parchment paper
- using a lame, score length wise, about 1/8" deep, and 1/2" away from both edges. sometimes, i optionally add a leaf design as well.
- slowly and carefully lift the parchment paper with the dough into the hot dutch oven. decrease temperature to 475°F. bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.
- take the lid off, and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or whenever the crust turns the color you like it (i go for a caramel brown for this loaf, or whenever the ears look brown).
- let this loaf cool on a wire rack (or something else that allows the air to circulate) for at least 2 hours before slicing.
This is the most beautiful loaf. Do you get a strong flavour of the onion and tumeric?
Thank you so much Kay! The flavor is strong enough to taste both the onion and the turmeric, but in my opinion, not overpowering. The bread is so good on its own, that I usually eat it plain, without toppings or spreads.
I used your add-in quantities using Ken Forkish’s method for the bread itself. It’s the prettiest bread I’ve made with that golden color and bits of onion. My wife thinks it ties for the tastiest bread I’ve made this year. (Jalepeno/cheddar is a tough act to follow).
I agree with your assessment in the previous comment – the onion and turmeric definitely come through but it’s a complex flavor profile and nothing takes center stage.
Thanks for posting the recipe!
This was absolutely delicious! I did not get as much oven spring as I would like, next time. I think I overworked the dough. But delicious – the onions are so good!