Black Sesame Sourdough

_An open-crumbed naturally leavened loaf laced with toasted black sesame paste and whole seeds, giving a smoky-nutty depth and a dramatic grey crumb under a blistered, sesame-crusted crust._

Ingredients

• 400 g strong white bread flour
• 50 g wholemeal flour
• 340 g water
• 100 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 10 g fine sea salt
• 60 g black sesame seeds, for paste
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 30 g black sesame seeds, whole (mixed in)
• 30 g black sesame seeds, for coating
• 20 g rice flour, for dusting the banneton

Method

Toast the 60g of paste sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant, then grind to a loose, oily paste in a mortar or spice grinder with the toasted sesame oil. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the starter into the water until cloudy, then add both flours. Mix to a shaggy dough with no dry patches, cover, and rest (autolyse) for 1 hour at room temperature.

Add the salt, the cooled sesame paste and the 30g of whole mixed-in seeds. Squeeze and fold the dough until the paste is evenly streaked through and the salt dissolved; the dough will turn grey-flecked.

Over the next 3 hours, perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds at 30-minute intervals, keeping the dough covered between sets. The dough should become smooth, elastic and noticeably airy.

Leave to bulk ferment, covered, until risen by roughly 50% with a domed, bubbly surface — about 4-6 hours total at 22C, depending on your starter and kitchen.

Tip onto a lightly floured surface, pre-shape into a loose round and rest, seam-side down, for 20 minutes.

Shape into a taut boule or batard. Brush or mist the surface lightly with water and roll in the 30g coating sesame seeds. Place seam-side up in a banneton dusted with rice flour.

Cover and cold-proof in the fridge for 12-16 hours. The dough is ready when it springs back slowly to a gentle poke.

Place a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 250C for 45 minutes. Turn the dough out onto baking paper and score the top decisively with a lame.

Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the lid, drop the temperature to 220C and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until deeply coloured and the crust is firm.

Cool completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing — the crumb sets as it cools and the sesame flavour deepens.

Store cut-side down on a board for up to 3 days, or slice and freeze for longer keeping.