A dense, nutrient-rich Dutch oven boule built around a hemp-water sourdough starter. One loaf feeds you for about three days as part of your meals. Slice thin, pair with eggs, soup, or a protein shake.
This is the working bread. The one you bake on repeat.
- One boule, baked in a Dutch oven — ~630g finished weight
- Bake temp: 500°F → 450°F
- ~10-11 slices at ½ inch thick
- 3-4 slices ≈ 200g = one day's portion (~450 cal, ~22g protein, ~10g fat, ~10g fiber)
- Lasts about 3 days sliced and stored room temp, longer frozen
- Pairs with protein shake, eggs, soup — bread covers about half your day
Ingredients
The hemp water (boil first, cool fully)
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| Hemp seeds | 30 g |
| Filtered water | 320 g |
Simmer hemp seeds in water 20 minutes, lid on, low heat. Mash seeds at the end. Strain through fine mesh. Use the liquid; keep or compost the pulp.
The dough
| Item | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | 160 g | 70% of the total flour blend once the starter's 85 g counts |
| Whole wheat flour | 70 g | 20% of the total flour blend |
| Rye flour | 35 g | 10% of the total flour blend |
| Hemp hearts (ground or whole) | 30 g | Pulse briefly or leave soft |
| Hemp protein powder | 40 g | Manitoba Harvest or Nutiva |
| Flax meal | 25 g | Grind fresh or buy pre-ground |
| Rolled oats | 50 g | |
| Sunflower seeds, ground | 20 g | Quick 5-sec pulse in grinder |
| Active starter (hemp-water fed) | 170 g | Active, bubbly, peak rise |
| Hemp water (cooled) | 175 g | From above — the starter brings 85 g more |
| Sea salt | 10 g |
Total dough weight: ~785g raw → ~630g baked (after evaporation)
Weights use baker’s percentage — the starter’s flour and water are subtracted from the totals. Use the calculator to scale.
New to sourdough? Learn how to make your own starter.
Method
Day before baking (evening)
- Boil hemp water. Simmer 30g hemp seeds in 320g water for 20 min. Mash. Strain. Cool to room temp.
- Feed the starter with the hemp water. Take 50g starter, add 50g bread flour + 50g hemp water. Cover loose. Leave 8-12 hrs at room temp until bubbly and peaked.
Bake day morning
1. Autolyse (20 min) Mix the flours, hemp protein powder, flax meal, oats, ground sunflower, hemp hearts, and 175g hemp water in a bowl. Stir until no dry spots. Cover. Rest 20 min.
2. Add the starter and salt (5 min) Add 170g active starter and 10g salt. Pinch and fold until fully incorporated. Dough will be tacky and dense — this is right for a seeded loaf.
3. Bulk ferment (4-6 hrs at 72–76°F) Cover. Do 3-4 sets of stretch-and-folds in the first 90 min, spaced 30 min apart. Then leave alone until dough has risen ~50% and feels alive — domed, soft, jiggly. (Dense doughs don't double like white-flour doughs. Look for risen, not doubled.)
4. Pre-shape and rest (20 min) Turn dough onto lightly floured counter. Shape into a loose round. Cover with a bowl. Rest 20 min.
5. Final shape (5 min) Shape into a tight boule. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a floured towel.
6. Cold proof (8-16 hrs in fridge) Cover and refrigerate overnight. The cold slows fermentation and develops flavor.
Baking day
7. Preheat (60 min) Place Dutch oven (lid on) in oven. Heat to 500°F.
8. Score and bake - Turn dough out onto parchment. Score the top with a sharp blade (a single curved slash is classic). - Lower into hot Dutch oven. Cover. - Bake covered 20 min at 500°F. - Uncover. Drop oven to 450°F. Bake 20-25 min more until deep brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. - Internal temp should read 205–210°F.
9. Cool fully Cool on a rack at least 2 hours before slicing. Cutting hot bread compresses the crumb — wait.
Slicing and storing
- Slice ½ inch thick. A serrated bread knife works best.
- Store sliced bread in a cloth bag or wood box for 2-3 days.
- Freeze remaining slices flat in a freezer bag. Toast straight from frozen.
Daily portion
4 slices (~200g) per day is your target. Pair with: - A protein shake (boosts day's protein to ~50g) - Eggs + sliced avocado - Soup or stew - Cottage cheese and fruit - Hummus and cucumber
Nutrition (per 200g serving)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~450 |
| Protein | ~22 g (complete — hemp + flax + grain combo) |
| Fat | ~10 g (omega-3 from hemp + flax) |
| Fiber | ~10 g |
| Iron, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins | Real, but not a supplement |
Honest framing: this is still bread. But it's bread with real protein, real fiber, and real fat — not empty white-flour calories.
Notes on the starter
- Base ratio: 50/50 hemp flour : bread flour
- Feed: 100% bread flour + 100% hemp water (1:1:1 with the starter)
- Refresh every 5-7 days — discard most, rebuild 50/50 base
- Why hemp water (not raw hemp flour) as the daily feed: keeps hemp flavor in the loaf without slowing yeast with too much fat
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dense, no rise | Starter wasn't at peak | Wait for active, domed starter |
| Gummy crumb | Underbaked or sliced too hot | Bake longer + cool fully |
| Bitter taste | Rancid flax meal | Buy whole flax, grind fresh |
| Crust too dark | Oven runs hot | Drop oven temp by 25 degrees |
| Crumb falls apart | Not enough gluten development | More stretch-and-folds early on |
What this recipe is *not*
- Not a "health food" — it's bread, just nutritious bread
- Not a fast bread — 24+ hours from start to slice
- Not a sandwich-loaf shape — Dutch oven boule, round
Version 1 — drafted before first bake. Will refine after May 27 test loaf.