Fresh-Milled Artisan Hearth Bread
Prep
30 min
Bake
44 min
Total time
1 hr 14 min
Hydration
78%
A 100% fresh-milled hearth loaf at 78% hydration leavened with a small amount of commercial yeast and baked in a covered Dutch oven for a crackly crust and open crumb.
Key Takeaways
- A small pinch of yeast (1 g) and a long room-temp ferment build flavor without sourdough.
- High hydration plus stretch-and-folds creates the open crumb.
- A preheated Dutch oven traps steam for crackly crust and dramatic oven spring.
- Score deeply and confidently — fresh-milled crusts need a clear path to expand.
About this recipe
A rustic Dutch-oven loaf made with 100% freshly milled hard red and hard white wheat. Open crumb, crackly crust, leavened with commercial yeast.
Ingredients
- Fresh-milled hard red wheat flour300 g
- Fresh-milled hard white wheat flour200 g
- Water (80°F)390 g
- Instant yeast1 g (¼ tsp)
- Fine sea salt10 g
Instructions
- 1
Mill 500 g berries (60% hard red, 40% hard white); cool to room temperature.
- 2
Whisk flours and water; autolyse 60 minutes.
- 3
Sprinkle yeast and salt; pinch and fold in until fully incorporated.
- 4
Bulk ferment 4–5 hours at 75°F with four sets of stretch-and-folds in the first 2 hours.
- 5
Preshape into a tight round; rest 20 minutes seam-down.
- 6
Final shape into a tight boule; transfer seam-up to a floured banneton.
- 7
Cold-retard 8–14 hours in the fridge.
- 8
Preheat Dutch oven at 500°F for 45 minutes. Turn loaf out, score deeply, and bake covered 22 minutes, then uncovered at 450°F for 18–22 minutes until deeply browned (yields one 800 g boule). Cool fully on a rack before slicing.
fresh flour baking guide for beginners — hydration, gluten development, and grain choice tips that make this recipe work.
Learn about this grain: Hard White Wheat guide — flavor, milling notes, baking tips, and four in-depth guides on hydration, storage, and common mistakes. Or browse more Hard White Wheat recipes.
Learn a technique
All guides →- How to Autolyse Fresh Milled FlourCombine flour and water and let it rest before adding yeast and salt. Bran softens, gluten develops passively, and the final dough is dramatically easier to handle.
- How to Increase Hydration SuccessfullyRaise water in 5% increments, autolyse longer, and lean on stretch and folds instead of kneading.
- How to Stretch and Fold DoughEvery 30 minutes during bulk ferment, lift one side of the dough, stretch up, and fold over the top. Rotate 90° and repeat.
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A milder, lighter whole wheat that bakes up tender and golden.
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A high-protein modern wheat ideal for hearty whole-grain breads.
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Related Techniques
How to Autolyse Fresh Milled Flour
Combine flour and water and let it rest before adding yeast and salt. Bran softens, gluten develops passively, and the final dough is dramatically easier to handle.
How to Increase Hydration Successfully
Raise water in 5% increments, autolyse longer, and lean on stretch and folds instead of kneading.
How to Stretch and Fold Dough
Every 30 minutes during bulk ferment, lift one side of the dough, stretch up, and fold over the top. Rotate 90° and repeat.
Related Troubleshooting
Why is the crumb of my bread gummy?
Cut crumb feels sticky or doughy in the center.
How do I know if my dough is over-proofed?
Recognizing dough that has fermented too long, before it ruins the bake.
Why am I getting poor or no oven spring?
A loaf that doesn't expand significantly when it hits the oven, staying flat or barely rising.
Related Conversions
Bread Flour to Fresh Milled Flour
Bread flour is refined, high-protein endosperm. To replace it you need a grain with comparable protein, which means hard red wheat at 13–14%. The swap is 1:1 by weight; add 7–10% more water and autolyse 30–60 minutes so the bran softens before you build strength. Fermentation runs 10–25% faster, not slower — check the dough early rather than extending bulk. Bread Flour to Hard Red Wheat carries the detailed figures. If you want a lighter loaf and can accept slightly less strength, Bread Flour to Hard White Wheat runs +5–8%.
Bread Flour to Hard Red Wheat (Fresh-Milled)
Swap 1:1 by weight and add 7–10% more water. Always autolyse 30–60 minutes — bran needs time to soften before gluten can fully develop. Plan for 3–4 stretch-and-folds during bulk. Fermentation is 15–25% faster than with bread flour. Expect a slightly less open crumb than a white bread-flour loaf, especially at the same hydration.