Peter Kraus’s Buckwheat Sourdough Recipe
In my article for the latest issue of the Practical Farmer, our quarterly newsletter, I focused on buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), some of the farmers who grow it, and its culinary uses. Many farmers grow the crop as a cover crop, because it’s pretty easy to grow, can suppress weeds, and research has shown it can also make soil phosphorus more available to subsequent crops. But buckwheat is also a delicious food: its groats can be eaten whole or it can be milled into flour.
One of the PFI members I talked to was Peter Kraus, who is originally from Decorah – where his parents Barbara and Kevin run Canoe Creek Produce – but now lives with his wife in northern Wisconsin where they teach environmental stewardship. He says that their long-term plan includes moving back to Decorah to farm and teach farm-to-table education, build support for growing and using small grains in the area, and building soil and setting down roots. He sent me his recipe for buckwheat sourdough bread, which includes buckwheat groats and flour. Enjoy!
Peter’s Buckwheat Sourdough Bread Recipe (adapted from Tartine Book No. 3)
Optional ingredients: toasted walnuts, maple syrup, dried fruit.
First, I mix the sourdough starter or leaven with the flour and half of the water to form a dough and then let it sit for up to an hour. While I am waiting, I bringing the rest of the water to a boil and pour over the toasted groats to soften them. Once the groats have cooled, I thoroughly mix all the remaining ingredients together.
I let the dough ferment in a closed plastic container for several hours depending on temperature and strength of the starter. Every hour I wet my hands and stretch and fold the dough on itself four ways. Once the dough is billowy and bubbly I shape the loaf on a floured surface. I I preheat the oven to 450 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. I place the shaped loaf into an enclosed baking vessel like a dutch oven or a bread pan with a sheet pan over it, and let it rest for 15 minutes. I scratch the loaf surface with a razor blade or sharp, serrated knife to score it. Then bake for 20 minutes before removing the lid to let the loaf brown up. Finish baking for about 20-30 minutes more at 400-450 degrees.