THE BOULE - Fresh Milled Grain Artisan Bread (BB205)

Why We Love This Boule

This bread strikes a balance between:

• hearty whole grain flavor

• artisan chew

• crisp crust

• approachable handling

• reliable structure

Many 100% whole grain artisan loaves can become overly dense or heavy. For this boule, we intentionally blend freshly milled grain with bread flour to create a loaf that still celebrates whole grains while delivering the structure and texture we want from an artisan hearth loaf.

The result is:

• bold flavor

• beautiful oven spring

• a creamy interior

• crisp crackling crust

• and a loaf that slices beautifully for everyday use

The Grain Blend

For BB205 we used:

• Rouge de Bordeaux

• Glenn Wheat

• Hard Red Wheat

• Soft White Wheat

Each grain contributes something unique to the final loaf.

Rouge de Bordeaux

This heritage wheat brings:

• rich earthy flavor

• beautiful crust color

• depth and complexity

It gives the loaf much of its artisan personality.

Glenn Wheat

Glenn provides:

• strength

• structure

• elasticity

• dependable oven spring

This grain helps support the dough structure and contributes to the beautiful rise.

Hard Red Wheat

Hard Red adds:

• classic wheat flavor

• hearty depth

• rustic character

It rounds out the flavor profile beautifully.

Soft White Wheat

Soft White softens the loaf with:

• gentle sweetness

• tenderness

• balance

This keeps the loaf from becoming overly aggressive or bitter.

Don’t Have Heritage Grains?

You absolutely do not need a large grain collection to make beautiful bread.

You can easily substitute:

• hard white wheat

• hard red wheat

• store-bought whole wheat flour

• bread flour

The goal is understanding what each grain contributes:

• structure

• flavor

• softness

• chew

Once you understand that balance, you can build incredible loaves with what you already have.

Why We Use Bread Flour in This Recipe

For artisan-style boules, we prefer a blend of freshly milled flour and bread flour.

Bread flour contributes:

• stronger gluten development

• better oven spring

• artisan chew

• improved scoring

• lighter texture

This creates a loaf that feels rustic and substantial without becoming dense.

Dutch Oven Baking

This episode also introduces Dutch oven baking.

A Dutch oven traps steam during the first part of baking, which helps:

• delay crust formation

• encourage oven spring

• create a bold artisan crust

• produce a beautiful ear

It is one of the easiest ways to create bakery-style steam at home.

Same-Day Bake + Cold Ferment

One of our favorite parts of this recipe is the flexibility.

We make enough dough for:

• one same-day artisan boule

• one overnight cold ferment loaf

This creates a practical workflow for real life:Bake one today. Save one for tomorrow.

The overnight cold ferment develops:

• deeper flavor

• richer crust color

• improved scoring

• beautiful blistering

And we’ll explore that process more in BB206.

***** FOR PRINTABLE CLICK HERE*********

Final Thoughts

Fresh milled grain bread has a depth of flavor and aroma that commercial flour simply cannot replicate.

But artisan bread does not need to be complicated or intimidating.

This boule was designed to help home bakers build confidence while learning:

• dough strength

• shaping

• scoring

• steam

• fermentation

• artisan structure

And honestly, there are few things more satisfying than pulling a beautiful boule from the oven and hearing the crust crackle as it cools.

Happy baking, friends. 🤎