Country loaf — a 75% hydration four-flour blend
A pain de campagne-style country loaf at 75% hydration with bread, whole wheat, rye, and spelt flours. Deep flavor, moderately open crumb.
If 85% is the open-crumb chase and 70% is the beginner safety net, 75% is the loaf you bake every week for the rest of your life. A blend of four flours gives the bread the kind of flavor you cannot get from a single grain.
Why this works
Each flour contributes a different note: bread flour for structure, whole wheat for nuttiness, rye for that distinct sour edge and color, and spelt for tenderness. Seventy-five percent hydration is open enough to show holes but tight enough to handle without high-hydration drama.
At a glance
- Yield
- One 950 g boule
- Prep
- 60 minutes
- Cook
- 45 minutes
- Total
- 24h
Ingredients
- Bread flour
- 350 g
- Whole wheat flour
- 75 g
- Whole rye flour
- 50 g
- Spelt flour
- 25 g
- Water
- 375 g (75%)
- Active starter
- 100 g
- Salt
- 10 g
Equipment
- Digital scale
- Mixing bowl
- Bench scraper
- Banneton
- Dutch oven
- Lame
Directions
Baker notes
- Substitute einkorn for spelt for an even more ancient flavor.
- If you cannot find spelt, increase the whole wheat to 100 g.
- This is the loaf I bring to dinner parties — it makes you look like you know what you are doing.
FAQ
Why four flours instead of one?
Flavor complexity compounds. Each grain peaks at different stages of fermentation and brings different aromatics to the crust.
Where to go next
Bake this once a week for a season. By the end, you will not want to go back to single-flour loaves.
Crosodo Blog entries are recipe and craft notes from working cottage bakers. Recipes assume working with an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — see our state directory for legal details.