I made Daniel Leader’s Sunflower Seed Levain today. It is a pain au levain (70% white flour, 24% whole wheat flour, 6% rye flour, 25% stiff levain, 60% hydration & 2% salt) with 14% sunflower seeds (soaked in 35% water overnight and then drained). The bread is moist and sour and hasn’t got the taste of sunflower seeds. The five grain levain I made last time had more complex flavor. I wonder if it is because of my skills or the recipe. I’ll try some more sunflower seed recipes later to find out what’s wrong.
*** Today (the 2nd day) I ate the levain again. Surprisingly it was good and tasted different. It’s only a bit sour and has a nice balance of the tang, wheat and seeds flavors, and less moist (but moist enough). Now I understand it’s because the bread was still a bit warm when I ate it yesterday, which enhanced the sourness and moisture. How important “cool down completely” is. Now the bread is great. I’m loving it.
[...] this! Different from last time, sunflower seeds were toasted beforehand this time, and definitely has made the bread much nuttier. [...]