Turmeric, Baby Leek and Wild Garlic Sourdough Loaf - for the perfect Bad Boy Pickle and Cheese Sandwich

We take our sandwiches very seriously around here. Every day at 12:30, we head to the kitchen for a rummage for what we can have for lunch. Sometimes there is chicken, sometimes cheese, but there are always pickles.

Kat, being a bit of a sourdough whiz, usually has a fresh loaf on the side for the day's ingredient vehicle. 

There is definitely an art to the sourdough/pickle pairing. Rodeo Disco does well with a simple white loaf. Hell or High Water and Rye are a match made in heaven, but our favourite is this turmeric and leek loaf when matched with Bad Boy Pickles. 

This time of year, baby leeks are in season. They are slightly sweeter than they will be later in the year and you can use more of the leaf as they are still tender. We've also added a handful wild garlic - tis the season and all that. 

1. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the leeks and wild garlic until the flour is completely incorporated.

2. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 3-4 hours, depending on the warmth of the room. Every so often (at least 3x), stretch and fold the dough to help with the gluten development.

3. Tip dough out onto a floured surface and stretch it out flat. Spread the chopped leeks and wild garlic over the surface.

4. Tuck the ingredients in to the loaf and then knead for a few minutes to distribute the ingredients.

5. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes uncovered and then shape into a tight round. 

6. To get a nice surface tension, stretch the dough from the outside and bring it into the centre all the way around. This will be considered your seam.

4. Place seam side up in a banneton or bowl lined with a lightly floured towel. You can either leave for about an hour in a warm place and then bake or place in the refrigerator over night.

Baking:

1. Place your dutch oven in the oven and heat the oven to its highest temperature.

2. When the oven has reached temp, place your baking parchment on top of your banneton, then the baking tray on top of that and flip your bread out of the banneton onto the tray. There is no need to remove your bread from the refrigerator prior to this, in fact it is easier to work with a cold loaf.

3. Score your bread using a knife or razor blade.

4. Slide the loaf into your hot dutch oven and put the lid on. Place it back in the oven and reduce the temperature to 220c/430F. Bake for 35 minutes with the lid on. Remove the loaf from the dutch oven and bake for another 12 minutes or until the crust is brown.