Delicious Pain de Campagne( French country bread) made with sourdough starter and three different flours, bread flour, rye, spelt flour salt, and water. It has a crisp, golden crust and a soft, airy crumb with a slightly tangy flavor due to natural fermentation.
You could bake this bread exclusively for the rest of your life and never feel like you are missing out. It utilizes the sponge, or poolish, method—a low-maintenance alternative to a traditional sourdough starter.No constant feedings, minimal planning, and flexibility, yet outstanding bread. If you have been searching for a way to achieve that perfectly crusty, airy, French-style loaf, look no further.
Here is a few other rustic loaf recipes Simple Sourdough bread With All-purpose flour, Beginner Sourdough Bread
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How to make this Pain de Campagne?
You need the following ingredients to make this bread.
- Artisan Bread flour:This high-protein flour is ideal for making rustic, crusty loaves with a chewy texture and open crumb.
- Spelt flour: with a mild, slightly sweet, and nutty flavor, spelt flour adds depth to bread while maintaining a light texture.
- Rye Flour: has a distinct earthy flavor and dense texture resulting in a more compact crumb and a chewy bite.
- Salt: functions as more than just a flavor enhancer, salt strengthens gluten structure and helps regulate fermentation in bread dough.
- Sourdough Starter: A natural leavening agent made from fermented flour and water, a sourdough starter contains wild yeast and bacteria.
- Water: Essential for hydrating flour and activating gluten, water plays a crucial role in dough development.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions to make Pain de Campagne.
In a large bowl, add a sourdough starter, water, bread flour, spelt flour and rye flour mix well, and set aside.
After 30 minutes add salt and set aside for 1 hour and then do stretch and fold the dough.
- Step 1: Bread flour, spelt flour, rye flour, sourdough starter, water
- Step 2: Add salt and set aside for 1 hour
- Step 3: Dough before shaping
- Step 4: Dough after a score and ready to bake.
Then after 2 hours stretch, fold the dough, set aside 1 hour, and then shape the dough, and refrigerate overnight.
The following morning, score the dough and bake it.
Variation to this Pain de Campagne?
Pain de Campagne is a rustic sourdough-based bread with a crisp crust and open crumb. Here are some variations to enhance its flavor and texture:
Fermentation Variations :
Long Cold Ferment: Refrigerate overnight (12-24 hours) for improved flavor and crust.
Short Ferment: Use a touch of commercial yeast with the sourdough starter for a faster rise.
Flour Variations
Traditional Blend: Mix white bread flour with whole wheat (10–30%) or rye (5–15%) for depth of flavor.
Ancient Grains: Add spelt, einkorn, or Kamut for a nutty, hearty taste.
Seeded Version: Incorporate flaxseeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds into the dough for crunch.
Hydration Adjustments
Higher Hydration (75–80%): Creates a more open crumb and chewier texture.
Lower Hydration (65–70%): Yields a denser loaf that is easier to manage for beginners.
Flavor Additions
Herbs & Aromatics: Rosemary, thyme, or roasted garlic.
Olives & Nuts: Kalamata olives, walnuts, or hazelnuts.
Dried Fruits: Figs, apricots, or cranberries for a slightly sweet version.
Storage
For short-term storage like 1-2 days store at room temperature in a paper bag or bread box to keep the crust crisp.
For Medium-Term (3–5 Days) storage wrap in a clean kitchen towel and place in a bread bag.
If necessary, refresh by reheating in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–10 minutes.
Long-Term (Freezing for Up to 3 Months): Slice the bread before freezing for easy access.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Reheat slices in a toaster or whole loaves in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15–20 minutes.
Top Tip
This is a forgiving recipe, which means you can just mix all ingredients and set aside at room temperature for 5 hours refrigerate overnight, and next morning shape, score, and bake.
Baking Schedule
6.30 PM: Mix the flour (bread flour, rye flour, spelt flour ) sourdough starter and water. Set it aside.
7.00 PM. Add salt then add coconut water and set aside.
8.00 PM: Stretch and fold the dough.
10.00 PM. Do a second stretch and fold the dough!
11.00 PM: Shape the dough .
10.30 PM: Refrigerate the dough overnight.
Next morning
8.00 AM: Score and bake the bread.
| Ingredients | Baker’s % |
| Artisan bread flour | 85 |
| Spelt flour | 5 |
| Rye flour | 10 |
| Salt | 2 |
| Sourdough starter | 20 |
| Water | 75 |
I have made this Pain de Campagne ( French country bread ) with sourdough as part of Bread Baker’s this month’s event ‘ French Bread.”
FAQ
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of rye and spelt flour in this recipe?
Yes, you can.
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Pain de Campagne (French country bread)
Delicious Pain de Campagne/ French rustic bread made with sourdough starter and three different flours, bread flour, rye, aspelt flour salt and water. It has a crisp, golden crust and a soft, airy crumb with a slightly tangy flavor due to natural fermentation.
Servings: 12 pieces
Calories: 152kcal
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups / 425g Artisan Bread flour
- ¼ cup / 25g Rye flour
- ⅓ cup / 50g Spelt flour.
- ½ cup / 100g sourdough starter
- 1.75 tsp/ 10g salt
Instructions
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First make active sourdough starter
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Make Dough
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In a bowl, add water (365g) and mix sourdough starter. Then add bread flour , spelt, rye flour, and mix . Knead for 1-2 minutes until well combined. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes to one hour.
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Then add salt and rest of water (10g). Mix well and cover the dough again and set aside for an hour
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Stretch and fold.
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Then stretch and fold the dough after 2 hours. This means grabbing the underside of the dough and stretching it up and over the rest of the dough. Perform a few of these turns each time you handle the dough.
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Two ways to complete the process from here, either cover the dough with plastic paper and refrigerate overnight and next morning continue from here. In that case after shaping keep the dough at room temperature for 2 hours and score and bake.
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Otherwise continue the step from here.
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Shaping the dough
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After one hour , transfer the dough to a lightly floured workspace and shape it into round Boule. To this add nutmeg and cinnamon and mix in everything.
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Fold the third of the dough closest to you inward, and then stretch the dough out to the sides. Fold the right, and then the left side toward the center. Fold the top of the dough inward, and then wrap the bottom part of the dough over it all. If you want, you can make pre-shape and set aside for 15 minutes and then make a final shape.
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Work this into a round shape, and place seam side up in a proofing basket lined well with flour.
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Cold proof
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After transferring to Banneton, Let rise the dough overnight in the refrigerator. You can keep this cold retard up to 14 hours.
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Score and Bake
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When you are ready to bake preheat oven to 475°F.
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Remove the dough from the proofing basket and score and transfer to Dutch oven and close the lid and immediately place the top back on and return to the oven.
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Bake the bread at 475°F for 15 minutes.
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Turn the heat down to 450°F and cook for 15 minutes.
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After 15 minutes remove the top of the Dutch oven and rotate the pan. Continue to bake the bread for another 15-20 minutes, until the crust is deeply caramelized.
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If you want crackling crust after switching off the oven keep oven door ajar and keep the bread inside.
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Once bread comes out of oven enjoy with some butter
Nutrition
Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.