If you think sourdough is just flour and water, you’re missing out on the party.
Today, we are tackling a legend. Inspired by the world-renowned masterpiece from Master Wu Pao Chun, this Red Wine and Longan Sourdough is not your average daily bread. It is dark, aromatic, and deeply complex—a loaf that smells like a vineyard and tastes like luxury.
We’re using the Kneva Sourdough Baking Kit to bring this bakery-level challenge right into your home oven.
The Science of the "Drunken" Loaf
You might be wondering: "Won't the alcohol kill the yeast?"
It’s a fair question. Alcohol is a byproduct of fermentation, but in high concentrations, it can inhibit yeast activity. That is why we don't just dump a bottle of Cabernet into the dough.
The key is balance. By reducing the wine into a syrup or diluting it with water (as we do here), and pairing it with a robust stiff starter (sweet stiff starter), we give the wild yeast a fighting chance to thrive amidst the tannins and sugars. The result is a crumb that is open, soft, and stained a beautiful purple hue.
The Ingredients
1. Preparation (The Day Before)
The Stiff Starter:
We need a strong, low-hydration starter to lift this heavy dough.
- 30g Sourdough Starter
- 45g Water
- 90g Bread Flour
- Mix into a ball, cut an X on top, and let it triple in size.
The Soaker:
- 100g Dried Longan
- Red Wine (enough to cover, approx. 100-120ml)
- Let them swim for at least 4-6 hours. They will rehydrate and become flavor bombs.
2. The Mix (Baking Day)
- 100g Stiff Starter (Active)
- 300g Bread Flour (High Protein is best)
- 35g Whole Wheat Flour
-
245g Liquid Clean Wine Water*
- Weigh the red wine drained from the longans, then add water until you reach 245g total liquid.
- 7g Salt
- 10g Honey (for the yeast to snack on)
- Inclusions: Your 100g Soaked Longan (drained) + 50g Walnuts (chopped)
The Process
1. Mix & Autolyse
Dissolve your honey and stiff starter into the crimson liquid. Add the flours and salt. Mix until you have a shaggy dough, then knead until you reach the windowpane stage. You want strength here before adding the heavy fruit.
2. Lamination
Stretch the dough out thin on your counter—like a purple sheet. Sprinkle your wine-soaked longans and walnuts evenly over the surface. Fold it up like a letter to lock them inside.
3. The Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Let it sit for about 4 hours (depending on your kitchen temp). Perform 3 sets of coil folds during the first 2 hours to organize the gluten network.
4. Shape & Retard
Shape into a tight boule. Place it in your banneton, cover it, and put it in the fridge overnight. This "cold retard" deepens the flavor and makes the dough easier to score.
5. The Bake
Preheat your Dutch Oven to 250°C (480°F) for at least 45 minutes. You want nuclear heat.
- Score your cold loaf.
- Bake Covered: 20 Minutes @ 240°C (465°F).
- Bake Uncovered: 15 Minutes @ 220°C (430°F).
The Result?
A crust that sings when you cut it, and a crumb studded with wine-soaked jewels. It’s best eaten with a scraping of good butter, or honestly, just by itself.
Bake it. Share it. And maybe pour yourself a glass to go with it.