History

Rochester earned the name Flour City in the early 19th century when the Genesee River powered over 20 flour mills and the city was the largest wheat flour producer in the United States. The Flour City Bread Company at the Rochester Public Market takes that name seriously: it mills some of its own flour and uses regional grains where possible. The sourdough program uses extended cold fermentation. The stall operates Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday at the Rochester Public Market on N. Union St.

Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Makes 1 loafHands-on 45 minTotal 48 hrDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • 450g bread flour
  • 50g whole wheat flour
  • 375g water (room temperature)
  • 100g active sourdough starter (fed 6 to 12 hours prior)
  • 10g fine sea salt

Method

  1. Mix flour and water. Rest 30 minutes (autolyse).
  2. Add starter and salt. Mix until fully incorporated.
  3. Perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes over 2 hours. Dough should become smooth and elastic.
  4. Bulk ferment at room temperature (72F) for 4 to 5 hours total until dough has risen 50 to 75%.
  5. Shape into a round loaf and place in a floured banneton. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8 to 16 hours).
  6. Preheat oven to 500F with a Dutch oven inside for 45 minutes.
  7. Score the cold loaf, transfer to the hot Dutch oven, and bake covered 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 more minutes until deeply browned.

Tip from the editors. The cold retard in the fridge develops flavor and makes scoring cleaner. Rushing the fermentation produces a denser, less flavorful crumb.

Where to eat flour city bread sourdough

Flour City Bread Sourdough in Rochester

Flour City Bread Company ★ 4.5

Artisan Bread and Cafe$public-marketTue-Fri 07:00-14:00, Sat 06:00-14:00, Sun 09:00-13:00

Flour City Bread at Rochester Public Market sells organic sourdough and pastries for $3-$6 per item, the best-value morning stop for artisan bread.

Tip: A loaf runs $6-$9, pastries $3-$4 each. Saturday market stall sells out of popular loaves before 10:00. The cafe inside the market building is open for sit-down coffee and pastry.

52 Public Market, Rochester, NY 14609

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