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Bún Bò Huế Sourdough Boule

Bún Bò Huế sourdough boule crumb shot

Everything that makes bún bò huế taste like bún bò huế — annatto oil, lemongrass, shrimp paste, fish sauce, dried shrimp — folded into a high-gluten sourdough boule. The crumb is open and tender, the crust bakes to a deep mahogany, and the inclusions infuse every slice with that bright, funky, spicy-sweet fragrance. Plan for two days: levain the night before, bake the day after.

Day 1 eveningMake annatto oil + broth concentrate, build levain
Day 2 morningMix dough, autolyse, bulk ferment
Day 2 eveningShape, cold proof overnight
Day 3 morningBake

Ingredients

Annatto Oil
60g neutral oil (grapeseed or avocado)
2 tbsp annatto seeds
Broth Concentrate
500g plain pork bone broth (from cubes, dissolved)
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
2 kaffir lime leaves (if available)
Levain (build 8–10 hrs before mixing)
20g mature starter
20g bread flour
20g water
5g broth concentrate, mixed into the water
Final Dough
415g high-gluten bread flour
35g rice flour
290g water
25g broth concentrate
9g fish sauce
8g mắm ruốc (shrimp paste)
20g annatto oil
65g levain
Inclusions
60g dried shrimp, soaked 10 min, drained, roughly chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, inner pale part only, minced very fine
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium shallots, minced
1 tsp annatto oil (for sautéing aromatics)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
15g fresh perilla, chiffonade

Instructions

  1. 1

    Make the annatto oil

    Combine oil and annatto seeds in a small pan over low heat. Heat until the oil turns deep orange-red, about 5–7 minutes — do not let it smoke. Strain out seeds and cool to room temp. Make this first.

  2. 2

    Make the broth concentrate

    Simmer the broth with the lemongrass stalk and kaffir lime leaves (if using), uncovered, until reduced to 3–4 tbsp of thick, syrupy concentrate. Cool completely before using.

  3. 3

    Build the levain (8–10 hrs before mixing)

    Dissolve 5g of broth concentrate into the water, then combine with starter and bread flour. Mix well and leave at room temp until doubled and domed.

  4. 4

    Prep inclusions

    Soak dried shrimp 10 minutes, drain, and roughly chop. Sauté lemongrass, garlic, and shallot in 1 tsp annatto oil until soft and just starting to color. Cool completely before adding to dough.

  5. 5

    Autolyse

    Mix both flours, water, and broth concentrate until no dry flour remains. Rest 45–60 minutes.

  6. 6

    Add levain

    Incorporate the levain into the dough. Rest 30 minutes.

  7. 7

    Add fish sauce and mắm ruốc

    Squish both through the dough until fully incorporated. Rest 30 minutes.

  8. 8

    Stretch and folds — 4 sets, 30 min apart

    Each set adds one component:

    • Set 1: Add annatto oil. Fold minimally — just enough to partially incorporate, leaving streaks.
    • Set 2: Add dried shrimp and sautéed lemongrass, garlic, and shallot.
    • Set 3: Add scallion.
    • Set 4: Add perilla.
  9. 9

    Bulk ferment

    10–12 hours at ~68°F until the dough has grown 50–75% and feels airy but not slack. Watch the dough, not the clock.

  10. 10

    Shape

    Shape into a boule with well-floured hands — the dough will be tacky. Make sure your final fold tucks inclusions in tightly, especially any shrimp pieces near the surface.

  11. 11

    Cold proof

    Transfer to a floured banneton seam-side up. Refrigerate 10–14 hours.

  12. 12

    Bake

    Preheat Dutch oven in a 500°F oven for at least 45 minutes. Score the cold dough and lower it into the Dutch oven. Drop temp to 450°F and bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover, drop to 415°F, and bake another 15–25 minutes until the crust is a deep mahogany.

Notes