Oops - another failure

I was trying to make Daisy's Wholemeal Lemon Sourdough (original successful recipe here)

Not sure what particularly went wrong - my assumption is that
a) I left the preferment too long
b) I used slightly unripe starter
c) I left the mixed dough too long for bulk ferment
d) the S&F method didn't work so well for wholewheat as for white
e) I didn't knead enough
f) the gods were not smiling :-)

I shaped the dough into small loaves - 20mins into proofing and oops - disintegrating dough!

There was no surface tension when shaping...

I decided to pop them in the oven anyway - 30mins at 220C

They smelled great - and tasted OK - but pretty awful rise (i.e. almost none) - it's "back to the bricks", and just when I thought I was doing well...

So - not one of my best examples!  Never mind - I'm still learning!

Sali

Double Pains de Campagne, Olive Levain and a “Hardcore Borodinsky”

One large Boule, proved in a banneton, of just over 1300g, and one of 700g, proved in a brotform.

Olive Levain takes its inspiration from the Hamelman (2004) version on pp. 178 – 179, but with changes sufficient for me to feel happy publishing the formula and method I have devised.

As if Borodinsky isn’t hardcore with an 80:20 Rye: Wheat mix, this is all Dark Rye Flour!

Here’s the detail of the leaven refreshment used for the stiff levain used in the Pain de Campagne and Olive Levain.   Bonus of being able to make a couple of Naan breads with the leaven after first build to accompany yesterday’s evening meal of saag dal and aloo gobhi and brinjal curry.

1. 1.    Pain de Campagne

High percentage of pre-fermented flour in a really strong, stiff wheat leaven.   Dark Rye added at just over 9% of total flour.   Two loaves, scaled as mentioned above.

Method:

• Autolyse the 2 flours with the water for half an hour.
• Mix the dough by adding the leaven to the autolyse and developing for 10 minutes.   Rest for 10 minutes; add the salt and develop a further 10 minutes.
• Bulk Ferment for 2¼ hours.
• Scale and divide for 2 boules as described above.   Shape and place upside down in the banneton and brotform.   Retard for 2 hours in the chiller.
• Final proof for 1½ hours.
• Tip the largest loaf out, cut the top and bake with steam in a pre-heated oven [250*C] for 55 minutes.   Drop the oven temperature as needed through the bake, ending up around 200*C, depending on your oven.  Cool on wires and bake the smaller loaf for 25 minutes again, cut the loaf and utilise steam.   Cool on wires.

1. 2.    Olive Levain

Method:

• Dry the Pitted Olives with paper towel.
• Mix the leaven with all the other ingredients except the olives.   Develop for 10 minutes, then rest 10 minutes, develop a further 10 minutes and rest 10 more minutes.
• Chop the olives into the dough with a metal cutter.
• Bulk Proof for 3 hours.
• Shape and prove in a banneton for 2½ hours.
• Tip out the dough piece, cut the top and bake in a pre-heated oven [250°C] using steam, for 45 minutes, dropping the oven temperature to 200°C as the bake progresses.
• Cool on wires.

1. 3.    “Hardcore Borodinsky”

I have been out of stock of the Bacheldre Dark Rye, so my rye sour was in need of some “tlc” before I could bake with it.   I used a 2 stage refreshment process, and incorporated some “altus” as part of the second refreshment.   I used some old Borodinsky as the “altus”.   This was left overnight for a full 15 hours to ripen.

As usual, I made a “scald” for this loaf the evening before, as follows:

Method:

• Dissolve the syrups in the boiling water and bring to a rolling boil in a pan
• Crush the Coriander Seeds using a Mortar and Pestle
• Combine spice with salt and flour and pour on the boiling wort.
• Mix to a stiff paste, cover, and cool overnight.

Method:

• Blend the scald into the sourdough.
• Combine this with the remaining flour.
• Bulk ferment for 1 hour
• Prepare a Pullman Pan and drop the shaped paste into the pan.
• Prove for 3 hours until the dough is near the top of the pan.
• Close the lid of the pan and bake in an oven pre-heated to 160°C with generous steam, very gently for 2½ hours.
• Cool on wires.

The production schedule worked well for these loaves, with some retarding for the 2 Pains de Campagne.   I woke early, so I did make the Borodinsky at 05:30.   It’s a stressful time just now!

Lots of photographs are attached.   I apologise that they are indoor shots.   The weather here is very poor, with lots of heavy showers, and black skies leaving all our rooms very dark indeed.   Just no chance to get outside, despite very occasional glimpses of sunshine!

Very best wishes to all

Andy

My croissant project is coming along nicely. I have been practicing on croissant/laminated dough for the past couple of months. The results are getting more consistent and predictable.

I usually make the laminated dough and shape few of them into croissants and the rest to something else (for change and variety). This week I made whole wheat laminated dough and made them into chocolate croissant. 

I made the chocolate croissants several times before by using the dough scraps, trimming from croissants shaping. They also worked fine with those scrap and was perfect way to used up those dough trimmings.

Full post and recipe is here.  

Sue

http://youcandoitathome.blogspot.com

I’ve been giving more attention to cooking than baking lately.   I’m trying to expand my Asian cooking experience, and Thai food and Korean food go best with rice, not bread.  But I did manage to bake some baguettes and a variation on the Tartine Basic Country Bread this weekend.

It had been many months since I’d made any baguettes besides proth5’s “Bear-guettes”.   I decided to try again the sweet baguettes from the recipe Janedo got from Anis Bouabsa, as reported by Brother David back in 2008 (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/9839/ficelles-made-anis-bouabsa039s-baguette-formula”).  I remember that trying to shape this wet sticky dough gave me fits the first time.  Like wrestling snakes made of tar.  This time it was easier, mostly because I have had more tar-snake experience in the interim.  

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These are not the best looking or best tasting baguettes I’ve made.  The crumb was not as open as I’d like and the crust was not as crunchy as it should be.  I will try to handle them more gently next time and bake them a bit bolder.   I also think I just like my baguette in sourdough flavor.

The Tartine Basic Country Bread is my favorite lean sourdough bread.  Crunchy crust; moist and tender crumb.  I could eat it every day.  But, I’ve been thinking it might be even better with a bit more whole wheat flour.  So I tried it today with 15% whole wheat, instead of the 10% the formula calls for.  I like it.  I might even go for 20% next time…or maybe add some wheat germ. 

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: the crumb on this bread is just what I’m looking for.  If I could keep it from going stale, I’d make a pillow out of it.

In case anyone’s interested, here’s a look at the sweet and spicy Korean Chicken I made this week.   Korean chile paste is pretty darn spicy.  This was almost eye-watering.   Good though.

Glenn