Recipe to follow.

FP 

With all the panic surrounding grain and food prices, it seems a crime these days to have flour hanging around in the kitchen unused for long periods of time.  This, I confess, is one of my guilty secrets. See, there was this bag of flour I bought on a whim and has been languishing in the darker recesses of the kitchen cupboards for the last few months (Oh OK half a year!)  I'd been meaning to use it, truly I had.  I'd even posted these honest intentions on the TFL forums...but alas, I was weak.  So easily, I was distracted by the many floury temptations along the way (ok, some might call them obsessions) Baguettes, miches, spelt, old starters requiring TLC, new starters etc. etc. have all played their part in my flour-hoarding sins. Oh, excuses, excuses!  

Well I finally put things right today.  Having excavated said historical artifact from the cupboard, I decided to put it to good use (by which I mean something to fill my stomach!).  On exposure to daylight, I was surprised to find that rather than having bought 'malthouse' flour (from 'Dove Farms' flour range) as I erroneously recalled,  the flour in question was in fact called 'Country Grain'. The flour comes from Allinson (a well known uk brand) and can be found in most  british supermarkets. The flour is clearly inspired (read: copied) from that most british of flours/breads: Granary.  As has been discussed previously in the TFL forums, the bakery giant Hovis own the trademark to the name 'Granary' and hence other flour manufacturers have to name their similar products with fancy titles such as 'malthouse' or 'country grain'. 

OK enough of the legal stuff, what IS it? The flour itself is a mixture of wheat flour (I'm guessing about 85% extraction), malted wheat flakes and a combination of rye, barley and wheat malt. Even in raw form, it has a distinct, nutty aroma. I was a bit apprehensive about all the 'bits' in the flour and how it would handle when hydrated but I had a whole load of mature WW starter which was begging for some action, so I took the plunge.

Here's a really simple recipe:

Granary Cob (makes 1 large loaf)

500g Allinson Country Grain Flour (or whatever 'Granary'esque equivalent you can find) 
200g Mature WW or White Starter (100% hydration)
300g Water
11g Salt
Mix salt, starter and water.
Stir in flour and mix roughly.
Autolyse for 20 to 30 minutes
Knead for 10 minutes (don't expect to pass the windowpane test!).
Bulk ferment in a warm place (75-80F) for 3 hours (stretch and fold 3 times at 40 minute intervals).
Shape gently into a boule and proof in a banneton or linen-lined bowl.
Score with four slash marks forming a cross shape on the top.
Bake at 450F with steam for 10 minutes followed by a further 35 minutes at 375F.

I must say, the dough seemed unpromising at first.  The ample wheat flakes mixed in with the flour seemed sure to tear the gluten structure to shreds. However, after a number of stretch and folds during bulk ferment, the dough became more manageable and um...doughlike!  Perhaps in the future, making a soaker from at least part of the flour would be a better strategy.

Thanks presumably to the malt (which gives the dough and final bread an awesome rich, brown colour), the bulk ferment was a pretty rapid process (3 hours) and after 45 minutes of proofing the dough was threatening to rise too high out of the proofing bowl. For the shaping, I went for a traditional cob (coburg) style loaf.  It would have been served equally well by shaping into a sandwich loaf or perhaps smaller rolls (sprinkled with seeds) I must say, the dough felt fairly slack for  67% hydration. Scoring posed no particular challenge although I could have scored a little deeper for a more authentic coburg look. The baking process was straightforward.

So how does it taste? The taste is great!...earthy, nutty, malty...yummy!  I've never eaten a sourdough version of this bread before (most versions you'll see in british bakeries use commercial yeast)  but I've got to say it's a winner.  Of course, it's the texture is what gives granary its reputation - those toothsome grain flakes are wonderful little nuggets of nutty flavour which are balanced by a soft crumb (not overly chewy thanks to the relatively short proofing).  There were no big rustic holes in evidence which came as no surprise given the nature of the flour. The crumb was plenty moist without being 'uberdense' (ie not a brick)  A little longer baking at a lower temperature might have improved the crust (which is still substantial even if the photo doesn't seem to show)

Will I make it again?  Definitely! Future baking may include the addition of some honey or oil for a sandwich loaf and perhaps a longer ferment to see whether the flavour can be further developed.

Cheers for now and enjoy!

FP

Today's baking included my first ever semolina bread. I used a combination of 00 flour and semolina (not semolina/durum flour but the slightly grainier but still quite finely ground semolina used for making pasta etc.)  While things came out OK, the semolina dough took a long time to rise and there were still some fairly dense patches in the final bread. 

I also improvised an olive sourdough bread from white starter, AP flour, whole spelt and whole rye (and olives of course!)  It came out surprisingly well. 

--FP 

This is my take on 'Pain de Campagne'.  It differs from a number of recipes I've read since it uses a natural yeast levain, not commercial yeast. For the rye constituent, I've chosen to use a rye levain rather than adding rye flour in the final mix. If you have a favourite rye starter then please do use it in lieu of the first build. If you have a stiff starter (<100% hydration) then you'll have to adjust the amount of water in the final mix as well as mixing procedure (autolyse the flour, water and salt first, before mixing in the starter)

I find the fragrance and taste to be sweet and almost fruity when eaten fresh (1 hour out of the oven).  This gives way to an earthier taste on the next day. Sourwise you shouldn't notice much (or any) sour at all. It is quite mild but nonetheless I hope you'll find it quite tasty. The crumb should be fairly light and fluffy (compared to other 'rustic' breads).

This bread has become one of my staples partly because it's so convenient. It's easy to make, relatively quick to rise and also fits perfectly with my starter maintenance routine (refreshing the rye starter daily) 

As you can see from the photographs, I attempted to shape the bread as a 'bowtie' variation on a classic tabatiere; an idea which I took from 'Advanced Bread and Pastry'.  The attempt  didn't work as well as I hoped but it made a nice change from the usual boule.  

First Build (Day 1)

10g active starter
75g rye flour (I use whole rye but substitute light or medium according to taste)
75g Water
Mix and allow to mature over a 12 to 24 hour period (very much depends on temperature, activity of starter etc.) It's mature when it has peaked (at least 2 x volume) and should smell fruity (raisins) and yeasty.
I included this first build stage here for anyone who does not keep a rye starter. If you have your own favourite rye starter, please do use it instead. To give some idea of my routine, my starter currently consists of 15g old starter and 200g each of water and rye flour and takes 20-24 hours to mature.

Final Mix (Day 2) 

(makes 1 large boule or other shape or 2 small batards)

500g AP flour
300g Water
9g Salt (more or less according to taste)
150g First Build 
Dissolve the salt in the water along and whisk in the rye build from the previous day.
Add the flour to the liquid mix and allow to autolyse or 20 minutes.
Knead until you have at least medium gluten development.
Bulk ferment for 3 hours (be vigilant as this dough has a tendency to rise fast thanks to the rye starter)
Apply stretch and fold 2 times at 40 minute intervals during bulk ferment if you did not reach full windowpane after kneading.
After bulk ferment, divide and shape as desired.
Proof for another 45-60 minutes (in a couche or banneton depending on shape)
Bake with steam at 450 for 10 minutes reducing to 375 for a further 20-30 minutes (until internal temperature reaches 200F)

Enjoy! 

FP

Note: if you want a quicker rise and even lighter bread, try making up 200g of first build / rye starter rather than the 150g stated. You could also alter the hydration of the starter to favour yeast reproduction (similar to the first stage of the detmold process)

 The 'French Fold' technique.

Before I start rambling, here are some useful videos which give a far better demonstration of the technique than anything I could write:

http://www.breadcetera.com/?p=9

http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/video/2008/03/bertinet_sweetdough

http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/jimpics/index.html

This post is really just about gathering a few thoughts and tips based on my (limited) experience.  The french fold is invaluable to me because I don't have a mechanical mixer of any description (well I did have a very old kenwood but sadly it died in a puff of smoke and leaked green ooze a  while ago. yuk!) 

Anyway, here are my thoughts.  I hope they make some sense and are helpful to anyone yet to try this technique.

I find the french fold works well with doughs of 60% hydration or more (depending on the flour).  Stiffer doughs may be more suited to 'conventional' kneading techniques. 

I normally allow the dough to autolyse before starting the folds.  Even if I'm not using autolyse, I will still allow the dough to relax at least 5 minutes before starting the folds. If I don't, I inevitably find the dough too tense and hard to work with and end up tearing rather than stretching. Similarly, If the dough feels too tight anytime during the folding process, I leave it to rest for a few minutes before resuming.

I always avoid adding flour or moisture to the surface I'm working on. To do so would alter the friction between dough and surface and may prevent the dough from stretching fully as I 'slap' it on to the surface  My worktop is formica (or some such hard plasticky surface) which is pretty smooth.  There is no need for a special pastry board or surface.

When working with particularly wet or sticky doughs, there will usually be some residue left on the surface in the early stages of folding.  This is normal.  I simply scrape the surface regularly and add it back to the dough.

I resist the temptation to flour or moisten my hands while working the dough. A layer of dough building up over the hands is normal. After a while it stops building up and actually makes it easy to work the dough. 

I pull back on the dough immediately after slapping it down. This stretches the dough which is kind of obvious but important.  

After folding, I pick up the dough along one of the sides  so that I'm essentially giving the dough a 90 degree turn.

If my hands are getting tired then I may switch to a one-handed fold which gives the other hand a rest.  I'm careful to fold the dough in the direction I've have slapped it  (since when using one hand this is normally coming down from one side at an angle)....In other words I'm trying not to twist the dough too much.

When do I know the dough is ready?  Well that really depends on what I'm trying to do.  For a more 'rustic' bread, or when working with a dough which has already autolysed/soaked for some time, I may require nothing more than a handful of folds.  For a baguette dough, I know I'm looking to fully develop the gluten and incorporate as much air as I can before bulk ferment. This typically takes 15 to 20 minutes.  

The dough changes 'feel' in my  hands as I continue to work it and eventually it should feel smooth and silky.  As I stretch and fold the dough over, there are usually signs of tearing to begin with. By the time I'm done, this no longer happens as the  dough has become more extensible.

After the 'french fold' I will normally leave the dough to sit on the surface for 5 to 10 minutes before applying a stretch and fold (stretching and folding in thirds from all sides). I then shape the dough into a boule since I normally bulk ferment in a circular container or bowl.

Hope that helps.

Cheers 

FP

Here are some of my recent attempts (one today and one last week). All of them used a 60% hydration dough with varying percentages of 00 and AP Flours and 100% hydration starter.

Slashing and shaping are still hit and miss and I'm still dealing with a lot of blistering on the crust.  Having tried various temperatures and steaming techniques (I've yet to try covering with a cake tin) -I'm starting to think that the uniform 'matte' crust may require an oven more suited for the job.

Anyway, here are the pictures for what they're worth:

23/6/2008 '00' Baguette

30/6/2008 Baguette

30/6/2008 Baguette

30/6/2008 Baguette Crumb 

--FP 

Here's a recipe for an all natural yeast baguette with a dash of whole grain.  The recipe is inspired by the poolish baguette recipe in 'Bread Baker's Apprentice' and also by the white sourdough bread from the Bertinet bakery. 

Apologies for the poor looking results but I hope you'll find the taste is worth it.  As you can see, my scoring, shaping and steam baking still require much improvement. I'm sure you'll find whatever method you normally use for shaping/scoring/steaming baguettes will yield more aesthetically pleasing results.

Hopefully you'll find this more flavourful than the average 'cardboard' baguette.  It has a nutty taste with a fantastic aroma reminiscent of good pain au levain minus the sour. The crumb is reasonably open (considering the 60% hydration) but the texture remains fairly 'fluffy' rather than chewy; a compromise of sorts

The 'pate fermentee' is simply left over dough from a previous batch made according to the same formula and hydration. After bulk ferment, some of the dough  was put into the refrigerator and left to slowly ferment for 2 days.

Additional note: I have made this recipe using 550g all purpose flour and no bread flour to give an even softer crumb.  With careful handling and a slightly longer proof, the crumb will remain just as open but may be trickier to score.

(makes 3 to 4 baguettes depending on how much dough you wish to reserve)

• 150g white starter (100% hydration, 24 hour build)
• 150g pate fermentee (60% hydration)  Add more if you like!
• 300g all purpose flour (T55)
• 250g bread flour  (T65)
• 50g whole wheat flour (T110) or whole spelt
• 330g water
• 10g salt 

Mix the flour and water into a rough dough.  

Leave to autolyse for at least half an hour.

Mix in white starter, pate fermentee and salt in turn.

Leave for 10 to 15 minutes.

Knead/fold until at least a medium window pane.

Bulk ferment at room temperature for 5 hours (or until well over twice in bulk with visible gas bubbles)  

Stretch and fold (if only previously brought to medium windowpane) after one hour.

Set aside any dough you wish to refrigerate for use next time. 

Shape and proof in couche for additional hour.

Bake with steam at high temperature (use whatever method works best for you). 

Enjoy! 

--FP

Well, I'm pleased to report the oven is back from critical conditon and working at 100% (both top and bottom sections, so I have a much larger baking capacity now). Yay!

I've been spending the last few days working on my baguette skills (or lack of them!), paying special attention to scoring.  I'm getting better (slowly) and after playing around with all manner of serrated knives, blades etc. have found satisfaction in a makeshift lame (fashioned from a wooden skewer and razor blade). 

The household also has two new members in the form of a whole rye starter and a whole wheat starter (yet to be christened) Thanks to the warm weather we've been having recently they have become incredibly active and in the space of a week (from conception) are now maturing at room temperature inside of 4 hours (at a 1:4:4 ratio)...I've changed the feeding ratios and will likely move them to the refrigerator at some point before they eat me out of house and home!  They will be living alongside a refrigerated sourdough pate fermentee (AP white + a few tbsp WW) which has been adding flavour to baguettes recently.  The first dough made from the new rye starter is currently proofing for baking late tonight. 

Anyway, in the meantime here are some pics of some cinnamon raisin bread I made today (mixture of flours - white, WW and whole rye).  I'm really happy with the taste and texture. It has a nice dark crust and a soft, sweet,  well spiced inside.  The subtle sour complements the sweet very nicely rather than overpowering, as has been the case in previous attempts.  

Cheers for now,

--FP 

Sadly my oven is out of action for at least the next few days (hopefully fixed within the week)...so no baking for a while.

In the meantime I did get to indulge over the weekend at the Bristol slow food market in the form of a toasted sandwich made from Gorwydd Caerphilly cheese, sweet red onion and slices of Poilane bread. Good stuff!

--FP 

About a month ago I posted, enquiring about enriched sourdough breads.  Ever since, I've been steadily working towards the goal of incorporating enrichments such as butter, eggs, sugar and milk into sourdough breads.

After many failures (some rather comic e.g. enriched milk loaf rising too high and scorching on the roof of the oven) I've finally made an all sourdough brioche which I'm happy with.  Following advice I'd read, I kept the sugar down at about 12% (too much will retard the fermentation) which meant that the final result was somewhat less sweet than the average commercial-yeast-leavened brioche. I would consider using an extra egg yolk or two in the future to add colour to the crumb. Overly sour flavours were one of my main concerns, but there is only the very faintest hint of sour (and not in an unpleasant way).  It has a rich, buttery taste with a definite yeastiness. The crumb is soft and tender and breaks away in fluffy strands.  As you can see from the photos, I underproofed the dough.  However, the results are still very tasty if not altogether photogenic.

--FP 

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