Peter.granger4's blog

I made my first Emmer flour bread yesterday and visually it came out great. But...the bottom was over done and somewhat burnt. The look, feel and taste on the bottom resembles an over proofed sourdough. Like there was too much sugar as the result of the yeast “over eating”.

i used a sourdough starter and kept to the times stated in the recipe. Along the way the dough reacted like any other low gluten dough I have made (mainly Einkorn). It rose a little, was “pillowy” after both the bulk and final rise in the fridge. Again, I followed all of the instructions. Or at least I think I I did.

Are there any other hidden tips for baking with Emmer flour? I love the taste and the feel of the crumb. 
Thanks!

I made this sourdough yesterday and baked it this morning. I really feel like it’s the best whole grain I’ve made to date.

It’s 30% whole grain that I milled at home with my new Komo Grain Mill. I used 10% each hard spring red, 10% hard spring white, and 10% soft spring white. I’m not sure why I used those ratios but it seemed right at the time. The other 70% is King Arthur AP. I went with 80% hydration over the usual 75% for my go to sourdough. Bulk rise time was 7 hrs vs 5 hours. All other variables were the same that I’ve come to like. The final proof was 12 hours in the fridge. I like this for two reason. Number one is flavor, flavor flavor. Number two is the ease of handling when scoring and transferring to the Dutch oven.

I’m pretty excited about the results and want to keep making adjustments on time, hydration, temp., etc. How do I get the same or close to the same rise and crumb? I’ve read some other tips on other baking sites but they all lack the personal story element. And that what I like most about The Fresh Loaf. 

I’d appreciate any stories about early adventures with home milled sourdoughs. I still have a lot to learn. Good thing I treat every loaf I make as a tasty stop on the bread baking journey. 

Cheers!,

I am new to bread baking (about 9 months) and am glad to find a community of bakers, amateur and professional, that truly enjoy sharing their stories. I love the discussions about successful and not so successful baking adventures. I’ve quickly learned that there is no such thing as a bad loaf of bread if it has some of the baker’s heart and soul in it. 

I started baking after being encouraged by my wife to try something new. I’m a retired US Army infantry officer and about 10 years ago I was diagnosed with PTSD after three combat deployments.Years of therapy has helped me cope with day-to-day life and heal parts of myself. Yet I was yearning for more.

Then, I found bread. I received a copy of Chad Robertson’s Tartine Bread from my wife and started to read. Long before I started my sourdough starter (which I am still using) I found myself drawn to the stories. What I quickly discovered, as you all know, is that bread is a living thing. There is a connection between the baker and the bread. This connection extends to those who get to enjoy in the fruits of the baker’s efforts. 

Baking has become more than way to fill the dinner table with healthy food. Ok, the lunch and breakfast and snack tables get filled too. Baking is a way to connect to myself and others. It is not the only, or even the primary, tool in my therapy plan. But it is a really nice addition to it.

I have added sprouted Einkorn, semolina and buckwheat to my basic country white sourdough repertoire over the last few months. The sourdough is still my go-to bread, while the others are for fun and experimentation. I recently bought a Komo Fidbus 21and started experimenting with home milled flours (with mixed results, but I’m keeping notes in my log). 

I want to thank everyone for sharing their stories and tips. I’ve picked up a few pointers from here already and I hope I can share my adventures to help others along the way. Cheers.