PiPs's blog

My stocks have been running low. Grains, flour, salt and even the bread in the freezer have all taken a beating over a busy Christmas period.

With suppliers back on board after holidays I was more than a little relieved when a new shipment of biodynamic wheat and spelt grains finally arraived.

Along with the grain, I was also in need of white flour. The idea of leaving a gentler footprint to me means that if I have to use processed white flour then it should be from a local and organic producer. So for this reason I have switched to organic plain white flour from the Kialla Pure Foods mill only 150 km away. (90 miles) Kialla’s plain flour with a protein level of 12.5% is stronger than the bakers flour I been currently using but has a slightly creamier colour and chewier mouth feel. For this weekends bake though, I wanted wholegrains and organic. I hadn’t planned on baking any rye until a friend suggested she would like to try a lighter rye sourdough. Nat and I have a strong appreciation for caraway seeds with rye so this was suggested as well.

Organic 40% Rye Sourdough with caraway

Formula

Method

1. Mix rye sour and leave overnight to ferment
2. Next day disperse rye sour in remaining water and add flour.
3. Knead for 5 mins (this is sticky and uncomfortable)
4. Add salt and knead for a further 10 mins until dough starts to show signs of smoothness.
5. Gently mix in caraway seeds until combined.
6. Bulk ferment one hour
7. Gently preshape. Bench rest 20 mins. Gently shape into batards.
8. Final proof was one hour at room temperature (27°C).
9. Load into oven with steam at 230°C for 10 mins then reduce temperature to 200°C and bake a further 30 mins. 

The rye sour had developed nicely and apart from the seemingly unending stickiness of kneading, the dough eventually bulk fermented into a smooth dough that shaped quite easily.

The final proof kept me only my toes as I was mowing the backyard and ducking inside every 15 minutes to check on it’s progress, as it has been quite hot and humid recently.

I am particularly fond of the crumb colour with the caraway seeds hidden amongst the rye bran. The flavour is a really nice balance of a subtle rye tang with a puff of caraway scent on some bites.

I also baked a pair of simple organic wholegrain sourdoughs - the first breads for our household this year. The levain contains a proportion of Kialla plain flour so approximately 90% of the flour is freshly milled wholegrains.

I tried a few new procedures with this bake. I milled the wheat grains in two passes. The first pass cracked the grains before passing them through the mill again at a finer setting. This didn’t produce much heat in the flour and I ended up with softer feeling flour than in the past.

The other change was the fold in the bulk ferment. I recently read a comment by proth5 on the timing of a stretch-and-fold in a two hour bulk ferment. (sorry Pat I can’t remember where you posted it) If the dough is already well developed before the bulk ferment, perhaps a stretch-and-fold could occur earlier in the bulk ferment allowing some larger gas pockets to develop in the 2nd half of the bulk ferment.

Organic Wholegrain Sourdough

Formula

Method

1. Mix levain and leave to ferment for 4-5 hours
2. Mill flours and allow them to cool before mixing with cold water from fridge (hold back 50 grams of water) and autolyse four hours.
3. Add levain to autolyse then knead (French fold) 5 mins. Return the dough to a bowl and add salt and remaining 50 grams of water and squeeze through bread to incorporate (dough will separate then come back together smoothly) then knead a further 10 mins.
4. Bulk ferment two hours with one stretch-and-fold after 30 mins.
5. Preshape. Bench rest 20 mins. Shape.
6. Load into oven with steam at 230°C for 10 mins then reduce temperature to 200°C and bake a further 30 mins.

This has become familiar dough for me to mix. At 85% hydration doubts can creep into my thinking as the initial mix feels sticky and loose. Press on, add the salt and feel relief as the dough tightens up and releases cleanly from the bench.

The dough felt strong even after shifting the stretch-and-fold forward 30 mins so I left it untouched for the remaining time and was rewarded with light bubbly dough ready for preshaping. I am quite pleased with the proofing on both of the loaves and find I am becoming braver at judging their readiness for the oven. They sprang beautifully on a hot stone.

Some rye bran is visible scattered throughout the moist crumb which contains no hint of sour. The change in bulk ferment procedure has possibly led to a slightly more irregular crumb, but this will need to be experimented with and expanded.

Another busy day in the kitchen which was balanced by an equally busy day doing yard work.  The sun is finally shining here after a day of humid grey skys. We plan to make the most of it.

Cheers,
Phil 

At the start of a new year I find I am torn somewhat. I know in my head that the 1st of January is just another day flowing in from the previous but my heart speaks to me of time spent in reflection and questioning before looking forward into the next 365 days of my life.

How do I want my world to look? How do I want to colour and decorate it?

I watched a video of the late Alan Scott online recently and it has resonated with me deeply. He talks of leaving gentle footprints and when I think of the year ahead, I think of these words. I want to bake bread for my family, friends and people who are again appreciating real bread while leaving a gentle mark.

So it turns out the first bakes for this year have not been for us at all and I wonder if this will be a trend that may continue. Through some word of mouth and enthusiastic tasters I have started baking breads for a few people and families on a regular basis.

What can be more rewarding than this?

I have struggled with what to write next and Nat reminded me of some feedback that I received today which was along the lines of “Its just bread, but its amazing bread”

For me bread is so simple but so rewarding and this is what I bake for people, simple but rewarding bread.

I have settled upon a basic Pain au Levain formula and baking routine that fits easily into my schedule while bringing great flavour.

Also my hybrid ciabatta has been taken to MkII with a bake I did for a friend of ours on the weekend. I increased the hydration and dropped the amount of handling in the bulk ferment. Very pleased with the result and I may look at posting on MkIII in the future.

Even though I have streamlined my baking process as much as possible I still end up with inevitable amounts of washing up. While day dreaming­ yesterday ... elbow deep in washing up water from yet another bake, I spied a feathered visitor in our backyard. He was kind enough to allow me to take his picture.

All the best for the year ahead.

Cheers,
Phil 

Christmas baking
Stollen, Golden Raisin Wholemeal, Pain siegle de Thezac, Pain au Levain, Country breads and Miche

Cheers,
Phil 

As the holiday season rapidly approaches I decided to squeeze in what’s likely to be my last ‘real’ rye bake of the year before concentrating on the light and sweet Christmas goodies.

Andy’s fascinating and instructive posts on Borodinsky, Auerman Formulas and other high rye breads have kept me fascinated and entertained while perched in a bus to and fro from work. At first I found the list of ingredients overwhelming and that was before even fully digesting the multi-stage processes … I was going to have to be present and pay attention, plus top it off with a little planning. This was even more apparent with the amount of time needed to translate this formula to the blog …

I settled upon Andy’s Borodinsky – The Auerman Formula [or thereabouts anyway] but tweaked it slightly … um … quite a bit - sorry Andy :)

Altus and coriander (I love to chew on the altus crusts)

The dark ryes I have baked up until now have been a one stage process with a rye sour built and fermented before being added to the final ingredients. This formula is a tad more involved and uses a three stage process. A rye sour is built and fermented. With the sour fermenting, a scald of boiling water, flour, and other ingredients is produced. The sour and scald are then combined into a sponge which is fermented further until it is mixed with the remaining ingredients for the final shaping, proving and baking.

I deviated/strayed from Andy’s formula in a few ways. Firstly I have altus which I planned on adding to both the sour build and scald. Instead of the red malt asked for in the formula I used roasted rye malt that I had produced earlier in the week. It is richly coloured flour with a bright sweet roasted flavour and was bound to add some flavour to the finished loaf.

I kept the overall hydration level the same, but altered the hydration of the sour and scald builds to allow for a small amount of water to autolyse the wheat flour used in the final paste. This is a tip I received from minioven that allows the gluten in the wheat flour to develop before being mixed into the final paste. Finally, I sifted the final addition of rye and wheat flour.

Roasted Rye Malt

Scald and sponge

Further abroad Borodinsky

Method

1. 4:00pm day before, prepare the rye sour.
2. 10:00pm day before, prepare the scald. Grind coriander seeds and combine with remaining dry ingredients. Measure the molasses into a saucepan cover with boiling water and bring to a rolling boil. Quickly stir in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon and remove from heat and cool. Weigh scald and add further boiling water if necessary to account for evaporation.
3. 9:00am following day, combine and mix the sour and scald and ferment a further four hours.
4. 12:00pm combine sifted wheat and final water together and mix thoroughly with wooden spoon or whisk and allow to autolyse for one hour.
5. 1:00pm add autolyse dough, remaining portion of sifted rye flour to the sponge and form the final paste.
6. Shape and place into greased tins (mine were 8 x 4 x 4 Pullman) seam side down.
7. I proved these for one hour before docking and placing into oven with lids on for 15 minutes at 270°C  then a further hour at 210°C

The final paste felt drier than the dark ryes I have baked recently – perhaps the molasses or malt flour? It was still a paste but felt it lot easier to handle. I as a little worried that the rye flour was absorbing too much water which may be a sign of excessive starch damage …

As seems to be the case with the rye breads I bake using freshly milled flours the final proof was exceptionally quick. I am hesitant to take my eyes from these breads during their final rise … the first sign of readiness and its straight into the oven … I don’t even debate myself anymore.

When pulled from the oven the bread felt soft and springy to the touch … the crust a dark brown with red hues. After cooling they were wrapped in a tea towel before storage in a plastic bag for a day … with me looking on longingly – all the time fingers crossed. I still lack confidence in my rye baking …

Finally I could slice – it was a cinch with a crust that was soft and smooth. The crumb was still moist but that will decrease over the coming days. A slice could be folded in half without breaking … did I mention it was soft?

The flavour is bright and I can pick the brightness of the coriander and tartness of the molasses. On the first day the molasses seemed stronger but by the next it had equalled out to rich round flavour. Most of all I am struck by the gentle mouth feel. It does not feel like a heavy rye bread and I look forward to the flavour developing throughout the week.

I also started playing with a rye crsipbread based on the formula in Dan Lepard’s Handmade Loaf. I omitted the commercial yeast and added some flavours inspired by his sweet rye formula – honey, ground cardomann seed, aniseed, and lemon zest. They are crunchy on the edges with a chew towards the centre. I love this combination of flavours …

All the best and best holiday wishes,
Phil

It is 4:45am on a quiet and cool Sunday morning.  I am taking my time … a cup of tea while listening to the birds. I can smell mangos on the table next to me.

Nat and I packed a lot of effort into yesterday. The yard work is done, and in between all the mowing and trimming necessary after summer rain I managed to put a few loaves of bread through the oven.

Have you ever stopped to think about a grain of wheat? I am slowly learning the scientific terms and descriptions … but my brain is not really wired that way. What I am slowly starting to appreciate is that these little grains are really packets of life. I don’t stop and take the time to think about this enough. They hold all that is required to germinate … just needed is the right balance of moisture and warmth.

For the baking this weekend I wanted to take a step beyond sprouting into the world of malting. During the week I sprouted wheat, rye and barley grains. After drying (kilning), I gently roasted the grains in search of flavour and colouring, not diastatic power or enzyme content. The house smelt amazing during this process …

… I now wanted to try them freshly milled in bread … and it turned out Nat’s parents were staying with us – to offer them bread is the perfect excuse to bake.

I decided upon the sourdough formula from Richard Bertinets book Crust. This formula was probably the first I knew off the top of my head. I have made it so many times in all sorts of weather with every flour combination imaginable. It is a 75% hydration dough with 25% of the total flour being pre-fermented in a stiff levain. With this amount of pre-fermented flour you need to pay attention to the ripeness of the levain builds as they have a big impact on the final dough.

Included in this I combined roasted wheat and barley malt flour at 5% of the total flour. I have been racking my thoughts on a way to best describe the aroma and taste of the roasted malt flours. I can’t. There is malt flavour in the roasted barley but also stronger rich dark toasted overtones, especially when combined with the malted wheat.

The difference was apparent as soon as I combined the ingredients. You could smell the malted flours and see them streaked throughout the autolysing dough.

On Saturday morning I took the risen bread from the fridge and allowed it to come to room temperature before filling the waking house with the aromas of fresh bread.

In the end I think the roasted malt flours did more for the colouring than flavour. The blistered crust is packed with colour and caramelized flavour while the crumb is a little darker but I find it hard to pick a noticeable difference in the overall flavour. I thought this strange after the difference I had sensed in the mixing stages but with a crumb so soft that we struggled to cut it without serious squashing and squeezing – it was deemed a delicious success.

Sunflower and Sesame wholesome wholemeal

I have noticed how much I missed using the mill after last weeks bake of ciabattas and brioche. I somehow felt disconnected from the bread I was making. It all tasted great but it wasn’t ‘wriggling with life’. I missed the planning and preparation, the smell of freshly milled grains … oh and the eventual endless cleaning I seemingly produced. The vacuum and I are getting very well acquainted.

I pictured bread with freshly milled grains and roasted malt flour packed with seeds. Instead of an endless variety of seeds I paired two - sesame and sunflower. The aromas of these lightly toasted seeds complimented the roasted malt wheat flour bringing a richness and depth to this wholesome bread.

Formula

Method

1. Autolyse flour and for one hour. (hold back 50 grams of water)
2. Meanwhile lightly toast sunflower and sesame seeds until golden and allow to cool.
3. Add levain to autolyse then knead (French fold) 5 mins. Return the dough to a bowl and add salt and 50 grams of water and squeeze through bread to incorporate (dough will separate then come back together smoothly) then knead a further 10 mins.
4. Gently mix in seeds until combined.
5. Bulk ferment two hours with one stretch-and-fold after the first hour.
6. Preshape. Bench rest 20 mins. Shape. Spray the outside lightly with water and roll in untoasted sunflower seeds.
7. Final proof was one hour at room temperature (25°).
8. Bake in dutch oven for 10 mins at 250°C then 10 mins at 200°C. Remove loaf from dutch oven and bake a further 20 mins at 200°C.

After a day of mowing and raking, it was magic to stop and savor a slice of this while still warm. To top it off ­– a scraping butter. Sigh …

The Four Leaf milling grains lend their typical golden hue to a soft crumb packed with seeds. The sesame is subtle and appears in the background on occasions to remind you of their presence while sunflower seeds are the champions – from the tender bite in the crumb to the roasted crunch on the crust to the final enjoyment of picking at fallen seeds on the plate.

All the best,
Phil 

I have baked the ciabatta formula from Maggie Glezer’s Artisan Baking many times. For me it’s a reference point of what an ideal ciabatta should taste, look and feel like … oh and the aroma of the fermented biga is pretty special too. 

In contrast, I have eaten naturally leavened ciabattas and find I am a little disappointed with the texture. I enjoy the taste … but the chewiness and tougher crust feel out of place. For me a ciabatta should be almost weightless, brittle and singling loudly when removed from the oven. Its crumb translucent and fine … and yes holes … lots of holes  :)

I decided it was time to try and get the best of both worlds in a ciabatta – the delicate crust and crumb from the commercial yeast and the flavour and strength from a stiff levain - a hybrid ciabatta.

I expanded my levain with the standard mix of AP flour and freshly milled grains with the plan of using it fairly young thus keeping the acidity reasonably low.

Next the hydration … now this is something that I think I can push further very easily.

I set the hydration for 85%, but with a twist in the mix. Instead of building strength with plenty of stretch and folds as per Craig Ponsford’s ciabatta formula I planned to use a double hydration method.

The double hydration method I used was this … add enough water in the autolyse and initial mixing to bring the hydration to 75% while holding back the remaining water and salt. After a thorough kneading (15 min) add the remaining water and salt then mix until dough combines again. The mixed dough felt strong even before the bulk ferment and even stronger after two stretch and folds. In hindsight I think only one stretch-and-fold would have been necessary (if at all)

It bulk fermented for 2.5 hrs before I divided and shaped the puffy dough. By this time the dough had gained so much strength that I probably could have shaped into batards if I was feeling game.

After proofing I baked them in a very hot oven and managed to get a nice little steam burn on my thumb from cracking a bubble as I turned the loaves half way through the bake.

Pip’s Hybrid Ciabatta mkI

Formula (makes 4 x 500g ciabattas)

Method

1. Autolyse flour and water 45 mins (hold back 100 grams of water)
2. Add levain, instant yeast and knead until well developed, roughly 15-20  mins. Return the dough to a bowl and add salt and 100 grams of water and squeeze through bread to incorporate (dough will separate then come back together smoothly)
3. Bulk ferment 2.5 hours with two stretch-and-folds in the first hour. This could be taken back to one stretch-and-fold as the dough had gained considerable strength by 2nd set of folds.
4. Divide and shape. I did a letterfold and placed seam side down.  With less stretch-and-folds this may work better. Dough was a little to tense. Maybe even just cut and prove with no shaping.
5. Flip the dough off the couche and transfer to peel. Dimple by pressing fingers into dough. Peel into a very hot oven with steam and bake for 35 mins at 250°C until very well browned.

They had amazing ovenspring and sang proudly when removed from the oven to cool. The crust is a dark red with expansion cracks running along the top from the letter fold seam. I then summoned all my self control and allowed it to cool before slicing into it. Whew … exhausting!

The crust cracked and shattered as the knife descended through it before revealing a open and opaque crumb. The kind of crumb I love in a ciabatta. Delicate! The flavour of the levain brought a much cleaner and lighter taste to the bread than the biga … a taste I think I prefer.

Were there holes? … well yes, but not quite as large and random as the glezer formula, but I think that has more to do with the extra handling I gave the dough during the bulk ferment.

But will I bake these again? Yep, very happy, but I will change a few things. I like the double hydration method and will use it again but I think I can increase the hydration to 90% easily while doing away with one of the stretch-and-folds. Perhaps even a tad more whole grains next time … I do like to see flecks in the crumb.

I would love to say we built gourmet sandwiches with fresh basil, plump sun ripened tomatoes and the finest olive oil … but in reality we made toasted cheese soldiers for the kids.

…and what do Aussie kids have on there toasted cheese soldiers?

… vegemite!

… and do you know what?… they tasted awesome!

All the best,
Phil

... and now for something different.

We helped celebrate a good friends birthday last night––the same person who I have recently started baking a weekly sourdough loaf for :)

She asked if I could supply enough bread for the party to cater 30 guests. My first thoughts … ‘that this would be a bake worlds away from whole grains, fresh milled flour and natural levains’. I was given free range of what I could bake, and as much as I would of loved to have left a giant miche in the middle of the table, I knew I had to bake for a wider audience. The party was a barbeque with lots of fresh salads and spit-roasted meat––bread rolls were an essential compliment to the meal. I thought it might be fun to also include some bread which could be torn and used to mop up any remaining sauce left on the plate.

I initially thought ‘white bread rolls’, but after reading through Tartine Bread I became hooked on the idea of using brioche dough as a wonderfully decadent barbeque bun. My go-to brioche formula is from Richard Bertinet’s book, Crust. It is very rich, slightly sweet and uses an overnight rest in the fridge, making scheduling a breeze.

In addition to the brioche, I wanted the ‘other’ bread to be able to mop up the leftovers or be used to build extravagant sandwiches. Ciabatta! My favourite ciabatta formula comes from Maggie Glezer’s Artisan Baking courtesy of Craig Ponsford. It has a wonderful flavour from a biga fermented for 24 hrs prior to mixing. But mixing is hardly the right word. Really the ingredients are brought together with a minimal short mix then strengthened via stretch and folds through the bulk ferment.

Preparing biga

Arteries beware
  

… after breakfast, (24 hrs before bake day) I mixed the biga including freshly milled grains and a tiny amount of yeast.

That night I prepared the brioche dough. I find it’s best not to think too deeply about the amount of eggs and butter you are about to use … artery hardening :) yikes!!

The eggs, sugar and flour were autolysed for 45 mins before adding the yeast and kneading (slap and fold) for 5 mins. I incorporated the salt and kneaded a further 10 mins until the dough window-paned. Then came a further 30 mins of kneading as I incorporated the butter … this is a slow and ponderous task. It literally feels like one step forward and two steps backward with each addition of butter. In the end you are rewarded with the silkiest, smoothest dough imaginable. It was then bulk fermented for two hours with one stretch and fold before being placed in the refrigerator for an overnight rest. Ahhhh …

The next morning the biga was still not at a stage I was happy with (temperature had dropped during the rainy night) so I delayed the start of the ciabatta mix (and started a hybrid sourdough version as an experiment … I will post on this soon). I also removed the brioche dough from the fridge and allowed it an hour at room temperature before dividing and shaping. The brioche dough proved for two and a half hours. It was egg-washed, sprinkled with sesame seeds and set to bake for thirty minutes until the centre buns began to brown sufficiently. 

A sniff of the biga let me know it was ready and I set to work on the ciabatta. At first it seems hard to believe that the wet slops will strengthen with stretch and folds to a cohesive mass that can roughly hold its shape.

After a 2.5 hr bulk ferment the ciabattas were shaped with a quick letter fold before being placed seam side down on a floured teatowel to prove for 45 mins … then flip, slide, dimple and peeled into a very hot oven until well browned.

The breads were well received by all, with the hit of the night being the brioche burger buns. Their rich interiors and fine golden crumb provided more than enough sustenance for the hard working chefs. Heard on the rumor mill during the night - “Nat only wants me for my buns” :)

The ciabatta crumb was creamy and delicate encased in a thin caramel crust with the aroma of the biga in every bite. It was a pleasure to watch it being enjoyed by so many.

All the best,
Phil 

At last we have a reprieve from the heat and humidity with temperatures almost 10°C lower than what we were experiencing during the week.

The cooler temperatures and comments on previous postings (thanks Janet) have inspired me to bake some wholemeal loaves.

Before I started home milling one of my favourite wholemeal flours was from a biodynamic mill in South Australia (Four Leaf Milling). Though the flour was not strong it had exceptional flavour and a golden hue with large soft pieces of bran. Being biodynamic was a bonus despite the carbon footprint getting it to Brisbane … sigh.

I now purchase grains from Four Leaf to mill. The flour I mill is in no way comparable to the flour produced by Four Leafs stone mill. The Komo mills the grain evenly and I am not getting the variation in bran size … I am however getting the lovely golden colour and sweet aromas.

The house bread this week was to be something sweet or fruity. I settled upon golden raisin and fennel bread with some inspiration from “Tartine Bread” but with some toasted pine-nuts added.

I have been using the Four Leaf grains in conjunction with stronger wheat from Kialla Pure Foods at usually a 50/50 mix but for this bread I used solely Four Leaf grains.

Levain

The levain was built using AP flour with 10% fresh milled grains. At the same time I autolysed the flour in cold water from the fridge allowing it to come to room temperature before final mixing. Six hours later the levain was light and tasted fruity with only a small note of tang and the autolyse dough was sitting at room temperature … perfect.

I kept this in mind ... knead lightly, it won’t take a lot of punishment. Patience when adding mix-ins. Stretch and fold carefully. Shape gently. Watch for signs of tearing. Top with sesame seeds.

Wholemeal Golden Raisin and Fennel au Levain

Formula

Method

1. Autolyse flour and water from fridge for six hours. (hold back 50 grams of water)
2.  Soak raisins for 30 min in water then drain. Toast fennel seeds and pine-nuts in oven until lightly browned.
3. Add levain to autolyse then knead (French fold) 5 mins. Return the dough to a bowl and add salt and 50 grams of water and squeeze through bread to incorporate (dough will separate then come back together smoothly), then knead a further 10 mins.
4. Gently mix in raisins, pine-nuts, fennel seeds and rind until combined.
5. Bulk ferment two hours with two stretch and folds in the first hour 30 mins apart.
6. Preshape. Bench rest 20 mins. Shape.
7. Final proof was roughly one hour at room temperature (25°).
8. Bake in dutch oven for 10 mins at 250°C then 10 mins at 200°C. Remove loaf from dutch oven and bake a further 20 mins at 200°C.

Today I had two more bakes lined up. I hoped to continue the success of the “Anygrain Sourdough” from last weeks post with an 80% Rye Sourdough. I have pieced together this formula from advice and nuggets of information gained on the TFL. (Thanks Mini Oven, nicodvb and Andy)

I am still noticing my fresh milled rye has a tendency to ferment very quickly. I took advantage of the cooler conditions and experimented. Firstly I cooled the grains in the fridge before milling. Secondly I milled the grains carefully. I used a coarser setting than before for the starter build and a very coarse setting for the soaker and made full use of sifting for the flour required in the final dough (which meant I did not need to mill this finely either).

After milling I allowed the flour to come to room temperature before mixing the starter using a very small seed amount. I also mixed salt in the soaker to control any enzyme activity that might take place overnight. I designed the formula to allow me to autolyse the sifted wheat flour with the remaining water. I am not looking to increase the temperature of the final dough by controlling water temperatures (I wonder if this is where I have come unstuck in the past by increasing the dough temperatures and thus speeding the fermentation)

80% Rye Sourdough

Formula

Method

1. Day before prepare rye starter then soaker.
2. Next day autolyse sifted wheat flour and water for one hour, then stir with spoon for 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Shape and place into greased tins (mine were 8 x 4 x 4 Pullman) seam side down.
5. I proved these for one hour and 15 mins before docking and placing into oven with lids on for 15 minutes at 270°C  then a further hour at 210°C

 This has been my most successful high percentage rye bake yet. Even after one day the flavour really is really something with softened coarse rye doted throughout the crumb. Sour, strong and clean, I think because the crust is not harsh or too dark ... easy to cut. Another day and it will slice perfectly.

Last but not least was a batch of Three Grain Country Sourdough for Nats parents and our loyal customer (thanks Neeks .. hope you like this one)

This was the most interesting bake of the three. Yesterday I purchased a small amount of really nice looking wheat grains from Wholegrain Milling Company and I decided I would use them in the Three Grain Country bread. The milling revealed a golden coloured flour and a soft brown bran that was sifted out. The autolysed dough seemed dryer at first and I initially thought I may have to increase the hydration but after kneading and adding salt the dough came together nicely. (Sifted fresh milled flour is foul to knead until salt is added … S T I C K Y)

This is where things deviated … During the bulk ferment I noticed the dough was a lot more extensible than previous doughs and did not hold its shape quite as well. The preshaped rounds plumped up nicely and again where very extensible during shaping … It was the final proof that almost caught me unawares. They proved in 30 minutes. When I checked the dough in passing I almost had heart failure when a poke indent hardly rose. Panic stations as I prepared the peel and steaming setup, the whole time debating in my head if the dough could really be ready … nothing like self doubt … Just kept telling myself to listen to what the dough was telling me. The dough sprang into life in the screaming hot oven much to my relief.

I am wondering about these grains and whether I damaged the starch excessively when milling as they certainly behaved differently. I may use a 50/50 mix with the Kialla grains next bake. No crumb shot of these but they feel soft and springy to the touch.

The stand out bread of these bakes is the Wholemeal Golden Raisin and Fennel. We had it this morning untoasted for breakfast with honey and ricotta and it has the texture of soft golden cake. It is not chewy. It is not sour. A slice of it is sweet and moist with strands of orange rind sparkling in the crumb. It was hard to stop finding reasons to cut another slice.

Looking forward to breakfast tomorrow ...

All the best,
Phil 

I have a confession …

I built a new levain …

… but why?

For a few reasons … We are only a couple of weeks into summer and my wholewheat desem starter is not coping. After trying many methods of slowing the fermentation I am still ending up with overly sour builds … they are out of my control and smell unpleasant and it is starting to show in the resulting bread.

I have built a stiff levain following Gerard Rubaud's methods using fresh milled flours and AP flour.  With a large proportion of AP flour (70%) and smaller feed amount I feel like I can control the fermentation again. Yes, I could have just converted my old starter to this new schedule but creating a new levain was another goal of mine when purchasing the grain mill … I love to tinker.

The new levain smells very different to my previous starter. It’s sweet, almost nutty. A find myself smelling it twice to try and place the scent … I can’t, but I know I really like it.

The levain is a week old and the breads in this posting have been leavened with this little powerhouse.

It was time to mill again.

The night before I bake, I mill … and to make things interesting this week … I was going to mix a batch of dough as well … another set of “Pain de Traitions” which I would retard in the fridge overnight. One for our landlord (we need some things fixed around the house) and the other for my first regular customer :)

I find the weighing, milling, sifting, soaking and levain feedings the night before busier than the following days bake. I milled and sifted flours for the "3 Grain Country Bread". I prepared the soaker for a batch of “Any Grain Sourdough”. I milled and sifted rye and wheat flours for the “Any Grain Sourdough”. I milled flours and mixed the levain and built the rye sour. The levain, rye sour, flours and container of water were placed on the patio outside at night to be at roughly the correct mixing temperature for the the morning.

I am tweaking the formulas slightly. For the “Any Grain Sourdough” I am using fresh milled flour throughout (previous versions used a small amount of bakers flour) and I increased the amount of dough to better fill the bread pans. For the 3 Grain Country Bread” I have reduced the amount of wholegrain spelt and the amount of salt.

Any Grain Sourdough in tins (grains included in total flour)

Formula

Method

1. Night before prepare soaker and rye starter.
2. Next day autolyse sifted wheat flour and water for one hour, then stir with wooden spoon for 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix 5-10mins. I use a scraper in my right hand to pick up and turn the dough and keep my left hand wet enough to avoid excessive sticking.
4. Allow bulk ferment for 15-30mins.
5. Shape and roll in rolled oats. Place into greased tins (mine were Pullman) seam side down.
6. I proved these for one hour before placing into oven with lids on for 10 minutes at 250°C  then a further 1.5 hours at 200°C

3 Grain Country Bread mkII

Formula

Method

1. Autolyse flour and water for one hour. (hold back 50 grams of water)
2. Add levain and rye starter then knead (French fold) 5-10 mins. Return the dough to a bowl and add salt and 50 grams of water and squeeze through bread to incorporate (dough will separate then come back together smoothly) then knead a further 5-10 mins.
3. Bulk ferment three hours (mine was in a cooler bag with icebricks to control rising temps) with three stretch and folds 30min apart in the first 1.5hrs.
4. Preshape. Bench rest 20 mins. Shape.
5. Final proof was roughly one and a quarter hours at room temperature (27°).
6. Bake in steamed oven for 10 mins at 250°C then 30 mins at 200°C

The kitchen buzzed with activity early this morning. The "Pain de Tradition’s" were taken from the fridge and left at room temperature for an hour before being baked in a dutch oven. Amazing oven spring again with a lot more colour in the crust this time. No crumb shots as these are not for us :)

The "Any Grain Sourdoughs” are always a hit for us and this bake is no different. I am very pleased with the result using entirely fresh milled flour. The flavour is as good if not better than ever (thanks to the altus, rye starter and fresh milled flours) with the crumb being softer than my previous efforts. I love the contrast between the rolled oats and dark caramel crust. These will sustain us during our working week for breakfasts.

Last into the oven today were the “3 Grain Country Breads” These proved extremely quickly as the temperatures rose today. This is my favourite bread. The new levain was evident in the first bite. The bread tasted sweet and I could detect the scent of the new levain. It tasted fresh. A thin crust leads to a crumb that is lighter and softer with the reduced spelt … perfect for kids who enjoyed banana sandwiches on it (they were awesome apparently)

It has rained for the first time this month and as the rain continues softly tonight my new little levain is feeding happily.

All the best,
Phil 

How did I become infatuated with idea of incorporating home milling into my bread making? 

... the baker Gérard Rubaud.

His story and methods of crafting bread and levain maintenance incorporating fresh milled flour captivated me. From his attention to detail (using all of his senses) to his relaxed but focussed methods, it seemed to speak of another way of making bread. A craftsman’s way perhaps? (sorry … but I am still reading Richard Sennett’s book “The Craftsman” and have found the subject matter fascinating)

This planted a seed for milling my own flour … a seed that took a few years to germinate mind you.

A week ago I put together a “quick” version of this bread for a weekend lunch with family and friends.  I thoroughly enjoyed making it and even more so at lunch the next day. I had no photos of the process or the final crumb to share so I have endeavoured to make this bread again … with a little more effort this time.

From what I have read about Gérard and his processes, the heart and soul of his bread is his lovingly maintained levain. It is a firm levain kept in warm conditions refreshed frequently. It is fed AP flour, freshly milled sifted flours and a small addition of salt to keep enzyme activity under control. (The caught material from sifting is added to the final dough)

I already had the firm starter. We definitely have the warm conditions at the moment and the sifted fresh milled flours are also possible. Last year during the peak of our summer I regularly added salt to my firm starters to stop them turning to goo by the end of the day. I saw no decrease in rising activity and if anything I noticed an increase in flavours during the warmer periods. I think the addition of salt is even more essential with the addition of freshly milled flour.

I have maintained the levain during the week with two feedings a day except for the day before the bake where I gave the levain three feedings six hours apart and built the necessary amount for the final dough and also the olive bread from my last posting.

Gérard Rubaud’s 'pain de tradition'

Formula

Method

1. Autolyse flour and water 45 mins (hold back 50 grams of water)
2. Add levain and knead (French fold) 5-10 mins. Return the dough to a bowl and add salt and 50 grams of water and squeeze through bread to incorporate (dough will separate then come back together smoothly) then knead a further 5-10 mins.
3. Bulk ferment 3 hours with three stretch and folds at 30 mins in the first 1.5 hours. (could be taken back to two sets of folds as the dough had gained considerable strength by third set of folds)
4. Preshape and bench rest for 20 mins
5. Shape (allow boules to rest seam side down on bench for a minute before placing into baskets) and proof for 2.5 – 3 hours
6. Bake in steamed oven for 10 mins at 250°C then 30 mins at 200°C

Dumping, dividing and preshaping

The oven spring was astounding … I baked both loaves at the same time on different shelves and they both reached the shelf above. There was a bit of juggling and crafty shelf removal to extract them from the oven safely :)

They are almost weightless.

The crusts are somewhat paler than the high extraction breads I have baking notably the three grain bread where I use two starters. (I love how the use of a rye starter adds a red hue to the crusts in those breads)

The gentleness of the crust proved a test when it came time to slice but we were rewarded with a delicate translucent crumb and sweet aroma. The flavour and texture is undemanding with only subtle sourness … hard pressed to call it sour at all. It melts in the mouth.

This is a bread best torn, not sliced.

I am still not entirely happy with the steaming setup in my oven when baking on two shelves. I am wondering if the steam is rising higher or sitting above the bottom shelf leading to uneven results. I bake for the first ten minutes with the oven switched off as I am unable to turn off the fan force feature.

Where to from here?

For me this kind of levain maintenance is not sustainable for a home baker who usually only has the weekends to bake, both for the waste it creates and the amount of time required for minimum twice daily feedings. If however I was baking daily or a few times weekly in my imagined wood-fired oven this would be the signature bread I would make for my customers.

For myself though, the flavour and added health benefits of a high extraction loaf with fresh milled flours is superior. It’s the bread I miss when I am not at home.

All the best, Phil

p.s. Hey Aneeks, does this bread look familiar? Hope you liked the loaf we left for you :)