Pane Petra conTuttoIlGrano (Molino Quaglia)
In my previous post "Golosaria 2009 & Petra Lab" I wrote about Petra flour from Molino Quaglia. I said I'd like to try conTuttoIlGrano, the (very) whole version of Petra.
And now, my very first test with conTuttoIlGrano! You can read about these flours in my previous post but I want to give you more details about conTuttoIlGrano. "con-tutto-il-grano" means "with-the-whole-grain" and I think this is a perfect name. The flour is stone milled, GMO free (not organic), it has 80% whole wheat flour and the other 20% is wheat flakes, toasted germ and bran ... a whole whole wheat flour!
I baked a simple sourdough bread, here the main points:
- 25% Petra1 + 75% Petra conTuttoIlGrano
- 25% pre-fermented flour (100% hydration liquid levain), I used Petra1 flour.
- 62% overall hydration
- Short mix with S&F
- Retarded in proof
[The loaf]
[The crumb]
And here the information from the bag (you can see the high resolution version on my zoomr page, just click on the photo then on the "lens" and select the original size). One side of the bag describe a formula with a yeasted biga. If you do the easy calculations the suggested hydration is 70% (maybe 68% if the dough is retarded). For sure this flour can go up to this high hydration (even more if you use a stiff 45% hydration biga that adds a lot of strength to the final dough) but I think this is not a must.
Yesterday I was reasoning about my oven + covered steam method and I think (maybe I'm wrong) the cover traps a lot of steam, sometimes too much steam. This could be a problem with high hydration dough (heart baked) because they need less steam but when covered they free even more stream than a stiffer one: result flat loaves. Ok, you can say don't use the cover with this dough but I wasn't so bravo to get a proper steaming with my crazy oven.
Conclusion: a great whole wheat flour. The loaf is perfect even if I think my starter doesn't like the "all in one" switch on Petra1.
Next loaf ... Pane Petra di Campagna?
Comments
Hi Giovanni,
I've really enjoyed reading your very recent posts using the special local flours you've found. Great breads, and good to see some wholegrain giving such a great alternative to the now so-common Type "00" flour, often raved about, and rarely milled from Italian wheat.
Your breads look wonderful.
I've just loaded a massive 2kg "Horst Bandel's Black Pumpernickel into my oven. Hamelman suggests 12 to 12 hours in a falling oven, and it's already nearly 3pm here in the UK; late night for me then!!!
I'm going back to the local Northumberland wheatflour I have in College after that. Thanks, you helped inspire me to this decision.
Best wishes
Andy
Hi JoeVa. I've just gotta say...WHAT A CRUMB! Fantastic.
Especially considering what is in the mix. Very nice is an understatement!
Eric
I'm very jealous of your crumb... ;o)
Tim
Beautiful bread.Thanks for your posts.
Greg R
Hi, Giovanni.
The bread looks wonderful. To get that fully aerated crumb with the flours and hydration you are using is exceptional.
Do you have any tips you would like to share?
David
David I don't know, I just started the formula with 65% reference hydration but I didn't added all the water because I felt it was the right consistency. During the bulk fermentation I added one more fold and a pre-shaping (I usually do not pre-shape) because the dough seems to loose. That's all, I hope to get a better feeling one day so that I can give some more tips.
... however I believe that with a good flour even a "trained monkey" can bake good bread. I think it's not me, it's just the flour.
Giovanni
I don't think you give yourself enough credit ... Or perhaps your Italian monkeys get better training than ours.
David
I know what you mean by your "trained monkey' comment. I often feel the same way. I take little credit for the gorgeous breads that come out of my oven - it's all about technique and process inherited from the long traditions of bread baking (and generously passed on by fellow home bakers in great online communities like this one)...and as you say, the quality of the flour. If this were not the case, I'd feel boastful using superlatives like "gorgeous" to describe my own breads!
Mind you, there is no doubt that there is pride attached to turning out great bread from your own oven - and if I were you, I'd feel especially proud of that beautiful crumb. Bet the flavour is marvellous, too.
Cheers
Ross
Beautiful bread-and thanks for all the info on the flours you have been using. Very interesting blog posts to read!
Christina
There are your hands. Involved up to your elbows! Your experience may not be written down, and maybe you can't spell out your technique but it is working for you. Wow, it's working!
Thanks for mentioning the zoom in on the bag detail thing. It's fun. (Glad I don't have one of those screens that rotate with gravity!) Next time I head for the beach I got to bring some of your great flour back! Meanwhile, give a clue or two to some of your technique...
Mini
Umm, i've nothing more to add. Perfected Loaf of nutritious goodness!! I can understand how the flour contributes to the final outcome, i've experienced it first hand. The thing about Fresh high quality milled grains that are a good fresh harvest to begin with, will be make baking such a forgiving process.
The Main problem with Flours milled from nowadays grains is that the grain in itself is comparable to a KFC chicken. Commercial farming and harvesting are their to make money, and they will do what it takes to get the maximum yield out of every inch of their farms to make money. They wouldn't care less about how much abuse the soil, and the plans have had to endure to deliver what they expect, when they expect it.
I now believe, more so now after i saw this post, that bread is the final outcome of all processes that were involved in the making of the grain it self. The more conscious the farming, milling, storing is, the better a flour should be, and thus the better the bread. No compromises, no shortcuts.
Too true. That's why I always use certified organic flour.