The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

A simple rustic large loaf

uncle goosehead's picture
uncle goosehead

A simple rustic large loaf

I know people like to weigh and measure.  I am more of a 'all loaves will be different' kind of baker and go by feel.  Been doing this for 20+ years, started when the kids were little, continue along every weekend.  I did pick up on the folding and autolysing ideas from this site, which i joined just a little while ago. Part of my reason, is that I also bake when we go north into the bush and lake country.  I have an anodized aluminum dutch oven for that, and plenty of hungry volunteer kneaders.

I wore out my original Kitchen Aid mixer.  This was a solid 10 cup flour model from the late 1980s.  I kept the stainless bowls.  They don't fit anything, but they are good bowls.  My current KA is tilt head model, also 10 cup capacity.  I have been developing arthritis so hand kneading has not been my favourite idea.  Folding and autolysing makes me think I can keep this for smaller things, like noodle making and whipping egg whites and cream.  So I am very glad to have found this site!

Simple Big Rustic Load

Preferment:

1/2 c spelt fl
1/2 c wh wheat fl
1/2 tsp yeast
1 cup water
mix briefly w/ mixer cover w/ wrap
5 pm

Autolyse:

2 c unbl fl
1 cup water
mix w/ spoon cover with wrap
9:30 pm

next morning 13.5 hrs later (from start)

preferment + autolysed + the following:

2 c wh wheat fl
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp grapesead oil
1 tbsp yeast
mix until smooth, stop

2 hours later: fold dough twice

another 2 hours alter: fold again twice
form into ball and score 3x3
into 9x9 pyrex square pan
cover

4 hours later, put 1/2 c boiling water into pan under:bake 12 mins @ 500°F convection (This is a KA convection/conventional oven, the temps are 25° higher in conventional oven on average, with times the same)
bake 15 mins @ 500°F convection
bake 20 mins @ 325°F convection
bake 5 mins @ 300°F convection removed from pan on rack

Loaf stands 6.5".  Probably got an inch of oven-spring. I'll get some photos put up if I can figure out how.  The crumb is close and regular, like I wanted.  The crust is a little bit chewy and little bit crunchy.  Also just right.  I have tomorrow's preferment going as of this morning.  It's 1/2 c of each of: barley flour, rye flour and whole wheat with 1.5 c water and 1/2 tsp yeast.

uncle goosehead's picture
uncle goosehead

before baking baked

sliced

That was easy - figuring out photos. This was a cold day in April, the 16th. It snowed a bit this morning. The kitchen was at 21°C in the morning and 18°C at night. The humidity is just less than 30%. We are a dry, cold climate, where summer is 3 or 4 months of bad skiiing and snowshoing. But that's when we canoe. I started tommorrow's bread this morning and expect I'll make it into 3 loaves. I suspect we'll make french toast out of some slices of today's for breakfast.

bobkay1022's picture
bobkay1022

That looks like real nice bread. It was cool last few days here in Arizona also. Temps went from 90F to 80F.

Have a nice day

Mr. Bob

www.siemann.us