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The quest for 100% whole wheat Nirvana continues

Joe Fisher's picture
Joe Fisher

The quest for 100% whole wheat Nirvana continues

I'm determined to make the Whole Wheat recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice work. This will be my 3rd try.

Got started last night.

I put together the soaker with stone ground rye flour. It was 4.25oz flour to 6oz water. Covered, left on the counter.

Then I put together the poolish. I used KA whole wheat flour. 6.75oz flour, and 6oz water. The directions say to "mix the flour and yeast, and add the water until it forms a thick paste. Stir only enough to hydrate the flour."

First problem: 6oz of water was not even enough to pick up all the flour. I had to at least double the water to make something that didn't resemble Play-Doh.

I got it to a "thick paste" consistency, and waited a few hours for the first bubbles. I then popped it in the fridge, where it waits for me now.

More to come, hopefully with pictures!

-Joe

Comments

Joe Fisher's picture
Joe Fisher

Tonight, I put the 9oz of whole wheat flour in the bowl of my mixer, added the 1 1/3tsp salt, and 1tsp IDY. I just now realized I forgot to add the 2Tbs honey. Darn. Anyway...

Next the soaker and poolish went in. Stir until it all came together, then onto the Kitchenaid with the dough hook. 8 minutes in there, and about 1/4 cup of water later, I finished kneading by hand.

About another 6 minutes by hand, and the dough passed the windowpane test, and was a little on the sticky side. I went for more hydration
than last time, in hopes of opening up the crumb.

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2 hours in my 70 degree bathroom produced a nicely doubled dough ball.

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Shaping and panning produced these. I was careful to degas the dough as little as possible, but they did end up quite small. They weight almost exactly 18oz each.

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90 minutes of proofing at 70 degrees yielded this disappointing sight:

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They're slashed and baking now. More to come.

-Joe

andrew_l's picture
andrew_l

I don't think that's a disappointing sight - they've increased in size a lot. But they did look rather lost in those tins before proofing Elizabeth David suggests that unproofed dough should almost half fill the tin....

What were they like when baked??

Joe Fisher's picture
Joe Fisher

Flat? :) I haven't opened them up, but they didn't get any bigger than in the last picture. I'll try to get some pictures tonight. They'll be good for making croutons, at least :)

-Joe

sphealey's picture
sphealey

We are all awaiting the final results: shots of the crust and crumb!

However, perhaps adding one or more turns with shorter rising cycles, and doing at least one rise in the refrigerator, might have improved the final volume?

sPh

Joe Fisher's picture
Joe Fisher

Here we go. Quite tasty, but very small, and on the dense side.

-Joe

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