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The Dark Side Attacks: 70% rye plus wheat / emmer / spelt

Juergen Krauss's picture
Juergen Krauss

The Dark Side Attacks: 70% rye plus wheat / emmer / spelt

Mischbrot variations

In earlier experiments with breads having a higher percentage of rye flour I found that adding spelt, emmer or semolina complemented the rye very well.

With this bake I wanted to compare the effect of substituting the wheat part with emmer and spelt in breads with 70% rye. The flours are all from Shipton Mill.

The outcome:



I used my tried and tested Mischbrot formula as a base, this time using a rye starter with 100% hydration. The starter is made with dark rye, while the remaining rye in the formula is light rye.

Here the formula:

Straight formula

Percent

Amount(g)

Amount (oz)

Dark Rye

24

108

3.83

Light Rye

46

208

7.33

Bread flour

30

136

4.78

Or light spelt flour

30

136

4.78

Or wholegrain emmer flour

30

136

4.78

salt

2

9

0.32

water

75

339

11.96

yield

177

800

28.22

 

 

 

 

Rye sour

 

 

 

Dark rye flour

24

108

3.83

Water

24

108

3.83

Mature starter

2.4

11

0.38

Yield

50.4

227

8.04

 

 

 

 

Dough

 

 

 

Light Rye

46

208

7.33

Bread flour

30

136

4.78

Or light spelt flour

30

136

4.78

Or wholegrain emmer flour

30

136

4.78

Salt

2

9

0.32

Water

51

231

8.13

Rye sour

48

217

7.65

Yield

177

800

28.22

At the current cooler temperatures (about 23C / 73F in my kitchen) the starter took 16 hours to mature.
With 70% rye the doughs / pastes are very sticky and require only a short mix/knead so that all materials are mixed well.

After 100 minutes of fermentation at 23C / 73F I shaped rounds with very wet hands (in mid-air), and put t hem into baskets (floured with light rye) for the final rest..After 60 minutes the rounds showed cracks, a sign that they are ready for the bake.

The bake (on a stone, with steam) started at maximum temperature (ca.  240C / 464F), after 15 minutes I turned the loaves and lowered the temperature to 210C / 410F, After another 20 minutes the bread was ready.

I am very happy with oven spring and bloom. All three breads performed equally well and were indistinguishable from the outside.

After a day I cut into the loaves. The crumb is quite similar in all three loaves, the bread containing wholegrain emmer  is a bit darker and more dense.(The wheat bread got a bit of a shadow - bad photography!)

Although the crumb looks fairly dense, the breads actually feel light.

The crust could be thicker, but that's my oven – not much I can do about this at the moment.

The taste of the three breads is also very similar – quite complex with rye dominating, and a distinctive tangy after-taste. The emmer bread has the most complex taste.

There are a few things I would like to try with this formula:
1. using all wholegrain flours
2. going back to the original German way: using all medium rye and refined flours (which would be called ”Berliner Landbrot”)
3. Reducing the amount of rye sour and using some of the wheat/emmer/spelt in a stiff starter as a second preferment
4. using a wheat/emmer/spelt poolish as a second preferment
5. adding spices

Lots to do!
Juergen

Comments

lumos's picture
lumos

Hat off to your never-waning drive and effort in the quest of perfection.  the loaves look great and the comparisons of the crumb and flavours are really interesting. Thank you for sharing. 

Look forward to your next experiment.....and the result. ;)

Juergen Krauss's picture
Juergen Krauss

Juergen

nicodvb's picture
nicodvb

the crumb of the bread containing spelt looks opener than the other ones. Maybe it's just a coincidence. To me it's one more testimony that bread flour doesn't really make a difference in high-rye territory.

Enjoy and let the dark side drive you :)

Juergen Krauss's picture
Juergen Krauss

Nico,

I share your opinion about the bread flour.

The Shipton light spelt feels finer when you rub it between your fingers, and the crumb looks lighter than te one containing wheat.

I think the ratio between dark and light rye is more critical, but I am just beginning to explore that field.

Thanks for your comment,

Juergen

ananda's picture
ananda

Hi Juergen,

Lovely looking breads and very interesting experiment.   I share ideas with you and Nico.

Just remembering back to Village Bakery days and a Rossisky loaf made with approx 70% dark and 30% light rye [which eventually mutated to 100% dark; another story], and the Borodinsky which was 40% dark and 60% light rye.   Both were all rye breads, and the difference in volume and lightness between the 2 was very significant.

Very best wishes

Andy

Juergen Krauss's picture
Juergen Krauss

Hi Andy,

Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your insights.

Lots to try out.

Juergen

varda's picture
varda

I was admiring your thick crust when I read that.    Very interesting comparisons and nice bread!  -Varda

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

I too like add spelt to my rye breads to give them a more complex and deep flavor as well as softening the crumb to a smaller degree. 

Barbarat's picture
Barbarat

Juergen, how do you get that beautiful oven spring? What kind of oven are you using? How are you steaming? How hot are you baking?

 

Barbara