The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Coffee Lover's Dream Multi-Grain Sourdough

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Coffee Lover's Dream Multi-Grain Sourdough

      I just returned from a 2 week business trip to China and after refreshing my starters I decided to make a coffee flavored bread that also was rich in multi-grains.  I have had great success using soakers in this style bread in the past so this was no different  I used malted rye berries, spelt kernels, buckwheat groats and soft white wheat berries all soaked in 240 grams of chocolate raspberry truffle flavored coffee.

For the starter I used my white 65% hydration starter and added coffee, pumpernickel flour and white rye.  To continue with the all coffee theme I also used coffee in the main dough along with an assortment of flours plus some dehydrated onions that I mixed in with the coffee before adding to the dough.

The end result was nice dark, rich, moist and coffee flavored bread.  If you don't like coffee you will run away screaming from this one, but if you can't get enough Java in your system, give this one a try.

Soaker

30 grams Buckwheat Groats (bought at Whole Foods)

30 grams Spelt Kernels (Berries...not sure which)

30 grams Malted Rye Berries

20 grams Soft White Wheat Berries

240 grams Hot Coffee (I used Chocolate Raspberry Truffle)

Mix coffee in a bowl with other ingredients and let sit covered at room temperature for 24 hours.

Starter

71 grams Seed (Mine is 65% AP Flour Starter)

142 grams AP Flour

85 grams Pumpernickel Flour

70 grams White Rye Flour

151 grams Coffee (85 - 90 degrees F.)

Mix seed with coffee to break up for a few seconds and then mix in flour until the starter forms a smooth dough consistency.  Put it in a lightly oiled bowl and loosely cover and leave at room temperature for at least 10 hours.  The starter should double in volume.  Put the starter in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days or use it immediately.

Main Dough

Ingredients

425 grams Starter from above (all of the starter)

300 grams European Style Flour (KAF)  (Sub Bread Flour if you don't have this)

150 grams Spelt Flour

100 grams Whole Wheat

80 grams Graham Flour

20 grams Walnut Oil

370 grams Coffee (90 degrees F.)

14 grams Sea Salt (or table salt)

All of the Soaker from above (make sure to drain the soaker thoroughly)

Procedure

I mixed  the flours together with all the coffee except for 50 grams and let them autolyes for 30 minutes.    I then added the levain, oil and the soaker and the rest of the coffee with the salt and mixed on speed #1 for 1 minute and #2 for 4 minutes.  I then did a stretch and fold, rested the dough uncovered for 10 minutes.  I then did another stretch and fold, covered the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.  I did one more stretch and fold and put it in a lightly oiled bowl for 2 hours.  I then put it in the fridge overnight.

The next day I let the dough sit out at room temperature for 2 hours.  After 2 hours I formed it into loaves and put them in floured bannetons and let them rise covered for 2 hours.

Score the loaves as desired and prepare your oven for baking with steam.

I then baked on my oven stone with steam at 450 degrees until both loaves were golden brown and reached an internal temperature of 200 - 210 degrees F.

Let it cool on a bakers rack for at least 2 hours or longer before diving in.

Comments

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

be long before you got right back into baking.  I would have guessed coffee and cream cheese and been wrong :-)  So can you taste the coffee this time?  You put it everywhere you could so it better come though in the taste this time!  What is the deal with extra toe on the T-Rex anyway?  I'm not sure that would be legal in Mookies Bakery and pretty darn sure Lucy would have a fit, not that she doesn't live in a hall of fits all the time as it is - depending on what is really is. 

I'm glad you are getting back to soakers.   It's hard not to put them in everything, unless of course, if there are some sprouts in the mix too -  then the soaker is absolutely required!

Glad to see you are back to your old baking bread self.  Tell Mookie I expect better free samples when I visit the bakery than the apprentices give out to the regular walk ins - and fruit cake would be nice come think of it?

Bake on!

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks DA!

I have spoken to Mookie and he promises to give you the professional discount:)

You can really taste the coffee in this one.

i have to try some sprouts soon.  

Funny thing is that I visited a company called Mookie Toys in Hong Kong and the owners name is Mookie.

I look forward to seeing your next bake.   I have to use some YW next myself.

regards

Ian

Isand66's picture
Isand66

I'm impressed you caught the Mookie's bake shop sign....he is busy comtemplating his next bake for this weekend.

linder's picture
linder

Isand66,

Those are two beautiful loaves.  I like the taste of coffee.  Does eating a slice of this bread give you a caffeine buzz?  Just wondering.  Great job on scoring the loaves and I really like the dark brown color of the loaves, once baked.

Linda

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Linda.

i think I will be up all night after eating some of this bread!

Regards

Ian

lumos's picture
lumos

Gosh, Ian, this is a truly beautiful bread!  I can see this is right up my street as a forerunner of this cocoa sourdough of mine was coffee flavoured sourdough with walnut, though mine is much simpler.  Interesting you used coffee in starter and the addition of walnut oil sounds lovely, too.  Thank you for sharing. Very inspiring. :)

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Lumos...appreciate your kind words.

I almost added some walnuts to this one and I think it will definitely go into the next attempt.

Regards,
Ian

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Lumos...appreciate your kind words.

I almost added some walnuts to this one and I think it will definitely go into the next attempt.

Regards,
Ian

varda's picture
varda

Ian,   Glad you are back and baking.   I am intrigued by your coffee whole wheat.   And as usual your breads are very elegantly scored.   Think you'll make it to the meet-up?   I would like to taste one of your creations.  -Varda

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thank you Varda.

I am going to try and make it but I can't commit yet until I have a better idea when I have to go back to China.  My factories are closed for the month of February for the Chinese New Year, so as soon as they are back in action I can figure out when I will need to go back.  I think though it will be in April so I'm hoping I can make it.

I would love to sample some of your beautiful breads as well.

I'm already have anxiety about which one i would make :).

Maybe we should all list some different breads we are thinking about making so we all bring something unique.  Just a thought, otherwise I'm sure it will turn out great.

Regards,
Ian

varda's picture
varda

Ian,   So work comes first?   How could that be?    In any case, your idea about listing breads is great.   Do you think you could get that started on the thread?    We've had around 14 people express interest, but I'm guessing more are lurking in the shadows, and the thought of great breads might coax them out.    The room accommodates around 50 people, so we needn't worry about that.   Oh, and I feel some bread anxiety as well.  BCAS?  (bread choice anxiety syndrome) -Varda

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Hi Varda....I will try to post some ideas this evening if I can....I'm supposed to be working now...but you know how that goes some times :).

Maybe I can get my wife to make a cake to bring since that is her expertise....she tried to make me a bread a few weeks ago.....I told her to stick to dessert :)

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Hi Ian,

I have been baking a cracked grain loaf that people love.  The grains are coarsely ground and then cooked like oatmeal so they soften. I am assuming your grains are left whole?  Is the coffee hot when added to them?  Do they end up being soft after the 24 hour soak followed by the overnight retard with the rest of the dough?  (I have been hesitant of adding whole grains out of fear of too much crunchiness.....but would like to give it a try.)  

I am also wondering if they start to sprout in that time period?  I am making Peter Reinhart's Sprouted Grain loaf today and when I soaked the grains for that I began to get sprouts pretty quickly...right about at the 24 hour mark.  But I then ground them up rather than leaving them whole..

Lots of ways to play with grains :-)  Seems to be my latest field of experimentation :-)  sans coffee.....buttermilk and yogurt do make their way into the mix at times though *-).

Take CareJanet

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Hi Janet,

I always add hot, close to boiling but not quite (I use my Keurig) water or in this case coffee to the grains.  I let them sit at least 12- hours before using them.  They end up soft this way with no need to grind them or add more hot water.  In the past I had used cold water and the grains ended up hard and inedible.  If you add very hot water and let them soak long enough they add a little crunch but nothing unpleasant.

No sprouting has occured to date, but that is on my list to try soon.  I guess at least 24 hours would be required for that to occur.

I was just thinking of a yogurt addition to my next bake as well.  Not sure yet what my next bake will be.  I'm thinking a durum starter with a soaker of whole grains and a yeast water starter as well.  Maybe some yogurt or cottage cheese....

Thanks for your questions.


regards,

Ian

 

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the clarification.  I will have to give the hot/soaked method a try one of these days.  Makes sense that you get no sprouting with your grains since you use boiling water....kills the enzymes.  If you soak 24 in room temp. water - you should get sprouting depending on the grain you are using. Some sprout more quickly than others.  (When sprouting I only soak 12 hrs and then drain but do keep them moist until the sprouts appear.  Then they go into the refrig. until I am ready to add them to a dough.)

I was very tentative about how today's loaf would turn out with the ground sprouted grains added and then bulk fermented.....I was expecting goo in the morning due all of the enzymes in the freshly sprouted grains.  Didn't happen!!  In the past that is what has happened so I have steered clear of using sprouted grains for quite some time now.  

I am not completely sure why I got such good results this time.....Maybe because I used sd instead of IY  (I had made this loaf with IY prior to my explosion into using sd :-)  Maybe due to the addition of fresh whey??? Or YW (I now add my YW regularly to my regularly sd when I do my daily builds....1/2 YW 1/2 water)?  A mystery but one that pleases me :-)

I have been on a fermenting kick of late.  Not sure what got me going in that direction but it started out innocently enough with making yogurt.  (Kids like the store bought :-O  but I still love making it so I give it to my dogs and use it in breads)  Over the holidays, when Whole Foods had whipping cream on sale for half price, I delved into making my own cultured butter which produced wonderful buttermilk as well.  Worked great in the loaves I was making.  Somehow I slipped into making Creme Fraiche (sp?),  cream cheese and mascarpone.  Easy to do and I have a great supply of fresh whey to use in my breads.

I am rambling.  Guess I am just sending a warning out 'just in case' if you do add yogurt to one of your loaves....You never know where it will lead.

Thanks again for explaining how you handle your grains.

Take Care,

Janet

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Janet for your response.  So when you sprout the grains, do you just keep them moist on paper towels or do you have them soaking in water until they actually sprout?  Do you grind them before using or are you adding the sprouted grains directly in the dough?

I am jealous of all your fresh cream products!  I really want to try my hand at making some cheese one of these days.

I have baked adding yogurt to my SD recipes as well as butter milk and like the way it makes the crumb moist and tangy.

Regards,
Ian

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Hi Ian,

I have a large glass jar with a strainer for a lid.  I rinse the grains at night and then fill the jar to cover the grains plus about 2" extra water.  They sit on the counter soaking overnight.  In the morning I rinse and drain and leave the jar on its side so the grains can be spread out.  I rinse them a couple of times during the day by filling the jar with a bit of water and swishing it around - followed by a drain and rest on its side again.  After about a day the tiny bud appears.  I rinse one final time and pop them into the refrig. in a glass jar until I mix them in my dough in the night.  I did grind them in my Cuisinart for the last loaf I made but I don't see why they can't be added whole...Think it depends upon your preference to the texture you want in your loaf.

I tried draining and soaking them on moist paper towels once....It was a huge hassle and didn't work as well as the jar method.

Here is a link that got me started on my latest cheese craze.  Just too easy to pass up!!!  The soft cheeses are very easy to do and take no time at all but you do need a culture which can be purchased HERE or HERE.

Take Care,

Janet

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks for the info.  How large of a jar do you actually use if you don't me asking?

Virtus's picture
Virtus

This is definitely a bread for me to try! I love coffee.

My problem is the starter amounts don't add up to 425 grams.

Thanks. 

Esther

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Esther, I do hope you give it a try.

The starter doesn't add up since you have to remember it is a 65% hydration starter and it expands.  You are right though that you will actually end up with a little bit more than needed.  I like to play it safe and have bit extra rather than be short.  You can adjust to make exactly 425 grams if desired.  I can give you the amounts if you need them.


Regards,
Ian

Virtus's picture
Virtus

Okay, thanks for answering so quickly! Sorry to be so picky. I am looking forward to trying it. Your ingredient combinations are always so interesting and must make for wonderful breads!

Isand66's picture
Isand66

No worries....I have been known to accidentally leave in an ingredient from another recipe so you never know!  Thanks for the feedback.

Regards,
Ian

Song Of The Baker's picture
Song Of The Baker

Somehow this one slipped past me.  Nicely done Ian.  I have never tasted a bread flavoured with coffee so this one sure has my interest.  The scoring is very nice and the crumb looks like a bread up my alley.  Also, I am jealous of your prebake/post proof dough.  They look picture perfect and hold their shape the way I wish mine would.

Good to have you back and baking up some interesting and inspiring loaves!

John

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks John, appreciate the kind words.

What happens with your prebake/post proof dough that you wish you could improve?  I will be glad to try and help if I can.

Baking my next bread this morning and made extra starter so I think I'm going to mix up some English muffins to make tonight or tomorrow.

Look forward to your next bake.  You have come a long way in a very short time with your bread, so keep at it.  What I love about bread baking is there are so many techniques and combinations of ingredients you can try that it never gets old.

Regards,
Ian

Song Of The Baker's picture
Song Of The Baker

I rarely (or never) get a very full and sturdy/stiff looking dough when I upend it from the proofing basket.  It always seems to be more saggy, losing its shape very quickly.  I always thought this was from too high of hydration doughs.  The only time I got a sturdy 'keeps its shape' dough when upended, was when I proofed it over night in fridge and upended out of proofing basket right away out of the fridge.  The cold stiffened the dough so that would explain that one time.

I have been wanting to try english muffins for some time now but have not found a recipe that I am confident I will be happy with yet.  I am an English Muffin snob and want to replicate the same texture you get from store bought ones, and not a soft bready, closed crumb.  If you have a recipe that will produce that open hole, almost chewy type of English Muffin, please share! :)

Thank you for your comments Ian.  I am finally at a point where I can say, I can make a decent loaf of bread - DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND!

I'm making spelt flour buttermilk pancakes with caramelized apple topping this morning.  You and I will be eating well I gather.

John

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Hi John...I could go for some of those pancakes!  My normal process of baking is to bulk retard the dough overnight.  I then let it come to room temperature for about 1.5 to 2 hours and then shape and rest for another 1.5 to 2 hours.  Give this a try and see if that helps.

I will post my recipe for the English muffins shortly.  I have a recipe up now if you do a search through my blog here or at www.mookielovesbread.wordpress.com

Regards,
Ian

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

      

 

Jar size is 1/2 gallon.  Any glass jar will do though I did buy this one (at Vitamin Cottage which is similar to Whole Foods) for convenience sake.  I have used glass jars in the past with cheese cloth as a lid but it gets messy.  I like the convenience of the metal mesh.    This size is plenty big enough to sprout grains for several loaves of bread.

Janet

P.S. I have had this jar for years and I know I didn't pay more than 10.00 for it.  More like 4.99.  Mason jars will work if you can find a lid to fit....

Isand66's picture
Isand66

So, did you make the mesh lid yourself or buy it?