The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Will milk fat be detrimental to the soaker?

JWK1's picture
JWK1

Will milk fat be detrimental to the soaker?

So what I have developed is sort of a lazy man's way to WW bread using a soaker.

 

25 oz. freshly milled Prairie Gold

5 oz. KA Sir Lancelot

68% hydration

2% salt

2 oz. non fat greek yogurt

2 Tblsp. butter

2 tsp. IDY

 

Salt dissolved in water, yogurt whisked in, then WW mixed in.  Soak for three hours.

Add just melted butter using dough hook, then add KASL with IDY (IDY had been whisked into KASL), mix and knead.

 

I have been using non fat yogurt because I heard somewhere that any kind of fat or oil is detrimental to a soaker.  I would like to try using Cabot Greek Yogurt with 10% milkfat and skip the butter.  I would probably increase the amount of yogurt. 

 

So I'm wondering if anyone can tell me the effects of oil in a soaker.  If anyone has any questions or wants more detailed recipe kind of stuff, ask away.  I'm happy to share.  It's my recipe.  I didn't get it anywhere.

 

Thanks for any info!

Postal Grunt's picture
Postal Grunt

I realize my question is a little off topic here but why are you using so much salt in the soaker?  That seems to be an overreaction to the possibility of excessive enzymatic activity in a three hour time period. My experience of late is to add the salt after the mixing has started. For example, when using my mixer I start at first speed for a few minutes, stop, add my salt, and then go to second speed for the final mix. This technique can be approximated when mixing by hand as well. It works for me.

Soaking with a dairy product is well known practice. There are plenty of formulas (recipes) available where milk is used in a soaker, so go for it.

 

JWK1's picture
JWK1

I don't know what you mean by "so much salt".  2% is pretty standard for bread dough.  I actually did do a lot of research on salt in the soaker.  It seems to be one of those "for it or against it" kind of things.  So I tried it both ways.  I honestly couldn't tell any difference.  If I did an overnight soak instead of three hours, who knows?  But this is the lazy man's hearty home loaf standard.  Hey, I should market that.  Hearty Home Loaf Standard.  Nice ring.

 

OK, you guys talked me into it.  I'll try the fatty yogurt and no butter and report back.

FlourChild's picture
FlourChild

Only thought that comes to mind is that fat or oil might coat the grains and impede absorption of the liquid.  Perhaps a longer soak is necessary if milkfat will be included.  But as this is such a small amount of yogurt and milkfat, I wouldn't expect the affect to be a strong one.