What the???? kind of bread is that?
This bread has a history in experimentation. The other day I was contemplating what sort of side dish to have with smoked chicken and decided to try a savory porridge polenta style but made with various coarse ground grains. The mill was set on its widest and some barley, oats, Einkorn, rye,and Durum was ground, to that mixture some grits were added so that it came to 1.5 cups. A 3 cup mixture of chicken stock and milk was brought to a boil and the grains were whisked in along with a green jalapeño that had fallen off the the plant, a jar of tomatoes that had failed to seal while canning and some salt and pepper. After most of the liquid was absorbed, about .75 cup of grated aged cheddar and a few basil leaves was added. It came out pretty well but made more than we could eat. The thought of making bread with the leftover happened the next day.
The bread was made with KA AP, natural starter and the leftover. It was retarded overnight after a short bulk fermentation due to warm temps and the presence of so much available food for the beasties. After the dough warmed an oval loaf was formed and put in a banneton with the seam side down. It was baked on the grill stone with an oval DO as the lid for 20 min then placed on an inverted pan to prevent the bottom from burning. This is the first time for me that the seam from forming the loaf opened up in such a dramatic way that ears were formed. I would go to the effort of trying to name the bread but doubt that circumstances will ever repeat themselves. Such is the problem and the pleasure of winging it.
Stu
Comments
pat. Love the side dish too. Well done and
Happy baking
Just cut the bread and it has huge holes and a gummy interior destined to become croutons, breadcrumbs or chicken food. As stated such is the problem and the pleasure of winging it.
Stu
Try this recipe next time and you might like how it comes out.
https://mookielovesbread.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/kiss-my-grits-ricotta-cheese-bread/
I will try it looks good.
Stu
I wish I also have a fancy grill like yours that will allow the radiant and convective heat from the coals to circulate all around the bread. Is the bottom crust thicker and/or crisper than the top crust? How do you set up the coals/fire for baking bread?
Fist time the grill was tried the loaf was baked directly on the stone the whole time and two problems arose. The bottom crust was almost burnt and there was no oven ( grill? ) spring. These were solved by covering the loaf with a hot DO for the first 15 min and placing the loaf on an inverted pan to insulate the bottom. The bottom crust does come out thicker and chewier. The coals are standard lump charcoal lit in a chimney starter and dumped in the center of the grill. The stone diffuses the heat very well. This is also the way to smoke a chicken but with lower heat and long time.
Stu