The Fresh Loaf

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Toasted Walnut & Cranberry Sourdough 88% Hydration

sadkitchenkid's picture
sadkitchenkid

Toasted Walnut & Cranberry Sourdough 88% Hydration

This dough was pretty hard to work with and the crumb and oven spring wasn't as exciting as my other loaves, but I think it is my new favorite bread. The flours I used are white bread flour and 20% wholewheat. I'll probably add more wholewheat or grain to this dough next time. Since a 50% wholewheat dough at 88% hydration would be much easier to work with than a 20% wholewheat at 88% hydration.

Here are the process pictures:

After mixing the flour and water together sans the levain and salt, I let it autolyse for 10 hours and although it was much more extensible after that period, it had relaxed to the point where it was almost soupy. The next day I mixed in the levain and salt and the dough got even waterier. To pull it together, I followed the method demonstrated by Trevor J Wilson on how to mix wet dough. In his video, the dough he used was much firmer than mine (because of the added whole grains and slightly lower hydration) so I just followed his instructions but adding an extra 15 minutes of kneading (scoop and stretch motion), making it 30 minutes of hands on kneading time in total. By the time I was done, the dough was still pretty loose but it held together enough to be lifted up in one piece and transferred to a clean bowl. I wish I got pictures of this process because the nuances of the dough texture aren't properly described in words, but my hands were matted with wet dough the whole times and I didn't want to kill my camera. 

Next I let the dough rest for an hour, did a stretch and fold, rest for thirty minutes, and added the toasted walnuts and cranberries. 

The added cranberries and walnuts somehow helped the dough pull together a bit. I proceeded with gentler stretch and folds after incorporating them to keep the whole walnuts from tearing the dough excessively. 

After four folds:

after the sixth fold:

The walnuts started to react with the flour giving those pretty purple stains. 

After shaping, I let proof at room temperature for about two hours, which might not have been enough. I usually retard the dough overnight in the fridge and proof the next day, but today I wanted to be done with my day and clean  the kitchen. 

Mediocre oven spring.

Crumb is okay. I like the purple and pink splotches. 

I just made a batch of fresh ricotta and will be having it with this bread tomorrow for breakfast. 

 

Happy baking everyone!

Comments

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

I think the crumb looks amazing! I haven't used cranberries and walnuts together, but I really like cranberries in bread. I make a Buckwheat Cranberry sourdough that people really love (always get a lot of orders when I offer this one to the subscription list!). That is a very wet dough. Do you think it had a bit too much enzyme activity from the long autolyse?

sadkitchenkid's picture
sadkitchenkid

buckwheat and cranberry sounds like such a wholesome combo! Do you have post on that bread? As for enzyme activity, I didn't mention this in my post; but whenever I do such a long autolyse, I add the salt in with the flour and water to slow things down (technically not autolyse if salt is in?). Although 10 hours at room temp is a very long time so it probably did go a little over regardless. 

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

I don't have a post of the one I make, but it's similar to the Buckwheat Cherry one here. You can also see it on my website (slideshow of some of my breads). Very, very yummy!

Floydm's picture
Floydm

There is a bakery here that makes a bread similar to that and it is fantastic. Yours look great. Well done!

sadkitchenkid's picture
sadkitchenkid

I'm almost glad that bakeries near me don't sell similar loaves or else I'd be running in everyday and buying a bunch and eating them all by myself, completely neglecting my bread making duties. Thanks Floyd!

chickentender's picture
chickentender

Very similar to a bread I've made twice in the last month - I adapted one of my favorites found here, a cranberry-wine bread posted by 4akitchenblog - tripled it for 2 large boules, some added rye and finely chopped walnut. Cranberry and walnut is an awesome combination. If you enjoyed this creation of yours, try something similar with her wine bread - it's magnificent. 

sadkitchenkid's picture
sadkitchenkid

Sounds amazing though. I think I'll actually try this loaf tomorrow! Might even try your rye version. I have a few leftover fancy bottles of wine from a party I catered the other night, and I don't drink wine (only cook with it), so this suggestion came at the perfect time. Happy baking!

chickentender's picture
chickentender

Definitely worth exploring. I hadn't either 'til I stumbled on that one. Really awesome and complex loaf. A full two days by her schedule, which I lengthened even a bit more proofing to as much as I wanted it to get to, but oh man oh man is it worth it. We just finished last from the last bake - time for some more. :D  I think I may try something similar with chopped figs instead of cranberry, though I sure love dried cranberry in bread - tough to beat. It's what a raisin dreams of being.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

with that beautiful bread and all the saliva inducing pictures!  By the time I scrolled down to the bread crumb my computer board was in danger!  Hubby wasn't keen on a whole loaf and I am so hyped to make it.  So I will make and bake and slice and freeze for me.   He just brought me some dried succulent cranberries and I do believe I've still some walnuts hiding around here someplace...    Thanks for the inspiration!

sadkitchenkid's picture
sadkitchenkid

Thanks Mini Oven! Your husband doesn't know what he'll be missing out on hehehe. Oh well, more for you!

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Beautiful bake.  Love the combo of ingredients and great crumb.

AnotherLoaf's picture
AnotherLoaf

Just loaded with fruit and nuts. Nice baking, marybeth