The Fresh Loaf

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Whole Wheat Rye Ricotta Onion Bread

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Whole Wheat Rye Ricotta Onion Bread

This is the first bake after using fresh milled flour from my new toy, the Mockmill 200.  My wife was nice enough to buy this for me as a present and I couldn't be happier.  I have the Kitchenaid mixer attachment Mockmill but this new stand-alone version is so much quicker it's well worth the investment.

I decided to use a mixture of whole wheat and rye both freshly milled and sifted with my #40 sifter.  I re-milled the sifted out bits once more and sifted one more time and ended up with only a small amount of discard which can also be used to add into your levain for added flavor.  The fresh flours were mixed with a small amount of KAF French style flour and some ricotta cheese and grilled left-over onions.

This one came out great and my taste testers at work devoured the loaf I brought them in record time.  The combination of the whole wheat and rye with the onions really made a great sandwich and/or grilled bread or just plain old toast.

Formula

Download the BreadStorm File Here.

Levain Directions

Mix all the Levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it sit at room temperature for around 7-8 hours or until the starter has doubled.

Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Mix the flours and water together in your mixer or by hand until it just starts to come together, maybe about 1 minute.  Let it rest in your work bowl covered for at least one hour.  Next add the salt, starter (cut into about 7-8 pieces), and ricotta and mix on low for 5 minutes.  Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 2 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours.  (If you have a proofer you can set it to 80 degrees and follow above steps but you should be finished in 1 hour to 1.5 hours).

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours.  Remove the dough and shape as desired.   Place your dough into your proofing basket(s) and cover with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray.  The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature.  Let the dough dictate when it is read to bake not the clock.

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 550 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

Right before you are ready to put them in the oven, score as desired and then add 1 cup of boiling water to your steam pan or follow your own steam procedure.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for 25-35 minutes until the crust is nice and brown and the internal temperature of the bread is 205 degrees.

Take the bread out of the oven when done and let it cool on a bakers rack before for at least 2 hours before eating.

Comments

IceDemeter's picture
IceDemeter

for a schmear and some corned beef - and just enough sauerkraut to clear the sinuses.  Yummm!

That is one seriously tantalizing formula there, Ian, and no wonder your colleagues devoured it in record time!  It's even less of a wonder that your wife appreciates you (and your baking) so much that she sprang for that new mill for you, when you already had one that works (but isn't quite so good).  It's gotta feel good knowing that she feels that you are worth her upgrading the accessories ;-)

Hope you and yours are all well and happy (and that all of the fuzz-butts are getting all of the extra scritches).  Thanks for sharing (and tempting) and keep baking happy!

Best, Laurie

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Appreciate your kind words Laurie.  This was a tasty bread and worth trying if you get a chance.  The furrballs are doing well and driving me crazy but we love them all :).

Happy Baking.

Regards,
Ian

leslieruf's picture
leslieruf

both the bread and the Mockmill 200.  I love how inventive your breads are, and I have your last bake on my to do list!  Does the Ricotta kinda vanish into the dough? a bit like butter would? are the onions finely diced - it just sounds sooo good! another on my to do list I think!

My Mockmill 100 should arrive this week so I am holding out and not baking till it arrives ... wish it would hurry up!

Yummy bake as usual, Ian

Leslie

 

Isand66's picture
Isand66

You are going to love your Mockmill once it arrives.

The ricotta does kind of vanish in the dough but adds a softness and creaminess to the dough.  The onions were not dices but cut in circles and even those melted into the dough for the most part but you could certainly taste them and it was a heavenly taste :).

Thanks again and have fun with your new toy.

Regards,
Ian

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Another one I can almost smell and taste! The freshly-milled grain for one thing, and the savoury bits too. Wonderful!

Question - do you prefer cream cheese or ricotta (for taste, texture and handling)? What differences do you find in breads made with either of them? I'm thinking ricotta might be easier to incorporate but maybe the texture isn't so nice? How about flavoured cream cheese?

Wendy

Isand66's picture
Isand66

I use cream cheese if I want an extra creamy and soft crumb.  It does add a completely different texture to the crumb.  The ricotta makes it soft but It a little hard to explain, but it's just different.

Give both a try and see which one you like better.  Never tried flavored cream cheese, but why not??

Regards,
ian

PalwithnoovenP's picture
PalwithnoovenP

Freshly milled rye and whole wheat for an even greater tasting bread. Love the scoring too. I miss a good sourdough bread. Your last post looks even more tempting, the "soft as pillow" part got me. :)

Isand66's picture
Isand66

You are too kind.  Hopefully you can get back into baking some of your own soon.  The  Pillow Bread is one of my favorites and worth trying one day.

Regards,
Ian

Elsasquerino's picture
Elsasquerino

You've done it again Ian! Thanks for sharing your formulas in such a clear and handy format. 

Isand66's picture
Isand66

You are most welcome.  I always enjoy sharing my formulas in the hopes that someone else will enjoy the bread and/or put their own spin on it.

Happy Baking!

Ian

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

to make all the delicious breads posted on this site. Onions, ricotta, rye and whole wheat! Yum!!!!

Isand66's picture
Isand66

You are right about that!  Glad you like this one and hope you try it one day.

Regards,
Ian