100% whole wheat partial success
Yesterday I baked a loaf of bread using this recipe, with a few changes:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/34166/100-whole-wheat-bread-rye-sourdough
Mainly, I tried a soak at 80% hydration, but added the salt, and the dough was very stiff, so I added more water until the dough was wet enough to do stretch and folds, so it ended up being about 87% hydration. Also, I refreshed my rye starter with whole wheat flour a couple of times before using it to bake the bread. I used freshly ground Red Fife.
The dough stayed very wet through stretch and folds and wouldn't develop a skin. I did manage to shape it anyway, but it stuck badly to the cloth lining of my (floured with rice flour, but obviously not well enough for such a wet dough) banneton, had to be carefully detached, and went into the hot clay baker looking like a rather tall, oblong pancake. The crust was a disappointment, but I got some oven spring and am pretty happy with the crumb for 100% whole wheat at this point in my learning process. Flavor: delicious. My other eater: "I like it".
I hope I uploaded the image at the top of the post correctly. I'm not sure I've understood how to add photos to the body of the post; I'm working on adding one -- I'll check and see how these actually publish.
That end grain cutting board is huge! Is that walnut end grain? Is it your entire counter, or just a really large butcher block? I'm green with envy.
It's a butcher block cutting board, 14" x 20", acacia wood according to amazon, which also says I've had it for three and a half years. We love it, but I can't imagine myself paying the current asking price for it, although these will last you for decades if well cared for.
https://www.amazon.com/Ironwood-Gourmet-28217-Charleston-Station/dp/B000TZ0IQC/ref=pd_sbs_79_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000TZ0IQC&pd_rd_r=ecef34ef-86f1...
crumb shows good fermentation and doneness. The crust looks nice and thin, showing a good amount of dough development, also. That’s a very successful bake!
Next time uncover it a bit earlier to get more color?
Yes, the crust is thin, and it tastes good, it's just really pale, and no ears. Thank you so much for the compliment, it really helps! My eater is a laconic kind of guy, and not a bread expert. Will uncover sooner next time, hopefully soon :-)
with clay lid on and then bake at 425 until it reaches 205 F. Spritz it before the lid goes on. The sticking seems to be the the big problem but rice flour will take care of that.
Nicely done otherwise. The next bake will tell the tale. You are getting there fast
Happy baking Fran
Thanks! I'm going to try all your suggestions next time, hopefully soon. I'm going to work on this one until I really master it.
The crumb is nice for sure and the taste seems good too.
Some ideas about releasing the dough. Rather than forcing it to detach from the cloth, you might want to try spraying the cloth heavily with water. Wet fingers won't stick to the dough, the same theory applies here.
about spraying water to release dough from cloth. I'll remember that! And thank you very much for the compliment :-)