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Experiment with koji gone awry

kwbaker's picture
kwbaker

Experiment with koji gone awry

I made fresh barley koji. (It looks beautiful growing those spores).

I was excited about the possibilities of adding a little sweet chewiness from the barley koji as a mix-in during the 2nd stretch and fold.

I was so proud of the shaping job I did - it felt like the best one I've done yet. The dough was perfect. It shaped so well and held its shape on the bench as a big strong ball.

I put it in the fridge for a cold proofing.

I woke up and it had exploded over the sides of the banneton - oof.

It was such an active ferment, even in the fridge, that it must have been related to the barley koji. I think they must have increased the enzymatic activity. I figured that they'd be inactive in the cold. I was wrong!

Once it's done baking I'll post a pic. TO make matters worse, it also stuck to the banneton and landed in the dutch oven on a weird bad angle.

Koji - does it give those microbes something to feast on even in the cold?

 

Alex Bois's picture
Alex Bois

Koji enzymatic activity is way too high and too broad to include in any but the tiniest quantities in dough without first cooking it to deactivate the enzymes. Pretty much impossible for the dough not to break down.

kwbaker's picture
kwbaker

I wonder if it would make an interesting malt spray...