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Same bread-differnt whole wheat variety-totally different flavor

clazar123's picture
clazar123

Same bread-differnt whole wheat variety-totally different flavor

I made my favorite breakfast bread yesterday that I make every weekend. We eat it every morning and it is a WW,cardamom,craisin,golden raisin,walnut bread. I developed the recipe last year and it has eveloved a bit.I usually make this with  about 3 cups of flour-1/3 hard red spring wheat,1/3 kamut,1/3 AP but the evolving part is this-over the last 6 months it has become almost totally hard red spring wheat with just a little AP. It is very delicious and fresh grass-like in flavor, as the red spring wheat flour always is.

Well, this weekend, I only had Kamut and Hard white winter wheat flour available so I proceeded to make the loaf with that. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! It is still mostly WW but the grasslike flavor is gone. White wheat is indeed a very bland tasting wheat and while Kamut usually has a slightly nutty flavor, it wasn't too apparent. The loaves were delicious,  but totally different.The crumb/texture was as usualbut the flavor notes of the cardamom almost disappear in this loaf. I would have thought they would be more apparent in the blandness but they were not.I also thought it needed more...something-salt? Increased spice?. I think any bread made with  white winter wheat needs other ingredients to create a flavor in a loaf-even if the flour is fresh ground. I will have to remember that in the future.

So now I totally appreciate the flavor difference between wheat varieties and how it impacts on a recipe.

clazar123's picture
clazar123

It is by volume rather than weight-did this rather quickly and that is the system I'm comfortable with.

Breakfast Bread

(Recipe developed by C.Lazar)

2 c Hard Red Spring Wheat flour

1/2 c Kamut flour (just add more WW if you don't have Kamut.)

1 c AP flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

1/2 c ground flax seed

1  tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground coriander

Mix all dry ingredients together and then add wet ingredients(**see note about water)

1/2 c active starter (100% by weight)(thick pancake batter consistency)

1/2 c warm milk

3/4 c warm water **

1/2 c honey

3 tbsp oil

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and mix for about 3-5 minutes (I use a K5 mixer)and when a good dough has formed,add the raisins/craisins.I add AP flour to adjust the dough to a slightly sticky dough.The walnuts can be added the last minute or two of mixing or folded in by hand.

2.3 c golden raisins**

2/3 c craisins**

2/3 c chopped walnuts

**I soak the raisins and craisins in the warm water for about 30 min and then measure out 3/4 c of the now fruit-sweetened water.Add to it if necessary as the fruit does absorb some of the water.

After all the ingredients mixed in, I form a ball and rest the dough under plastic for 15 minutes.

Stretch the now-relaxed dough out and fold.Form a ball again and place in oiled bowl.Cover

Rise til double or do 3 stretch and folds every 45 min.If kept warm in between it will rise nicely.If kept cool, this dough rises very slowly so plan for that.

Gently form into 1 large or 2 small batards.

Proof,slash and bake.

400F with steam for 15 min then 375 until done (internal temp 190). It gets a nice dark brown crust.

This is a rather dense,chewy,flavorful bread that is meant to be toasted.Very aromatic.

Enjoy!