The Fresh Loaf

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Bad Odor Whole Grain Loaf

Maggie Lou's picture
Maggie Lou

Bad Odor Whole Grain Loaf

Can anyone give me some advice?

I sometimes get an alcohol odor, somewhat rancid smelling in my just baked bread when using whole grains.  I am not certain if it is the 'combination of grains' that I sometimes use??  Are there specific combinations to avoid?  Today I combined 1/8 cup soy flour,  1/4 cup dark rye, spelt, barley flour, 1.5 cups sprouted Hard Red/millet combination, 1 cup WW, and 1.5 unbleached white; 1 T gluten; 1 T olive oil, 1 T agave, 2 teas salt.  I used 1 T yeast.  I keep my flours & grains refrigerated along with the yeast (not the unbleached). 

Any one experienced in this?

 

Mebake's picture
Mebake

Hi, Maggie,

With so much sprouted grains, and highly fermentable flours (rye/spelt),too much enzymatic activity in your dough is speeding fermentation and causing early dough degeneration. In other words, the dough you made is fermenting and breaking down too fast! this explains the high alcohol content (off flavor/beery/yeasty).

try reducing sprouted grains to a 1/4 at least, and reduce the yeast to 1/2 tsp (not Tablespoon), and observe the results then.

good luck, and let us know of the results.

Maggie Lou's picture
Maggie Lou

Thank you MeBake.  I shall indeed.