The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Multi-Grain with Cherry Balsamic Vinegar

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Multi-Grain with Cherry Balsamic Vinegar

   This is a pretty simple bread using a starter with some rye and bread flour.  The main dough includes freshly ground Whole Wheat, Spelt, Kamut, Rye and KAF Bread flour.

I added some cherry balsamic vinegar and walnut oil for some added depth and it did just the trick.

The final dough had a nice crust and crumb that was not too open but just right for this amount of whole grains.  The taste was excellent and made some real tasty sandwiches.

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Multi-Grain with Cherry Balsamic Vinegar (weights)

Multi-Grain with Cherry Balsamic Vinegar (%)

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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.

 Main Dough Procedure

Mix the flours with the main dough water for about 1 minute.  Let the rough dough sit for about 20 minutes to an hour.  Next add the levain, cherry balsamic vinegar, walnut oil and salt and mix on low for 4 minutes and speed #2 for another 2 minutes or by hand for about 6 minutes.   You should end up with a cohesive dough that is slightly tacky but very manageable.  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.  (Since I used my proofer I only let the dough sit out for 1.5 hours before refrigerating).

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.

The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature and will only rise about 1/3 it's size at most.  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 5 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for 35-50 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.

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Comments

wassisname's picture
wassisname

A couple of beauties!  Balsamic and walnut are a great combo, and with this mix of grains I can just imagine the flavor.  I'll be making a note of this one.  I've never seen cherry balsamic around here but I think regular would still be add a nice layer of flavor.  And the crumb is pretty much ideal - it has that perfectly fermented look to it.  This is making me too hungry, gotta go.

Marcus

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Marcus.  I'm sure regular Balsamic will do just fine.  We have a few oil and vinegar specialty stores around here which are starting to pop up all over the country and it makes it fun to experiment.

Thanks for the comment.

Regards,
Ian

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

it be before cherry balsamic got back on the bake list :-)  2 very nice multi-grain loaves that have to be tasty Ian. That crust and crumb can't get much better than that.

Been working on the Ploetziade bake all week making red and white malt, sprouts and scalds.  Lucy is going nuts over this one but say HI to all of her baking apprentice friends on Long Island.

Well done and Happy Baking Ian.

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks DA.

These were very tasty.

I can't wait for your Ploetziade bake.  My crew has been brainstorming and actually had a real good idea and then Max and Lexi started wrestling with each other, Misty got caught in the middle and before I knew it it was like a WWE Steel Cage Match and I forgot what we were going to do :).

Anyway, just took another version of the Porridge bread out and about to put in another version I made into rolls.  Will post in the next few days hopefully.

Happy Baking to Lucy!

Ian