May 19, 2015 - 1:10pm
strech and fold substitute
hi there
since working a lot with spelt and rye, i've been getting lots of advice from you in this forum to S&F in order to enhance dough strength.
unfortunately though, i mainly use my mixer due to wrist problems. so i'm wondering, what can i do instead of S&Fing? will replacing S&Fs with a few minutes of mixer kneading (in the same time intervals) be as effective?
hoping for an optimistic answer.. ;)
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Yes, S&F, or mixing for 5 to 10 minutes, or hand kneading all accomplish the same thing.
Ford
for a 50/50 rye/spelt dough isn't much more than folding it over onto itself. Too much mixing is not good for the gluten structure, it tends to tear it apart after bulking. If you are using the mixer bowl for bulking, do the first fold when the dough starts getting puffy. Flip the dough out onto a wet surface and flatten it out a little bit with lightly wet fingers. Then fold over 4 sides of the dough lifting as much as you can to the opposite side. Or make a 3 part letter fold. What ever is easier. Repeat if the dough starts to flatten out quickly. Flip the top back up and let rise in the bowl a bit more. Do not let the dough double in volume. This would be over-proofing such a delicate dough.
Rye at 50% mix can be awkward. There is just enough wheat (spelt is a wheat) to cover up the obvious rye fermentation signs seen with higher percent ryes. Spelt tends to be a very extendable dough, and when combined with rye they bring out the best in each other but... they will ferment quickly especially with a large portion of starter culture in the dough.
Signs of getting too close to over-proofing include a sudden increase in the dough getting wetter and very shapeless as fermentation progresses, smooth top surfaces will become bumpy and uneven as bubbles rise and pop on the surface leaving holes where gas escapes and the dough stops rising. In the oven it starts to fall and when baking is done, the loaf is smaller than when it went into the oven.
It is good to bake the loaf before bubbles break the surface and when the dough has increased about half in volume. Bake the dough while it is rising and not when it has slowed down rising. Try filling pans about 2/3 full and let them rise to the edge, then bake for more height.
Are you still using the recipe mentioned on this thread?
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/42498/loaf-losing-volume-oven
I am very curious as to how the rye starter is maintained.
but not to S&F too much either? ;)
mini- yes, i'm still using that same recipe and i'm happy to say it always proves itself taste-wise (texture still needs to improve). this week i nearly ran out of spelt so the proportion of rye was even higher (85% of the flour) and it turned out even tastier. i also controlled fermentation in the fridge and so the loaf didn't drop in the oven (btw, what you wrote about loaves loosing volume due to over proofing is exactly what happened to me! holes on the surface and everything).
about the starter:
if i remember, i take the starter out of the fridge to activate it for a few hours before making the bread. if not, i use it cold. in either case, i don't feed it before using it, but only after.. i then let it sit for a few hours until it bubbles up, wisk it to de-bubble, and refrigerate it until the next time i use it, which is normally a week or two later.