The Fresh Loaf

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50 Percent Sprouted 4 Grain Sourdough with Dates, Walnuts and Guinness

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

50 Percent Sprouted 4 Grain Sourdough with Dates, Walnuts and Guinness

Lucy tried to find the last time we used dates in bread and it was 2012.  We prefer figs to dates because you don’t have to pit them and they taste better but dates in bread have been around for thousands of years and not to be overlooked.

 

When Lucy picks a dark colored fruit like dates or raisins she immediately starts thinking about other dark things to put in the mix and when you have fruits you have to have nuts or seeds too.  I’m starting to figure out Lucy’s recipe madness.  She went with walnuts and Guinness for the liquid.  She went with a bit more 50% whole sprouted multi grains to get it a bit to the darker side too.

 

Even though I am starting to catch onto Lucy’s recipe madness, I have yet to grasp her app methodology though.  After nearly being put in the slammer for her app that shut down people’s phones until they paid her an extortion fee, I thought she had learned her lesson. Now she has told me that she is working on an app than makes would make all jobs obsolete.

 

Being retired, I’m really not affected by this kind of technology and neither is she but the fewer and fewer people that are still working sure will be.  I asked her how people, who depended on their paycheck every week to live, would survive without any money and she said that you just can’t stop technology and someone was going to do it eventually so it might as well be her to get it done.

 

I suppose that once phones got smart it was just a matter of time before they would be smarter and more productive than the average Joe – and thinner too.   I told her that people will probably freak out and start killing each other faster than they do now just to secure a food source if nothing else and she totally disagreed.

 

She said if people had no work to do they would be happier and learn to do other more rewarding stuff that didn’t include cannibalism - like baking bread…. if they could steal the ingredients and bake in a solar oven.  So she is just trying to do her part to increase the number of home bread bakers as a real Baking Apprentice 2nd Class would want to do.  How nice it must be when the end is near!

 

We did our usual 3 stage leavin build using the 20% hard bits of the sprouted 4 grains and a bit of our long retarded rye sour starter.   The levain ended up at 11% pre-fermented flour.  We then retarded the levain for 24 hours.  The starter was getting low so we refreshed it, tossed it in the back of the fridge and, in a month, we should be using it instead of the current one.

 

We did a 1 hour autolyse with the Guinness and dough flour with the salt sprinkled on top as the levain warmed u[p on the counter.  As soon as the levain hit the mix we, did 3 sets of slap and folds of 30 each on 30 minute intervals and 2 sets of 4 slaps each on 45 minute intervals.  The re-hydrated dates and walnuts went in before the dist slap and folds set using stretch and folds to get them incorporated.

 

My favorite enchilada is a chicken spinach in white sauce with a tinge of red and green sauce and some crema

Once the gluten development was done, the dough was shaped into a boule, and placed into a plastic covered SS bowl and retarded for18 hours of cold bulk retard.  Once the dough came out of the fridge, we did an immediate pre-shape into a boule and then 1 hour later a final shape.

 

This galette is one made with apple, plum and peach with bourbon snockered dried fruits and fresh ginger.

It was placed into a rice floured basket for 1 hour of final proof before firing up Big Old Betsy for a 450 F pre-heat with the combo cooker inside.  We then took the bagged dough outside for a the final 100 F proof as the oven heated up as has been out MO of late.

 

The dough was un-molded quickly slashed T-Rex style and slid onto the bottom sof the combo cooker with a peel, covered and steamed for 18 minutes.  Once the lid came off we turned the oven down to 425 F convection….. and continued to bake for another 15 minutes until the bread thumped done on the bottom.  We took the bread off the bottom of the combo cooker 5 minutes into the dry bake.

 

It bloomed and sprang well enough under steam and browned nicely once it came out.  We will have to wait until later today to see how the crumb came out and if we like the taste of dates in this bread.  The crumb came out fairly open for this much whole grains and bountiful add ins.  We love the color of the crumb and crust too.  You forget how good dates and walnuts go together when you haven't made them in bread for a while. The dates really gave a moistness to the bread as well.  This is one of those specila breads that ony come along every once and a while.

 

 

SD Levain Build

Build 1

Build 2

 Build 3

Total

%

17 Week Retarded Rye Sour

10

0

0

10

1.98%

20 % Extraction Sprouted 4 Grain

10

20

21

51

10.08%

Water

10

20

21

51

10.08%

Total

30

40

42

112

22.13%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Levain Totals

 

%

 

 

 

Sprouted 4 Grain

56

11.07%

 

 

 

Water

56

11.07%

 

 

 

Levain Hydration

100.00%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dough Flour

 

%

 

 

 

LaFama AP

250

49.41%

 

 

 

80 % Extraction Sprouted 4 Grain

200

39.53%

 

 

 

Total Dough Flour

450

88.93%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salt

10

1.98%

 

 

 

Guinness 322 & Water

340

67.19%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dough Hydration

75.56%

 

 

 

 

Total Flour w/ Starter & Scald

506

 

 

 

 

Guinness 340  & Water

396

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walnuts

75

14.82%

 

 

 

Dates (Dry)

75

14.82%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hydration with Starter and Scald

78.26%

 

 

 

 

Total Weight

1,112

 

 

 

 

% Whole Sprouted Grain

50.59%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 grain sprouted flour is 35 g each of oat, spelt and rye and 148 g of wheat

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dates were re-hydrated with water and squeezed dry

 

 

 

 

Lucy reminds us to have a salad with that sunset,

 

 

Comments

nmygarden's picture
nmygarden

Good thing she is so very persuasive - this one is an ultimate - sprouted grains, nuts, fruit and beer, all packed into a single unit. Love the bold colors and crispy crust! Just don't know how this will last a week...

The galette looks wonderful - do you use whole grains in the pastry? I've started using about 30% WW (Red Fife) in mine and it adds texture and crunch! May need to make one this weekend!

Enjoy your bounty and hug the baker!

Cathy

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

It tastes terrific and with a bit of toasting, some butter - oh my!  We like this bread very much.  Next time we will put some YW in there to open the crumb some more.

Yes I too put 30% whole grain in the mix for the short crust - this was the same sprouted mix as the bread -oat, spelt,, rye, and wheat in equal amounts, 2/3rds stick of butter and 1/3 stick of lard, a bit of salt and some ice water.

Glad you liked the bread and the post and the apprentice is trying to digest her t bone steak dinner.  She gets a hug for this recipe for sure.

Happy baking  Cathy

 

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Love this one!  I am a big fan of dates and if you remember I made a few in the past that I really liked.  Have not combined with nuts which is, well...just common sense :)

This one must taste unbelievable.  Way to go Lucy!

Love that enchilada as well.

I'm working on my post which I think you will like.  Grilling some pizza so have to run out before it turns to ash!

Happy Baking!

Ian

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

I've been wanting to make pizza for weeks and can't seem to get the girls, except Lucy,  to agree on it at the same time:-(

You would like this bread Ian and I do too  Very nice all the way around except the crumb could have been more open with some YW .

Can't wait to see the grilled pizza!  Lucy sends her best to her furry friends.

Happy Baking Ian

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Sorry no photos this time of the pizza.  Made one with some left over meatloaf, fresh Moz, tomatoe sauce, and fresh ricotta.  Next up was garlic butter, tomato sauce, sautéed mushrooms, Moz and mixed cheeses.

Happy Baking!

Reynard's picture
Reynard

That's a lovely bread :-)

Please tell Lucy that she seems to have excelled herself this time. ;-) Here in dear old Blighty we have such a thing as a date and walnut tea bread (which is a loaf cake for slicing) which is very good. With a cup of tea, of course...

I can just imagine a couple of slices of that bread, toasted and buttered, with a nice big mug of tea for breakfast :-)

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

and had it for breakfast the past 2 days - toasted with some butter and coffee or course -  it was just delicious - remarkable really.  I can see why it would be a favorite with any beverage for breakfast. 

Glad you liked the bread and 

Happy baking