The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Ricotta Cheese Kamut Bread

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Ricotta Cheese Kamut Bread

    I was in the mood for a nice soft flavorful bread, so since I had some fresh milled Kamut flour ready to go, I mixed it with a good amount ricotta cheese, olive oil and some Artisan style flour from KAF.  The end result was a dough that was soft as silk and ended up with a wonderful soft and flavorful crumb, perfect for sandwiches, toast and grilled bread.

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Formula

Ricotta Kamut Bread (%)

Ricotta Kamut Bread (weights)

Download the BreadStorm File Here.

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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.

Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Mix the flours and water together in your mixer or by hand until it just starts to come together, maybe about 1 minute.  Let it rest in your work bowl covered for 20-30 minutes.  Next add the salt, starter (cut into about 7-8 pieces), ricotta cheese and olive oil and mix on low for 6 minutes.  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.  (If you have a proofer you can set it to 80 degrees and follow above steps but you should be finished in 1 hour to 1.5 hours).

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.   Place your dough into your proofing basket(s) and cover with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray.  The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature.  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 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for 25-35 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

nmygarden's picture
nmygarden

I'll be right over!

Gorgeous and perfectly executed. And I love the bowl, too! Ian, this is a winner, you should listen to your moods all the time!

Cathy

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Cathy, I'm glad you like it.  I hope you give this a try.  

Happy Baking!

alfanso's picture
alfanso

You always get these interesting scores on the tops of your loaves.  Whimsical or by design?  When I'm ready for a new dough, I'll either consult my wife for what she might want next, or the ever growing folio of formulae I've warehoused these past 30 months.  When it is your time for a new bread, it seems that you consult your pantry.   A part of me wishes that I were that original.  But generally, I'm pretty content so far targeting FWSY.  Maybe one day...

As usual, inventive and beautiful loaves.

alan

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks so much Alan!

I joined some bread groups on Facebook recently and some bakers on there are doing some beautiful scoring.  I've been using that as inspiration and in the past I always like to try something a little different sometimes to make it interesting.  I can't draw or paint but I can find my creative side in bread baking and the real positive side is it tastes good too....most of the time :).  You seem to expanding your horizons a little with great results, so keep trying new things.  That was a great find with that Italian store.  We have some good stores here but nothing like that one.

Look forward to your next post.

Happy Baking!

Ian

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Good write up too.  :)   Happy Easter Holidays!  

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks so much Mini!

Happy Easter to you as well.

I look forward to seeing some before and after photos on your pool project and other creative endeavors! 

Regards,
Ian

Trevor J Wilson's picture
Trevor J Wilson

And that golden crumb almost appears cake like. Was it as tender as it looks?

Trevor

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Trevor.  No chocolate icing on this one but was a very tender crumb.

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

chops.  Has ti tasty with the mix if flours and the Ian classic cheese add in. What I want to know is....where is the bacon!  We haven,t made you bacon cheese bread for awhile/  That is some fancy do scoring too!  Love the yellow crumb that Kamut brings to the party - it looks perfect for sammies.  I have a ton of left over prime rib on the bone from Easter  It would be perfect between a couple slices of this bread.  Never had prime rib beef pies before but am having them for dinner tonight:-)  Well done Ian and Lucy seeds her best to the ECP.

Happy Baking 

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks DA and Lucy!  This would be perfect for your prime ribs for sure.  I was very happy with the softness of the crumb from the ricotta and the fresh Kamut was tasty.  Prime rib pies sound pretty awesome.  

Max and Lexi send their best to pretty Lucy!

Happy prime rib eating!

Reynard's picture
Reynard

That looks like just the thing for bacon butties! :-D Fabulous loaves :-)

Between you and Dabrownman, you have such a store of inspirational ideas. I always look forward to seeing what you come up with. Although I tend to keep it (comparatively) simple, I have pinched the odd idea or three ;-)

The girls say "Prrrrrrrrrrrr" to your gang, btw :-)

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Appreciate your kind words and glad you like it.  This one other than the Ricotta cheese is pretty straight forward and if you can't find Kamut you can sub Durum flour and it will come out about the same.  Hi to your group of kitties from my brood :).

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Those look awfully good. I might need to take a detour in that direction .... soon.

David

Isand66's picture
Isand66

I think you will like the softness of the crumb from the added olive oil and ricotta cheese.  It's a nice change of pace from the usual chewier crumb.  I think next time  I will add the toasted sesame seeds inside along with the smoked version and see how that comes out.

Look forward to your next post as well.

Regards,
Ian