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Working on whole wheat recipe

sitkabaker's picture
sitkabaker

Working on whole wheat recipe

I am trying a new WW recipe from Peter Reinhart's new book. It calls for a very stiff starter and a mash. The 1st attempt my dough was very slack and not too much spring in the oven. Came out very tight grained and not much volume. My dough for this after my 1st rise felt good and springy. My 2nd attempt was not too good either. My mash was still warm (could that have an effect) but my dought was very lifeles after my 1st rise. It cooked off with not much spring and tight crumb. Any ideas. I feel like it could use more water? The 2nd dough was like a big dead lump!!

Comments

umbreadman's picture
umbreadman

I don't think the warm mash would have been a problem, unless it was particularly hot, in which case it might have killed some of the microbes. And if it rose well for the first part of the fermentation, I feel like it should rise well, given enough time, during the second fermentation if you folded the dough to help redistribute the food for the yeast. out of curiosity, which bread are you trying to make?

sitkabaker's picture
sitkabaker

the bread I was trying to make is in PR new Whole Grain book....WW Mash Bread. I used my whole wheat starter, 14 gr as called for in the recipe and made the mash. It was very very dense and had no body. In thinking about it, I don't think the gluten was well developed. When I tried in again, the 2nd time the dough was even heavier and lifeless. Very little oven spring both times and had a rather bitter flavor. The first try my first rise was springier than the 2nd attempt. All in all, I wasn't pleased with anything about it.....