Hamelman's Durum Bread
So I set myself a challenge last week, can I make a starter from scratch and bake a bread within a week. Well so far the answer is "no". But the challenge is still on. At first I thought I was going to succeed. The initial bubbling up came quickly and vigorously as expected then funnily enough when fed again it reacted within two hours and peaked once more. That was odd as I expected the dreaded quiet period. So I fed it a third time and once again it bubbles up. I thought the challenge was going to be easy but after this third feed it got quieter and quieter till nothing at all. Time was running out so to encourage my starter (it isn't too warm at the moment) I started to keep it on top of the radiator and turned it right up. Bad mistake! Think I cooked it. Smells like half-baked cookie dough. Oh well, I shall keep on trying.
The recipe I had in mind was Hamelman's Durum Bread. A sourdough with an added Biga. 7pm Saturday Night I made the Biga and Levain. Come 7am Sunday morning both were ready. What a lovely smell the Levain was. Reminded me of Danish Pastry.
Levain:
Bread flour 100% (50g)
Water 125% (62g)
Mature Liquid Culture 20% (10g)
Biga:
Durum Flour 100% (150g)
Water 65% (97g)
Yeast 0.1% (0.15g)
Final Dough:
Durum Flour 300g
Water 240g (I used 200g making it a 72% hydration loaf instead of 80%)
Salt 10g
Yeast 2.5g (I left out the yeast)
Biga 247g
Liquid Levain 112g
This is my reworking of the recipe for one loaf!
Method:
1. Combined the flour and salt. Placed to one side.
2. In the dough bowl I measured out the water, added the Levain and mixed. Then broke up the Biga, added that to the water and mixed trying to break it up as much as possible.
3. Added the dry mixture to the wet mixture, formed the dough and kneaded for 20 minutes (scooping method as explained by Trevor J Wilson).
4. Left to bulk ferment for 2.5 hours (recipe says two hours but I left out the added yeast). Stretch and fold at 50 and 100 minutes (for the shorter bulk ferment the recipe advises at 40 and 80 minutes).
5. Shaped and final proofed till ready. Recipe advises one hour with yeast so I watched the dough instead and incorporated some fridge time.
6. Bake.
The whole loaf looks wonderful and the crumb perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hester
I am very pleased with this one. Nice recipe! Tastes like an Altamura and to really appreciate this bread it's how you eat it - with a bit of olive oil.
surface! That crumb and crust are to die for. We love the yellow color the durum imparts to bread and other baked goods. Like its sweetness too! This is one fine loaf id bread Abe. If you use Perter Reinhart's pumpernickel rye starter method you can be making rye bread in 5 days start to finish. It is one of the most fun things you can do when it comes to making starters and bread. Sorry about the too hot radiator caused RIP for the last one - it sounded like it deserved better.....
Well done and happy baking Abe
Confession time - I baked in a lekue. Due to my oven being too small the only way I can generate steam is with a lekue. Don't have room for two shelves when baking bread and have to stand the loaf on the steam tray (metal drip tray that came with the oven). So I preheat the drip tray and place the dough into the lekue and pour water around it. Sometimes I do freestanding but without steam. So it's one of the other. Support with steam, freestanding sanz steam. It was very flat going into the oven though due to it spreading because of high hydration and what you see is mostly oven spring.
The thing with durum wheat is it tastes like cereal. It's not as flavoursome as other wheats. However when eaten with olive oil it's a whole different story. This is a dipping bread.
Thanks for the advice on a starter within a week. My great idea turned south very quickly. Have to see the funny side of it though. It was lifeless, quite hot and when I had a whiff to get an idea of what's happening it had lovely biscuit smell. Ha!
Never heard of it but if it bakes this kind of bread .....I want one bad! Do you have a picture of yours?
https://www.amazon.com/Lekue-Silicone-Bread-Maker-0200600M10M017/dp/B007F6EN96
It's silicone and if using it i'll make the bread in a bowl and put it in the lekue for final proofing. For an oven like mine it is very handy but doesn't beat a dutch oven. A handy gadget to have.
love the colour and the crumb is gorgeous. sad about Frankie, better luck with the next one....
well done and happy baking Abe
Leslie
This made up for Frankie. There's something special about durum flour, the velvety dough, colour and texture. Here's hoping the next starter makes the grade. Haven't thrown Frankie out yet. He was so promising in the beginning I'm half hoping he'll pull through but I doubt it.
You had me there. I had to highlight it and do a google search. Nice to have a reference for steaming stuff. Thanks.
http://www.lekueusa.com/Food-Steamers-cat4.html
Tom
But doesn't beat a Dutch Oven. Great for those who's ovens can't fit these large pots or earthenware vessels and having difficulty generating steam in a too well ventilated oven. A nice gadget to have and can be used with other foodstuffs too.
intrigued by this so as dbm asks, can we see a picture please?
The durum flour you used, is it remilled semolina (ie fairly fine) or is it the coarser type?
Leslie
I use a very good quality Semola Rimacinata by De Cecco. There's a nice Italian shop in central London, not too far from my work, which sells it. Quite expensive but I treat myself every now and again. They also sell one by Dallari but that's closer to a very fine Semolina. It looks the part until you compare it to the De Cecco brand and then you see the difference.
While the Lekue does help with steam it's a second best to an actual Dutch Oven. Half way there. What really helps is more being able to rest it on the steam tray itself which is a large metal drip tray and when heated by the coils below it literally boils the water like a kettle.