Breadxit - UK flours: US or European?
Hi,
I am a novice baker in the UK, trying to get my head around all of the variables. I am working my way through FWYS and have been getting some good flavour, but not the open crumb I am after, and I am finding the higher hydration doughs pretty sticky (I am a rookie after all). Anyhow...
Q1. Posts (and book authors) tend to group bread flours into US or European? I have always thought that UK bread (strong) flours had more protein than French bread flours, and so I treat them more like US bread flours and mix in lower protein (plain) flour to get the protein down to between 11 and 12 %. However, the more I read on this site, the more I think this is a wrong assumption. My doughs made with FWYS have been pretty unshapable. So,
Q2. Any quick suggestions for converting the US artisan recipes (Tartine, FWYS, Hamelman etc ) to UK flours? Should I switch to all strong flour, as I read somewhere that UK wheat is a bit weak, or should I keep the flour mix and drop 3 to 8 % hydration as suggested by the Weekend Bakers?
Cheers
Tim
Get some very strong (Canadian) bread flour and try that. I think you can get it at Waitrose, not sure about Tesco or Asda. If it doesn't do the trick, then drop the hydration a bit. I live in Canada and always use strong Canadian bread flour, but even so I've dropped the hydration a bit on the FWSY and Tartine breads, just to make life easier. I often bake in batches of four or more so I need it to be easy!
in dropping the hydration in his formulas. I read somewhere on TFL that 65 % hydration with U.K. Flour is considered high hydration so you mat want to try that or even a bit less. If you find the dough too dry, you can always add water.
A baking class I took said that you needed to aim for the same feel as your earlobe. Not too dry, not too wet, just right!
Oh and do not try to reduce the protein content. I use as high as I can get and with Canadian flour that is between 13 and 14%. The flour he uses may be 11% protein but I am sure it has other characteristics that makes it much more manageable than what we can get our hands on.
When using UK flour.
Thanks for thé pointers. I started a poolish last night before I read these comments, which was again a 50:50 mix strong and plain (Marriages brand as it is local). I then made the final dough with some Waitrose strong flour I had lurking in the cupboard.
I kept the 75 % hydration, so I extended the knead: stretch and folds, 10 minutes. The dough is noticeably easier to work with. I guess the 50% preferment helps with that. I have got one boule in the oven already while the other is being retarded in the fridge (7 degrees).
Fingers crossed.
Most of the native stuff here isn't high protein/gluten content, so we end up importing strong wheat to mix with the local stuff. Typically I use 12% protein wheat in all my breads although I can get up to 14% (and down to 10% labelled as bread flour) if I want it. "plain flour" is for cakes & pastrys and typically 8%.
Organic flour seems to be an issue right now with my usual supplier (FWP Matthews) telling me they can no-longer supply me with organic flour due to issues with wheat imported from Kazakhstan so I've had to switch mills.
I've done the Tartine style bread gram for gram with Shipton Mill 12% protein flour - it can be done, but it's a very wet dough, so if that's your thing, then carry on. The sourdough breads I sell are made at about 64% hydration.
Cheers,
-Gordon @moorbakes in Devon
So,finally a picture of the results. I found the dough much easier to work with after adding in only strong flour, while the poolish was 50/50 plain and strong. The protein content averages out to about 13 %. I am still trying to figure out shaping and correct proofing. You can see that the gas spaces are not evenly spread :/ Any other advice from the cross section?
As to the holes, maybe you didn't degas more in that area of the loaf. As long as I have a great oven spring like you got, I don't worry too much anymore about having great big holes all over my slice of bread. I make sure that I get rid of all the big bubbles while shaping and the rest takes care of itself. This is a huge change from when I first got on TFL where I was desperately trying to get the same crumb as Chad Robertson in his Tartine 3 pictures. Now I focus more on a nice and tender if not custard crumb, and the holes fall where they may! ;-)
but surprisingly small holes for 75% hydration with UK flour. My standard sourdough white is 75% hydration, 80% Shipton's No.4, 2% rye, 18% British white heritage flour, eg Gilchester or Walk Mill. This is worth adding for flavour, but be careful if adding more as it hasn't got much gluten.
Standard commercial craft baking practice in the UK seems to be to mechanically mix to moderate dough deveopment, 3 S&Fs during bulk proof at 26-28C, shape, into the bannetons, overnight retard in the fridge and bake in the morning. Try it - it works!
Lance
I am just a beginner here, I am also not using sourdough nor do I have a mixer. Anyhow, thanks to the advice on this site. I have been getting better results.