Oat and apricot bread
For these sweet breads I like a tight crumb for toasting and easy spreading of jam and butter, so if that is what you are also looking for, be as aggressive as you like with handling.
It is even better with walnuts instead of oats, but this way is allergen friendly.
Strong white flour 60%
Rye flour 40%
Warm water %70
Sourdough starter %40
Rolled oats 20%
Dried apricots 12%
Salt 2%
Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg 0.3% of each
1. Incorporate water and flours, autolyse for 1hr.
2. Add in the sourdough starter and salt, mix until developed.
3. Bulk ferment overnight in a fridge.
4. Chop up the apricots and add with all remaining ingredients. Knock down, stretch and fold 4 times, waiting 1hr in-between.
5. Divide into 850gram pieces shape into desired shape. Dust with preferred ingredient- rye flour or oats and more apricots.
6. Pan and proof to height.
7. Bake @ 240degrees Celsius for 25-30min.
8. Cool and enjoy.
If you prefer a more open crumb be gentle with your handling and use a preshape and rest.
Looks yummy! I'm surprised to see oats in the crumb. Oats tend to disappear in my breads, but I usually add them at the autolyse stage or presoak them. If they are added later, how much texture do they retain?
Exactly, adding them as late as possible and only folding in retains the texture and crunch factor. It's great for breakfast bread or a little treat.
Make sure to use rolled oats, not oatmeal or crushed oats.
It has a nice sourness to it from the sourdough starter. Using apricots can be overwhelmingly sweet without the sourness or a low salt level.
Gotta be a great taste. Looks lovely and definitely on my books to try.
Thanks Lechem. Here is a photo of MDD bread I bake, with some tubs in the background for your curiosity.
MDD?
That looks lovely. I love bread with seeds but always inside and never outside. Too scared to spoil my shaping :)
That's a lotta starter I see. That's gonna keep you busy for sure! A very big pet that must eat you out of the kitchen.
MDD- Mechanically Developed Dough, another word for the Chorleywood Bread Process.
Fortunately I do not have to pay for the ingredients!
Lovely!
I've never seen a recipe where the add-ins are folded into the dough after an overnight bulk ferment. Is it difficult to get everything incorporated that way?
I bet this would be nice with a yeast water starter as well, if one didn't want the sour from the sourdough starter. :)
It isn't too difficult to incorporate them- I go for a sprinkle, fold, sprinkle, fold approach.
Having 4 sets of knockdown and fold is definitely important for this.