March 25, 2008 - 3:45pm
Raisin Walnut SD delight
Walnut-Raisin Bread
Walnut-Raisin Crumb with butter
I started this loaf after seeing Susan from San Diego's bread at the SD meeting last weekend. The images were so delicious looking I knew my wife would love it. I don't make a lot of breads with things added inside but I could almost smell this one. I might of proofed this a little longer for a more open crumb but it chews great and tastes wonderful.
Who ever said "It is not you for which he wags his tail but for your bread" was right on. My wife's constant companion jumped up and voted with his teeth that he liked this batch, just as I was taking the picture. What a great dog!
Here is my adaptation of Susan from SD's recipe.
Walnut Raisin Bread
500g flour (in this one I put about a half-cup of WW, the rest is Harvest King), 350g water, ~100g starter, ¼ tsp IDY10g salt 2 T sugar or honey,(and I added about 1-cup of very lightly toasted chopped walnuts and 1 cup of raisins. (I soaked them for a few minutes in hot water) Mix, rest 5-10 minutes, machine knead/mix to windowpane, rest 10 minutes, a couple folds, fold (here's where I added the walnuts and raisins), pre-shape and ferment in an oiled bowl for 1.5 Hours. Turn out onto parchment, cover and proof for 30 minutes. Slash, then lower into the hot Le Cloche at 470F, cover, lower heat to 450F, bake for 15 minutes, remove top and, bake until dark brown and internal temp is 200F. For me that was 30 minutes plus and additional 8 minutes at 400F. I'm using Reinhart's suggestion to refresh my starter: 1:3:4 (for me 15g:38g:60g), and that has made a difference.I only used 1/4 tsp IDY because my starter is strong. You may give that consideration but it was perfect for me.
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Yum. That looks great.
You had better hold on to that real tight.. it looks like someone wants it big time.
What is "IDY"???
IDY is Instant Dry Yeast
ADY is Active Dry Yeast
Sorry those are abbreviations sometimes used by folks here. If you have a good strong sourdough that has been refreshed within 10 or so hours you don't really need additional yeast. Or if you don't have a sourdough starter you can use 2-1/2 tsp of instant yeast. If you use the yeast, I would let it ferment for 1-1/2 hours and punch it down and let it rise again and then add the fruits and nuts.
Eric
Fabulous looking loaf, Eric! Just look at that color and the splits!
Hard to tell how close he is but looks like you lost this slice. I'm actually jealous.
Mini O
ehanner,
Lovely bread!
Would I be able to make this w/o the la cloche. I don't own one and I don't own a baking stone either.
bnb, you can make this bread with out any of the hardware. That's the wonderful thing about baking breads, it's mostly technique. In my head, I think the best breads I make are in the clay bell cooker or under a bowl. I'm sure you could easily make a very similar bread using steam and baking on a pan as I do with most of my baking.
I think the key to making this bread is to getting a good windowpane in the dough. The sharp nuts will make it it hard for the dough to hold the gas produced by the yeast or bacteria. A well developed gluten is more important no matter how you do it. Extended mixing/folding/stretching/kneading any technique you use, be sure to develop the gluten. The bread will rise and spring in the oven and the fruits will be delicious!
I don't know where you live but I recently purchased a box of quarry tiles from a Home Depot store for $10 and I think I could have bought them singley for very little money. Using a stainless steel bowl and a few dollars of unglazed tiles anyone can create a hearth type environment if you wish. I choose to not use a stone for most of my baking because of the wasted fuel to preheat the stone or tiles for a single bread. If you are baking more than one loaf it makes sense to heat a stone.
Eric
I have been baking a lot of bread lately. I will have to wait till next week to start baking bread again. So this is definitely on my list.
Just got back from a cooking club get together and took a loaf of this wonderful bread with me. It was the high point of the evening as the loaf looked as good as it tasted. Got so many "Ahs and Oos" from the other guests!! Sure builds up ones confidence in baking bread when a loaf comes together like this one did!
Mahalo,
Royall