In Search of The Lost Nuttiness
The first bread I baked after I fully developed my current starter was pretty much perfection for my taste: It was slightly sour, but more importantly it had a nutty taste that would linger in your palate for a long time.
That bread dough was developed following a variation of the basic BBA sourdough recipe, the variation being that I mixed and baked the dough the same day, a direct-from-starter dough. That should have produced a lesser result, instead it produced a wonderful loaf.
Alas that was the first and last time I got such wonderful taste. Since then using the same starter, flour and recipe did not produce that nuttiness I am after.
I tried different variations including the 2-steps method, retarding the dough in the fridge overnight, using cold water, but nothing. I get great bread, more or less sour depending on the process I use but not nuttiness. Coincidentally the basic sourdough recipe in The Bread Bible does produce a sourer bread than the one in the BBA.
I even tested using a percentage of Whole Wheat and Bread Flour, but nothing. I use Bob's Whole Wheat and King Arthur Bread Flour.
Do you have any suggestions? Should I spike the mix with Rye? I remember one of my two current starters had some Rye meal in it and I am not sure if that would provide the much sought-after nuttiness.
Any help is more than welcome.