Whitsuntide Baking and Other Antics
Whitsuntide Baking and Other Antics
Today has been a busy day making a range of breads. I had refreshed both my rye sourdough and wheat levain, with no definite projects in mind. Given store cupboard availability at the time, this is what I've ended up with:
•1. Cheese Bread
Part of the "Hamelman Challenge", I made this Cheese Bread using the white levain, pretty much to the recipe. I'm afraid I couldn't extend to Parmegiano Regiano, but I did have a half decent Farmhouse Mature Cheddar Cheese to use as substitute. As with all the breads made at home, this is solely reliant on natural yeasts, so it took a considerably longer time to prove than Hamelman suggests in his book. I made a small loaf in a banneton which was underproved. So, I just allowed the loaf in the Pullman Pan to prove for about 3 hours before baking; this was after a 2 hour bulk proof, so I was really pleased with the end result. It is to formula, found on pp.180-1 of the book, apart from these alterations.
•2. Roasted Brazil Nut and Prune Bread
Well, it should be hazelnut, but I was quite happy to use brazils instead. No added yeast, just the white levain. To formula otherwise. The loaf shown is just shy of 1.2kg. I baked it at 180°C for 55 minutes. It had stuck, ever so slightly in the "banneton", but I was really happy about the lovely moist crumb in the final baked loaf. Prunes are a new household favourite, and we have sourced dried fruits which have been packed perfectly, and knock the socks off even fresh plums! See pp. 185-6
•3. Horst Bandel's Black Pumpernickel
Given I bought 3kg of Organic Rye Berries and 3kg of Organic Cracked Rye Grain, I want to keep on producing "Pumpernickel-style" breads. 8 hours steaming works so well; keeping qualities are unsurpassed. We both love this bread...lots and lots!
•4. Wholegrain Bread leavened with a Rye Sourdough
This one's my own recipe, shown below. I made it as one BIG loaf in a banneton, using bran as a topping to the bread, which weighed in just short of 1.4kg prior to baking! The flours are all organic; the formula is as straightforward as can be for this type of loaf. Bulk ferment time was about 2 hours, with 2 S&F in that time. Final proof was similarly 2 hours. I do so love using rye sourdough to leaven any type of bread. This loaf makes me think of Leader's Pane di Genzano, and yet the 2 formulae have little in common. Can't wait to try it! Bake profile utilised steam, loaded at full heat of 250°C, reduced to 220°C after 10 minutes, then 200°C for the last 20 minutes of a 50 minute bake.
Pre-fermented Flour: 13.8% Overall Hydration: 67.2%
Material |
Formula [% of flour] |
Recipe [grams] |
|
|
|
Organic Dark Rye Flour |
13.8 |
112 |
Water |
23.2 |
188 |
TOTAL |
37 |
300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rye Sourdough |
37 |
300 |
Organic Strong White Flour |
43.1 |
350 |
Organic Strong Wholemeal Flour |
43.1 |
350 |
Salt |
1.7 |
14 |
Water |
44 |
357 |
TOTAL |
168.9 |
1371 |
Photographs shown below:
Student Bread Competition
The end of the student academic year approaches. Currently we are building 2 College Buildings out of Cake ready for the EAT Food Festival held in Newcastle later in June.
At the end of April we played host to Warburtons to celebrate National Bread Week; the first week of May. A huge organisation, and massively successful baking company; this was a great opportunity for the students, and they all did the College and themselves proud. They divided into 3 groups and designed their own loaves to produce and present to a Senior Manager at the local Warburtons Bakery in our city. Hamelman's Roast Potato and Onion Bread was the inspiration for one group, and it was soo moist; probably my favourite on the day! Another group was led by a baker from Sicily, and the recipe lent heavily on the Semolina Bread I posted on not long ago. Both these breads were made using a Biga Naturale, prepared and fostered by the students themselves. The winners went down the seed route in a big way, and adopted rye sourdough as a means to pack a punch with flavour. Clearly this impressed the judge! They actually made Pain Siègle, a Wholegrain Chollah with seed topping, and a "Couronne" of rolls using rye sour dough and topped with seeds.
Some photographs are attached. Most of these are taken on a mobile phone, so, apologies for lack of quality.
I don't seem to have posted on the blog for a while; hope this keeps up the interest!
Best wishes to you all
Andy