Baking with All-British Flour
[1]Baking with All-British Flour [2]
Given that Rye Flour is not so common in UK shops as Wheat Flour, when one finds it, it is far more likely to be of British origin, and often, Organic too. The Bacheldre Organic Dark Rye Flour from a Welsh watermill is now the only flour I use to keep my rye sourdough culture properly fed. It is very dark, coarse, highly fermentable and thirsty, and produces breads of outstanding flavour. The Doves Farm Organic Light Rye is less impressive in these areas, but, its performance in producing a better dough structure is undeniable.
I'm trying to work towards using my local miller as a source for all the wheatflour I use at home. It means karting 7kg of flour at a time on the train back home, but I am feeling the need to move away from relying on industrially-milled flour, and come up with exceptional bread quality on all levels, using locally-grown organic flour from traditional sources. I achieved mixed success with this round of baking, but have produced much that I am very happy with, and a clear direction of the changes needed to induce improvement, and ultimately, fulfilment in the project.
•1. All-British flour and 2 Leavens [7]
Here is the formula for a bread dough raised with 2 leavens, and using only British Organic flour from traditional sources.
Material |
Formula [% of flour] |
Recipe [grams] |
1. Rye Sour Elaboration 1 |
|
|
Stock Rye Sourdough |
|
20 |
Bacheldre Organic Dark Rye Flour |
|
60 |
Water |
|
100 |
TOTAL |
|
180 |
|
|
|
2. Wheat Levain Elaboration 1 |
|
|
Stock Wheat Levain |
|
54 |
Gilchesters Organic Pizza Flour |
|
100 |
Water |
|
60 |
TOTAL |
|
214 |
|
|
|
3. Rye Sour Elaboration 2 |
|
|
Elaboration 1 [above] |
|
180 |
Bacheldre Organic Dark Rye Flour |
|
150 |
Water |
|
250 |
TOTAL |
29.63 |
580 |
|
400g retained |
180g returned to stock |
4. Wheat Levain Elaboration 2 |
|
|
Elaboration 1 [above] |
|
214 |
Gilchesters Organic Pizza Flour |
|
200 |
Water |
|
120 |
TOTAL |
35.56 |
534 |
|
480g retained |
54g returned to stock |
5. FINAL DOUGH |
|
|
Rye Sourdough [above, 3.] |
29.63 [11.11flour, 18.52water] |
400 |
Wheat Levain [above, 4] |
35.56 [22.22flour, 13.34water] |
480 |
Gilchesters Organic Pizza Flour |
48.15 |
650 |
Gilchesters Organic Farmhouse Flour |
18.52 |
250 |
Salt |
1.2 |
16 |
Water |
38.14 |
515 |
TOTAL |
171.2 |
2311 |
Overall % Pre-fermented Flour |
33.3 |
|
Overall % Hydration |
70 |
|
Method:
- Elaboration One on Saturday evening, 19:00. Elaboration Two Sunday morning 09:00
- Dough mixed Sunday 17:00. Initial Bulk Proof for 2½ hours. Retard overnight.
- Divide and shape 08:00 Monday. Set to prove in Bannetons
- After cutting, bake using steam and masonry at 13:00
- Cool on wires.
Notes:
- Too much pre-fermented flour, all-told in the formula. The rye sour needed rescuing, but was good by the time of dough mixing, and added at the right quantity. The wheat leaven was too ripe, and too much added. There is need to take account of the greater ash content in this flour; even though it is labelled "Pizza/Ciabatta" flour, it can hardly be described as "00"! The colour is a greyish white.
- I did not want to retard overnight, but had little choice. The rye sour needed some care and attention. As a result the wheat leaven was over-ripe, and it was early evening, so I had to retard, rather than stay up until 4 in the morning!
- I miscalculated the salt! At 1.8% on flour, there should have been just over 24g added. This is extremely significant in terms of the dough performance.
- I adjusted the water level upward, only slightly, but feel 70% is the best proportion of water to be adding to this flour
- Some information from the flour bags is attached in photographic form. Please do not take any notice of the claim that this is "Strong" flour. High protein [and mineral content], most certainly. High in gluten forming proteins, definitely not! Personally, I wish this claim had never been included in the marketing of this flour. It may well cause numerous customers to be seriously put-off from buying in the future. I want to learn how to make good bread with this flour, and I know it does not possess some of the properties most often associated with strong bread flour. However, I know it is possible, and now know and understand the significance of the notes I have listed above.
- I have been further reflecting on the use of utterly untreated flour. Thus creating a thoroughly different animal for the baker to deal with. How to up the ante, and increase skill and knowledge levels to retain control of the fermentation and dough development when adding in all the further variables of a less consistent performance in the flour. This is to be the new "bar" to jump over.
- Onward and upward in the future!
Once rescued, I gave the rye sour dough one further elaboration, prepared a scald, and readied myself to make a large batch of this paste; very nearly 4kg...by hand!
Material |
Formula [% of flour] |
Recipe [grams] |
1. Rye Sourdough [elab 3] |
|
|
Stock after Elaboration 2 |
|
180 |
Bacheldre Organic Dark Rye Flour |
|
532.5 |
Water |
|
887.5 |
TOTAL |
80 [30flour, 50water] |
1600 |
Note: further leftover for stock |
|
[80] |
|
|
|
2. Scald |
|
|
Doves Farm Organic Light Rye Flour |
20 |
400 |
Organic Barley Malt Syrup |
4.5 |
90 |
Organic Blackstrap Molasses |
6 |
120 |
Coriander [ground fresh] |
1 |
20 |
Salt |
1 |
20 |
Boiling Water |
35 |
700 |
TOTAL |
67.5 |
1350 |
|
|
|
3. Final Paste |
|
|
Rye Sourdough [from above] |
80 |
1600 |
Scald [from above] |
67.5 |
1350 |
Doves Farm Organic Light Rye Flour |
17.5 |
350 |
Bacheldre Organic Dark Rye Flour |
12.5 |
250 |
Gilchesters Organic Pizza Flour |
20 |
400 |
TOTAL |
197.5 |
3950 |
Overall Pre-fermented Flour |
30 |
|
Overall Hydration |
85 |
|
Method:
- Give 3rd elaboration to rye sourdough and leave to ferment through for 14 hours. At the same time make the scald. Add molasses and malt syrup to boiled water in a pan and return to the boil. Pour this onto the flour, salt and coriander and mix to form a stiff, gelatinised paste. Cover well, and leave to cool overnight.
- Mix the final paste by combining the liquid sour with the stiff scald. Add the remaining flour and form a paste. See photographs for texture.
- Bulk prove 1 hour, then scale and mould into tins using wet hands to shape.
- Proof for 3 - 4 hours before baking in a moderate oven for 2 hours and upwards
- Cool on wires
- Note that I made one loaf in a Pullman Pan scaled off at 2kg, one loaf in "Farmhouse" tin, scaled off at 1.3kg, with the residual 650g proved in a small brotform, although it did, sadly, stick somewhat!
Photographs of the finished loaves are all attached.
Best wishes to you all
Andy