Dark Rye revisited (problem solving, problem finding)
I have returned to last weeks Dark Rye formula [1] with a test bake to determine if the rye flour I am milling is creating havoc with the 100% rye formula.
Two batches of dough were prepared using different flour in each.
For one I used organic wholegrain rye flour from Kialla Pure Foods and for the other I milled organic rye grains from the same company in my Komo Fidibus XL mill.
I didn’t mill the flour quite as finely as previous after reading about starch damage and the issues it can cause with 100% rye breads.
Two separate sours were built using the different flours and then kept at 28C for 18 hours.
The night before, a soaker (the only common ingredient between the two doughs) was prepared containing all the salt, cold water, rye flour and coarsely milled rye grains. This was kept at a 20C for 15hours.
The sours felt quite different when first mixed. The fresh milled sour felt a little drier and I would have been inclined to add water. I didn’t though.
Two sours
[2]
Bought flour on left, fresh milled sour on right
On the following day I observed that the sour built with store bought flour had risen higher and had an even distribution of bubbling while the home milled sour had not risen as high (it was certainly active) and the bubbling seemed uneven with larger bubbling.
Mixing
[3]
Incorporating bought flour sour on left, fresh milled sour on right
When it came to add the sours the difference was dramatic. The store bought sour was “poured” out and was extremely runny. I had to spoon out the majority of the fresh milled sour with only a small proportion being runny.
The same temperature water was used in both to achieve common dough temperatures and then placed immediately in greased tins. I did not bother bulk fermenting the dough this time.
Again the fresh milled flour dough felt stiffer and was much easier to handle while the store bought dough proved a challenge to place in the tin in one piece.
Proofing took 1.5 hours with the fresh milled dough rising slightly higher (it may have had to do with hydration of dough)
They were docked and placed in a very hot oven (270C) for ten minutes before being baked for a further two hours at 200C and another hour at 150C. Again the oven was set to auto off and bread cooled in oven for a further two hours.
Breads were wrapped before slicing 36 hours after baking.
The first difference came as soon as I cut the breads. The fresh milled bread is a nightmare to cut. Takes a lot of muscle and the cuts are not clean, while the knife easily carves through the bread with store bought flour.
The fresh milled bread has lost its roof again. The other bread is intact, though is showing some signs of separating in some of the corners.
[6]
Fresh milled flour rye having lost its roof
The flavour is quite distinct between the two. The store bought flour bread is not as sour. They both are delicious, but the store bought flour has a nicer mouth feel.
I have no idea if it is traditional at all, but one of my favourite ways to eat this is with marmalade. We made this marmalade a few months ago using lemons from my tree, grapefruits from my grandfather's tree, oranges from a friend of ours and mandarins from my partners sisters.
Well rye aficionados?...
Would love to get some feedback and advice on this seemingly ongoing project ... problems solved, problems found ...
Cheers, Phil