Vollkornbrot + a batch of Country Breads for friends
I still find it a funny experience to bake and then display small snippets of my life. Over the past fortnight I have perhaps pondered too deeply on this and my relationship with baking and bread … driven poor Nat to distraction I am sure.
So what do I want my bread to be like?
This question only found its way to me at the end of a long week. A long week with too much time spent looking at what other bakers/bakeries were doing. A week with too much time spent on other people’s lives and not my own. A week with too much time spent on wondering what I could possibly bake for the blog … and of course this is an endless ever-growing list.
For me, this seems to be the wrong way to go about it. Better to bake for my life and show the results, whether they are same and mundane or new and exciting. Even the same and mundane is never really the same and can be quite a challenge as we all know.
As the week finally came to an end, everything fell into place for a Saturday bake. I would bake and deliver my favourite bread, the Country Bread with two Starters [3] to a small group of friends. This gave me a purpose, a timeline to stick to and just the right amount of pressure. And with any luck we would have a loaf left over for us to enjoy on a picnic the following day.
Along with the Country Bread I wanted to bake a 100% Rye Vollkornbrot with a meal so coarse that with every two grains into the mill I wanted three pieces out. This meant an afternoon of milling and preparation the day before. I took my time and approached it all a little differently. The wheat was milled finely and sifted once catching approx 17% of its weight with the caught material set aside for dusting peels and baskets.
The rye grains went through the mill with the stones set a wide distance apart which produced lovely cracked grains and also a proportion of fine flour. Throughout the milling process I had to manage the mill so the stones had time to cool between passes. The desem starter was then expanded directly from the fridge and left outside in the cool night air. The rye sour was built for both breads using very coarsely milled meal … this would be an interesting inclusion to the Country Bread formula.
The next morning I woke early to beat the heat and keep to the timeline. As the Country Bread autolysed the vollkornbrot was mixed and mixed and mixed. With a few minutes to spare I sat quietly as the oven preheated and sipped a cup of tea in apricot light amidst the chatter of morning birds. Two hours later the Vollkornbrot was in the oven as the Country Bread bulk fermented and I spent a morning making french toast for the family.
The Vollkornbrot was removed from the oven in time for me to boost up the heat in preparation for the two loads of Country Breads. A warm day greatly assisted their final proofing with fridge doing the opposite for one of the batches as they waited for the oven. The warm loaves were soon bundled into a basket for an afternoon of deliveries and errands in a glorious sunny day. Perfect!
The day after I finally had the chance to slice into and taste both of the breads. The Country Bread was brought to a family picnic by the water where it was topped with mashed banana … a treat for kids and adults alike! So many childhood memories tied up in that flavour combination. The translucent crumb was softer than I remember from past bakes which was most likely from the different sifting method used and possibly the cracked rye used in the starter. The flavour was mild and fresh and even with the rye starter there was very little hint of sour. … plus it has my favourite coloured crust!
I had to wait for breakfast the next day before slicing into the Vollkornbrot. I think the crumb is still setting but it held together well for thin slicing. The flavour is smooth and deep with a creamy texture. The grains are apparent but not chewy or uncomfortable. I would love to bake this even longer next time and perhaps ferment the sour a little longer … I am just a little cautious knowing how fast the fresh milled grains seem to ferment.
Vollkornbrot
Overview | Weight | % of total flour |
Total flour/grain | 915g | 100% |
Total water | 730g | 80% |
Prefermented flour | 320g | 35% |
Desired dough temperature 24°C |
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1. Rye sour – 12 hrs 24°C |
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Starter (Not used in final dough) | 32g | 3% |
Coarsely milled cracked rye | 320g | 35% |
Water | 320g | 35% |
Total | 640g |
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2. Soaker |
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Coarsely milled cracked rye | 100g | 11% |
Altus | 40g | 4% |
Water | 200g | 22% |
Salt | 14g | 1.5% |
Total | 354g |
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3. Soaked grains |
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Ryegrain | 70g | 8% |
Spelt grain | 70g | 8% |
Honey | 2 tbsp |
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Boiling Water | 272g | 30% |
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Final paste @ 24°C |
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Sour (1.) | 640g | 70% |
Soaker (2.) | 354g | 39% |
Soaked grains drained (3.) | 160g (approx) | 17% |
Coarsely milled cracked rye | 322g | 35% |
Water | 210g | 23% |
Total | 1680g |
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Method
- 5:30pm the day before prepare the rye sour (1.) soaker (2.) and soaked grains (3.)
- 5:30 am the following day. Drain soaked grains and combine with rye sour, soaker and remaining cracked grains and water.
- Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon for 20-30 minutes (basically stir/mix until tired. Rest then begin stirring again)
- Shape and place into greased tin (mine are 8 x 4 x 4 pullman) seam side down.
- I proved it for one hour before docking, covering with lid and placing into oven preheated to 270°C on a baking stone. I immediately dropped the temperature to 200°C for one hour. I then reduced the temperature to 150°C and baked a further hour before removing from the oven.
So this is what I baked on my weekend … and now the starters are happy and well fed, we are happy and well fed and it’s nice to have found my path and purpose.
Cheers,
Phil