[1]New Breads from Old Favourite Flours [2]

Our next-door neighbours recently took a daytrip to my old stomping ground across the North Pennines in Cumbria.   They very kindly sent a text message to me wondering if I might want any flour, as they ended up at the Watermill at Little Salkeld: http://organicmill.co.uk/http://organicmill.co.uk/ [3]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s when I baked at the Red Herring Workers’ Co-operative, we used flour from the Watermill, exclusively; organically grown wheat, usually biodynamic Demeter standard, grown in the North of England, and stone-milled using water power…unique!

My choices of flour?

[4]

The Miller’s Magic is a flour which was introduced shortly after the mill began to produce Unbleached White Flour using a traditional bolting method.   The last and finest of the sieves produces what are known as the “Middlings”, extracted from the outer portion of the endosperm of the wheat grain.   Maslin flour is a blend of rye flour with “middlings”, which produces flour which is a little grey, reasonably finely ground, and somewhat stronger than might be expected.   And this is a by-product, remember!

My Hexham venture with Nigel; http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/27794/development-day-work-nigel-13th-march-2012 [5]  includes a loaf made with Golden Linseed and Light Rye Flour.   I decided to use the Miller’s Magic flour to produce a similar type of loaf, using a wheat levain and a cold soaker with the flaxseed blond.

[6]

A few customers ask for Spelt Bread.   I like to use Spelt, and made a lot of it at the Village Bakery in the late 1990s; it was marketed as “Hadrian Bread”, named after the Roman Emperor in charge at the time the Romans occupied Britain, when Spelt was the most common wheat crop.   Even more appropriately, Hadrian’s Wall lies only a few miles from this North Pennine bakery.   My main problem with spelt is that it costs a lot of money.   This is because it is difficult to mill, as the outer husk is attached to the grain, and, because yield is very poor when compared to more modern wheat varieties.   This did not put me off asking for Biodynamic Spelt Flour.   And I made a variation of the Hadrian Bread too.   It uses my regular wheat leaven, plus a “Raisin Must”.   Honey seems to be a ubiquitous “sweetener” found in Spelt breads.   This alternative is a hot soaker of raisins which is blitzed to a fine purée to add to the final dough.

Both formulae are given below, along with a few photographs.

I am now looking forward to offering tastings of these loaves to local people as part of the next stage of the business development plan.

I made a couple of old favourites to justify firing up the brick oven
The Millers’ Magic: Maslin Flour and a Golden Linseed Soaker

Wheat Levain build

Final Paste

Method:

• Build the leaven as schedule and prepare soaker the night before.
• Combine all the ingredients in the mixer using a hook attachment.   Mix 10 - 15 minutes on first speed, scraping down the bowl as required.   DDT 26°C.
• Bulk ferment 2½ - 3 hours
• Scale, divide and pre-shape.   Rest covered 15 minutes; prepare bannetons.
• Final shape; final proof 1½ - 2 hours.
• Score top and bake in wood-fired oven
• Cool on wires

[7]

Dinkel Bread with Levain

Method:

• Prepare the leaven as schedule.   Soak the raisins in the hot water overnight.
• Blitz the raisins and water to a must.   Combine all the ingredients with the leaven and must in a mixing bowl with a hook attachment.   Mix on first speed for 15 minutes, scraping down the bowl as required.   DDT 27°C.

[8]

• Bulk proof 2 hours
• Scale, divide and mould
• Final proof 1 - 2 hours
• Score the tops and bake in wood-fired ovens
• Cool on wires

[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

 Campagne with Rye Sourdough and Wheat Levain

Method:

• Prepare the levains as schedule.   Make an “autolyse” with final dough flour and water plus the rye sourdough
• Combine wheat levain and autolyse in the mixer on first speed for 5 minutes.   Add the salt, mix 2 minutes on first and 3 minutes on second speed.
• Bulk ferment for 2½ hours; S&F after 1 and 2 hours.
• Scale and divide; mould round.   Rest 15 minutes and prepare large bannetons.   Re-mould and set for final proof in bannetons.
• Final proof 1½ hours.   Pre-heat oven.
• Tip onto peel, Bake in wood-fired oven
• Cool on wires.

[15]

Moscow Rye Bread

Rye Sour Refreshment

Final Paste

Method:

• Build the sourdough as described above.   Make the “scald” as follows:   combine the caraway and the red rye malt and dark rye flour.   Weigh the molasses into a pan, add water and bring to a rolling boil.   Tip this onto the flour mix, and add any extra boiling water if there is evaporation.   Stir well to ensure full gelatinisation.   Cover and cool.
• Once sufficiently cool, add the scald to the sour to make the sponge.   Cover and leave to ferment for 4 hours.
• For the final paste combine the sponge with remaining flour and the salt, mix with the paddle beater in an upright machine, 2 minutes on first speed and 2 minutes on second speed.   Scrape down the bowl to ensure thorough mixing.
• Bulk proof for 1 hour with DDT at 28°C.
• Scale and divide, shape and place in bread pans prepared with lining of shortening and coating of rye flour.   Smooth off the top and attach lids.
• Final proof for 1 hour at 28°C, then bake.
• Bake in the dead wood-fired oven.
• Cool on wires; wrap in linen and leave 24 hours before cutting into the bread.

Ok, I’m off to make a croissant dough to retard overnight, plus rolling out the butter, and, an overnight biga for some bread rolls.   I need another delivery of wood…very soon!

Happy Baking everyone!

Andy