BBA Basic Sourdough with 50% Whole Wheat Flour
I'm interested in making a Poilane style bread, so I thought it might be interesting to make a BBA Basic Sourdough with half of the flour being whole wheat.
I made the dough up using the same procedure I've been using for the other Basic Sourdoughs, except (of course) using much more WW flour. Due to schedule conflicts the dough stayed in the refrigerator for 4 days ... I baked the loaves yesterday evening.
Shaping is still an issue and I haven't yet gotten to purchasing a linen, making transfer peels, etc. The batards are slightly misshapen, unfortunately. Baked at 525F for 15 minutes, then 475F for about 15 minutes (until the crust was the desired color).
Crumb is a bit tight despite following the same procedure previously used to achieve ~73% hydration, not sure if it is the result of WW flour needing more water, the excessively long cold fermentation and the yeast running out of "oomph," or the long ferment damaging the gluten.
Flavor is excellent, crumb is tender and fragrant, the crust is nicely flavored and crunchy. There is a slight sour note which is nice.
I have a Poilane style dough in the fridge at the moment and I'll likely bake it tonight ... more later.
-Dave
PS: I did bake a BBA Basic Sourdough 2 weeks ago that I didn't blog about ... went skiing with some friends on the weekend of the 18th/19th and baked some bread to bring along. I was in a rush so I didn't get a chance to take pics or post. One friend who came to visit the house we rented, a gent from France, particularly enjoyed the bread with dinner. I was quite happy about that!