Bran levain & 50% whole grain sourdough
I have been milling my own flour on a blender which is coarser than commercial flour. Following the suggestion from Dabrownman, Danni and others, I have sifted the flour and used the bran and large bits to build up the levain. First I soaked the bran for 2 days and left in the fridge to soften up before building the levain.
I do not have precise measurements, but the approximate quantities are:
Levain
25 g bran
30 g starter
30 g bread flour
80 g water
Dough
110 g fresh milled flour (whole wheat + rye)
120 g bread flour
130 g water
70% hydration (felt like 75% when handling the dough)
Following standard steps, dissolved the levain first and added the dry ingredients, 4 g salt, a dash of honey and a dash of olive oil. No autolyse, 3 stretches and folds in the bowl, 5 hours bulk fermentation, shaped and straight into the fridge for 4 hours. Baked from fridge in a cold pot and cold oven for 55 min at 230C.
I can tell that I experienced the best aromas ever when baking. The levain also had a sweet and nutty smell because of the bran. Tasting this morning, the crumb revealed softness, nicely aerated, and nutty. I also got a nice oven spring, which I think has to do with the bran levain since it looked more active than normal. Overall it has been a great experience worth while repeating whenever I mill my own flour.
Happy baking to ALL
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