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Lucy was going to do something else but came back to one of my favorites – Mediterra’s Pecan and Cranberry Sourdough.  This great bakery, located in the small AZ town of Coolidge, AZ, supplies the local Whole Foods with some of their upscale breads – including this one.  Here is there web site http://mediterrabakehouse.com/

After my less than spectacular Forkish Country Brown....good flavor, not as good oven spring as I would like, I was advised by my mentor (you know who you are) to go back to basics.

Hamelman's 5-grain Levain is one of our favorite breads.  My wife and I always have some on hand in the freezer (it freezes quite well), ready to toast a slice for breakfast or for a sandwich.  It also lends itself to all kinds of variations since it is easy to modify the ingredients and relative amounts of the soaker.  I have used cracked rye (as called for in the original recipe) and have also had success with bulghur wheat.  This time, inspired by this post earlier this year, I tried it with freek

It's not the best or holiest baguette I've seen, but I think it is a solid attempt to develop upon (it's actually my fourth attempt since last week). I used all purpose flour (or something between APF and bread flour, it says 12.78% protein), 67% hidration and 20% sourdough starter, plus about 3% of malt flour, mixed and folded a few times yesterday afternoon, retarded in the fridge overnight and shaped and baked this morning.

The crust is really nice, not too thick, the crumb is soft and almost creamy; the taste is mostly sweet.

To me it was new to do the finall rise of the bread in the fridge, I usualy do it the other way round, I knead the dough

and put it in the fridge for 12 - 18 hours and then shape the cold dough and put it in the baneton, proof and bake.

These were commissions! 20% whole wheat, long cold bulk fermentation (24 hours) and long cold proof (18 hours). 300 g levain for 800 g flour, so about 38% levain by baker's percentage. Produced two medium-sized loaves. I can't stop experimenting with levain percentage!

Recently I had an urge to try to recreate one of my favorite breads.  This one originated in Ken’s Artisan Bakery in Portland, OR.  To me it tastes almost like a dessert or sweet treat.  Eaten fresh, toasted, whatever, and with a slathering of butter or cream cheese across the top, the sweetness of the raisins just pop out on the taste buds.  It has more whole grain than any of the other baguettes I’ve made at home so far, and uses a stiff rather than a liquid levain.