I like "hard core" sourdough - I often make big loaves of 100% whole wheat entirely leavened by sourdough.
However, there has been a big promotion of sourdough in the mainstream media because of a perceived shortage of baker's yeast. This is silly. Sourdough should be baked for its virtues. And, yeast breads should be baked for their virtues.
I baked this bread a second time and adjusted what I was doing based on some comments and suggestions I received here and elsewhere. Because the sweet potato should already be adding sugars to the dough I skipped the diastatic malt. I also did bulk fermentation at a slightly lower temperature because I thought the last bake could have been a bit overproofed. I also baked the bread differently based on an idea that Kirsten of FullProofBaking posted. On the lowest rack I placed a roasting pan with rack and then baked the bread in my Dutch oven on this rack.
This is my first venture into baking with Kamut in a while. In the past, I have found this flour challenging, as the gluten needs a lot of time to hydrate, and once hydrated it's a bit weak and very extensible. I adapted this recipe from AnnieT's Semolina Bread recipe here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20044/semolina-bread#comment-138273
I am delighted with this bread: it has a very thin, very crisp, delicate crust, a moist, tender interior, and a nice clean gentle wheat flavor.
Made more bread using my starter from Tin Shack Bakery in Pahoa -- this is Jeffrey Hamelman's Whole Wheat with pâte fermentée.
WW flour 900 gr
water 700 gr
levain 150 gr
salt 18 gr
2 hr salt soak ( flour, water, salt)
5 hr bulk fermented
1.5 hr proof after shaping into 2 batards
baked at 450F for 35 min
one loaf cut right away. That’s why the crumb is wet in picture.
malty-wheaty flavor. Soft texture. Crust is crispy
I'm baking away from home with different flours, but I decided to just try and make something using 60% whole grains (a hodgepodge mix of rye, white whole wheat, and einkorn). I used 1000g of flour total and about 85% hydration, adding turmeric and sautéed onions. I made one loaf on the slightly smaller side and then the other loaf ended up weighing 1.3kg!! I didn't have a lame, or a sharp knife, so I tried to let the loaves open on their own. The smaller one opened nicely, but the "miche" rose but didn't crack. I think I overproofed these.
Hey all my name is Scott and I’ve been baking for a few years. Really enjoying it. Baking combines my interest in cooking, chemistry, microbiology, and working with my hands.
So I too have been reading about stiff levains and decided to try an experiment. I split my starter a week ago and fed both side by side 2x/day. One at 100% hydration and one at 60%. Mixed up two levains at the same hydration ratios and made doughs of my standard country loaf to see any differences.
In the pic above left is the liquid levain and right is the stiff.
Getting back into sourdough after a long hiatus and a few false starts. I built my starter and it took almost two weeks, but now it seems strong and vigorous. Going to try to keep track here of how things turn out.
I think I've still got it!
Wisconsin's safer at home order has got me baking up a storm! Huge thanks to dabrownman for his NMNF starter method.
I won't share the first loaf...we'll call that tasty (but ugly) practice.
My whole wheat w/ flax meal was an experiment very loosely based on a recipe from Tartine No. 3. It was my first whole wheat loaf and was a nightmare to shape, but it turned out great!
A TFL member sent me a kind inquiry as to my welfare, since I hadn't posted any recent baking. Well, I am fine, thank you, except for some cabin fever. I feel great and not particularly vulnerable, considering my .... seniority. My hyper-prudent spouse is suppressing my daily urges to expose myself to nasty bugs, no doubt a good thing. <sigh>
I have been baking - probably a little more than usual, in fact. And I have tried a couple of new things. The photos are all from the past 3 weeks' baking.
