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An Experiment with Multigrain Seedy Dinner Rolls

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

An Experiment with Multigrain Seedy Dinner Rolls

 

It’s Summer in San Francisco, and that means soup weather.  And what goes better with soup than a nice tender, wheaty dinner roll with whole grains and seeds?  I’d never made such a bread, but why not try?

I’ve never really invented a formula before, just tried adaptations of proven formulas.  But I didn’t find a formula that looked quite like what I was after: something in between the Hamelman Whole Wheat Multigrain and an enriched whole wheat-oatmeal bread.  So I looked to my experience with enriched whole wheat and oatmeal breads, read a number of TFL entries about how to achieve a soft crust and about seedy breads.  Then I looked at a bunch of formulas from Hamelman and Reinhart, and put pencil to paper (with calculator at hand).

Since I had a very active starter going, I decided to make a leavened dough, with a pinch of instant yeast.

I also had in mind trying the Central Milling Organic Type 85 flour for something besides a Miche.  So that’s the flour I used for this experiment (but I think a mix of 50% whole wheat and 50% bread flour would work fine).

I mixed the levain last night, and this morning I soaked some Bob’s Red Mill whole grain cereal (Five Grain with Flax seed) and toasted some wheat germ and some pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds.

My calculation on paper of the proper hydration for this dough was a ways off, presumably due to the thirsty whole grains, and I ended up having to add more water during the initial mix.  Reminded me of proth5’s discussion of the “hydration neutral” concept.

But once I got the dough texture feeling right (kind of like the Hamelman Oatmeal bread), it was a joy to handle.  Having no clear idea how long the bulk ferment should be for this dough, I just watched the dough, not the clock (hmmm…where have I heard that before).  After about 1 ¾ hours, the dough had expanded about 50% and seemed nice and airy. 

So that’s when I divided and pre-shaped the dough into 3 oz balls, waited 30 minutes, and then shaped the balls into round rolls.

They proofed 1 ¼ hours, then baked for 18 minutes, the first half with steam.

They came out a nice golden brown, and they make the house smell delicious.

I let them cool about 40 minutes before I couldn’t resist any longer.  They are about the density of a firm whole wheat bread; nice and springy, but firm; the structure would be good for a sandwich loaf.  The seeds and whole grains make for a nice mix of feel and flavor.

The flavor is nutty and complex, just the slightest bit sweet.   It would be excellent with a sharp cheese or with peanut butter, or just sweet butter.  My wife enjoyed the first taste a lot, and said it would be great with raisins added…and nuts and cinnamon (she has a thing for cinnamon-fruit-nut breads).  That’s a variation I’ll try.

All in all, a good experiment.  The formula follows a few more photos.

Multi-grain Seedy Rolls

(7/31/11)

Liquid Levain

.4 oz ripe starter

2.4 oz water

1.9 oz Type 85 flour

Soaker

2 oz BRM 5-grain cereal mix

2.5 oz hot water

Final Dough

14.1 oz Type 85 flour

.4 oz baker’s milk powder

.05 oz instant yeast

6.8 oz warm water

.7 oz honey

.8 oz vegetable oil

liquid levain (all)

soaker (all)

.35 oz salt

1.2 oz toasted seeds (mix of sesame, pumpkin and sunflower) and wheat germ

Procedure

1.        The night before baking, mix the liquid levain and leave covered at room temperature 10-14 hours.

2.        An hour before mixing dough, (a) toast seeds and wheat germ in 300 F oven for 40 minutes, then let cool, and (b) pour hot water over cereal for soaker, and cover bowl.  

3.        Mix flour, milk powder and instant yeast.

4.        Mix water, liquid levain, honey, vegetable oil, then add soaker.

5.        Pour dry ingredients into liquid ingredients and mix to shaggy mass.

6.        Cover for 30 minute autolyse.

7.   Add salt and toasted seeds and wheat germ, and mix thoroughly, then knead five minutes to medium development.

8.        Bulk ferment at 70 F. for two hours with four way stretch-and-folds at 45 minutes and 90 minutes.

9.    Divide into approx. 3 oz pieces and pre-shape in balls.  Rest 30 minutes.

10.  Shape as round rolls, place on parchment, and proof one hour.

11.  Pre-heat oven, with baking stone and steam apparatus, to 450 F.

12.  Transfer parchment to baking stone and bake 9 minutes with steam, then remove steam apparatus and lower  temperature to 400 F.  Bake an additional 9 minutes or so (to internal temperature of 195-200 F), rotating the parchment for even browning as necessary.

13.  Remove rolls from oven, and brush with milk (if you like softer crust).  Cool on rack for 30 minutes or more.

Submitted to Yeastspotting (http://www.wildyeastblog.com/category/yeastspotting/)

Glenn

Comments

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Glenn,

I was raised in SF so know well the weather you describe and wish we had some of it here in Co. lately where temps are in the 90° both outside and inside …..can't stop the baking….

Your beautiful buns have finally tipped the scales for me by being the magical 3rd formula employing the same seed mixture. I bought the seeds a few weeks ago after being inspired by both Hanseata and Ananda but couldn't decide whose loaf to tackle first. Now I will have to choose…..can't put it off any longer.

Thanks so much for your great write up and photos. The details you include will make it very easy for me to follow in your 'bread' steps.

Enjoy the fog for me :-) ( I grew up near the Presidio so we were always engulfed in it…..)

Take Care,

Janet

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

Janet,  thanks for your nice comment.  I love seeds, but had never made quite this seedy a bread before.  I like both the flavor affect and the texture of the seeds.  I look forward to seeing your go at it.

As to SF Summer, it's the usual...some days with mostly sun and highs around 70; some days mostly cloudy with highs in the low 60s.  I'm about 100 yards from the Presidio, so I know fog, too. 

Glenn

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Glenn, The buns got baked today.

 

They passed the 'kids' test which included a friend of my son's who is visiting from France.

They also passed my test of what I consider a good formula in that it lent itself well to being converted to the whole grains I grind and bake with.  (I used Kamut and a bit of soft winter wheat.  I also increased the amount of seeds, used malted wheat flakes instead of the 7 grain cereal and I couldn't resist adding a bit of altus to the soaker....)

 I have now joined the ranks of those who include seeds in their breads....another lesson learned. :-)

Again, thanks for the formula.

Take Care,

Janet

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

They came out beautifully, Janet.  And your variations sound very good.

I'm glad you liked the formula. Nice to know it's repeatable.

Glenn

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

David

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

This is a good formula for the CM Type 85.  

Glenn

wassisname's picture
wassisname

Those look really tasty!  Sounds like they could accompany just about anything, excellent work.

Marcus

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

Glenn

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Nice tasty looking rolls!  I'm having a hard time seeing the seeds, I'm due for new glasses!  I love those tiny little sunflower seeds, they mix nicely into your seeded rolls. They have a nice sheen on the crust and look tender to tear apart.

 You did very nicely mixing up your own formula!  I know it's a little more work but I also enjoy seeing the percentage next to the ingredient weights....is that just me?  

We are just getting over our cooler June Gloom days...and it will be warming up more for August.  The little rain storm, yesterday morning was refreshing and unexpected but, left the afternoon hot and humid in the low 80's.  To warm yet for soup but the mornings and evenings are cool.  

Sylvia

 

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

The seeds are in there, but only at something like 7% of flour weight.  They are not as visible as I expected them to be. 

You're right, I should do the math and post the baker's percentages.  I'll do that in a spare moment.

Making up a formula almost makes me feel like I'm beginning to understand a thing or two about how bread works.

Glenn

proth5's picture
proth5

...of your cool weather.  I've been reduced to making English Muffins as they can be made outdoors on the electric griddle... (Yes, there's always the tandoor, but various hassles with dying appliances (and predated fish) and my overwhelming canning schedule at this time of year have just made building a big fire one more thing for which I do not have time.

Yeah - if you were writing a formula for large scale re use that "hydration neutral" concept is a big deal.  I finally figured it out with some of my formulas only to be interrupted by this beastly heat...

Nice rolls.

Pat

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

I lived in hot weather for my first 18 years, and now I don't have to anymore.

I'm afraid to ask about the "predated fish" (racoons in the coi pond?).  I just hope it's unrelated to your canning.

Glenn

proth5's picture
proth5

...the tragedy on Goldbrick Pond is too horrible to recount on these pages but does involve a still unidentified predator - but is not related to canning.

One of the 234 signs of getting old is saying "It didn't used to get so hot/cold/dry/rainy..." :>)

Pat

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Love the flavor of multi grain breads. Those look great and I know sometime it's hard to judge the ferment right. Thanks for sharing.

Eric

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

It's a wonder how semi-intelligent decisions about hydration, ferment time, dough development and baking time and temperature can be made when one has a little experience.  If I'd tried inventing something like this as a raw beginner, it would have been a miracle for any one of those decisions to be right.

Glenn

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hello Glenn,
I was amused by:

It’s Summer in San Francisco, and that means soup weather.

That's how I was feeling about the weather here, until recently!
Those rolls look hearty and delicious, and the perfect thing to have with soup.
What a formula - yum!
:^) from breadsong

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

Yes, Breadsong.  These rolls are hearty.  Packed with flavor and substance.

Thanks for your nice comment.

Glenn

HeidiH's picture
HeidiH

Yup, they look good enough to eat!!!  Fer shurr.

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Glenn,

Almost a year and another 'rave' review on your rolls.  I bake for several of our neighbors one of whom has a daughter that doesn't like bread.  I baked a batch of your rolls on Friday and sent a half dozen of them to her family.  My daughter babysits for them and she just informed me that they are all already gone and the daughter who doesn't like bread tried one and ate the whole thing and really liked it!!!  

Just thought you would like to know how your rolls are doing :-)

Take Care,

Janet