The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Seeded sandwich loaf

emkay's picture
emkay

Seeded sandwich loaf

I started a new job about two weeks ago and, as a result, I haven't had much time to bake or surf the internet lately. I miss being able to read TFL daily, but I miss sleeping more so I chose sleep over the internet. :) My brotformen are still vacuum-sealed for safe keeping while I get settled with my new routine, so I've been baking in loaf pans.

This week I baked Syd's seed loaf (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/38429/seed-loaf), but I omitted the bread spices. After mixing, I divided my dough into 2 portions. One was 250 g and the other was 750 g. I spread the 250 g portion into a mini loaf pan, proofed it at room temperature for 1 hour, then put the pan into the refrigerator for 2 hours. I baked it straight from the refrigerator at 375F for 30 minutes.

seed_loaf_mini_2

I bulk fermented the 750 g portion in the refrigerator for 7 hours. After the cold bulk, I shaped it, put it in a 8.5 x 4-inch loaf pan, and proofed it at room temperature for 1 hour. Then I stage baked it as follows: 450F for 10 min, 425F for 10 min, 400F for 20 min. Then I removed the loaf from the pan and baked it at 350F for 5 min. Total bake time was 45 minutes.

seed_loaf_1

The large loaf was a little bit overproofed (as evidenced by the compressed crumb at the bottom), but it wasn't too noticeable as far as eating was concerned. In addition to the lovely flavor that the rye levain added, it also helped with the keeping quality. The tangzhong helped it stay soft. Overall it was a delicious sandwich loaf.

seed_loaf_3

:) Mary

Comments

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

Good luck with the new job and happy bakin.

emkay's picture
emkay

I am enjoying my new job, but it really cuts into my baking time. :) Thanks dabrownman!

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

HI Mary,

Love how your loaf turned out.  The crust color is so pretty!  I still do not understand how you get such a nice golden color baking at the high temps. you are using.  Did you keep the pan covered while baking?  If I were to bake a loaf like this at those temps.  the crust would come out very dark indeed. ( I generally would bake at 350° for a loaf like this.)

Thanks for the post.

Take Care,

Janet

emkay's picture
emkay

I checked my notes with regards to baking this loaf. I pre-steamed the oven using hot lava rocks and water and then I covered my loaf pan for only the first 10 minutes. It was uncovered for the rest of the baking time. I used the stage baking with falling temperatures per Karin's saatenbrot post (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/27232/saatenbrot-many-seed-bread-equal-opportunity-baking-3). She starts at 465F and gradually decreases the oven temp to 355F over a period of 40 minutes.

My oven must be very different from your oven. I have a 30-inch gas oven. I haven't checked the accuracy of my oven temperature since November 2013, but everything else that I've baked (like cakes, cookies, etc) turn out perfect so I'm pretty sure my oven temp is accurate. But I will definitely be checking the temp the next time I fire up my oven.

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Hi Mary,

Thanks for the reply.  My oven is convection and I add steam also BUT I turn off the oven for the first 10 minutes so that the fan doesn't blow all the steam out of the oven.  I am thinking that my loaves get a darker crust because when  I turn the heat back on it needs time to  heat again to get up to temp. once the steaming is done. I then do the falling temp. method too.

 My conclusion:  Starting temp. + no heat on/steam + rising temp.+ falling temp. results in a dark crust :) 

Adaptations to a home oven.

Take Care,

Janet

CAphyl's picture
CAphyl

I bet these taste better than anything you can buy in the store!  They look better, too.  You must be pleased.  Hope you are enjoying the new job.  Best,  Phyllis

emkay's picture
emkay

I was very pleased with this bread. It will be part of my regular rotation of bakes.

baybakin's picture
baybakin

Looks great!  I've had a similar timing issue for baking, so have been tooling around with tinned sandwich loaves.

I'll have to try a riff on this to go with the other 2 sandwich loaves I've been trying to snap into perfection, a 40% WW brown bread, and a grainy harvest bread (oats, wheat, barley, corn, rye)

emkay's picture
emkay

I'm always trying to see if my "hearth" doughs work in a loaf pan because sometimes I just feel like a sandwich loaf. Your grainy harvest bread sound delicious.  Thanks baybakin!