The Fresh Loaf

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Sprouted Wheat & Corn Flour with Ricotta Bread

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Sprouted Wheat & Corn Flour with Ricotta Bread

This bake was from a few weeks ago.  The spouted whole wheat and sprouted purple corn flour really added a special flavor and made this an extremely tasty bread.  I added some fresh ricotta cheese which really softens the crumb.

I made one large miche style bread and I was extremely happy with how the crust and crumb came out on this one.

Here is the link to the BreadStorm files:

Levain Directions

Mix all the levain ingredients together  for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it sit at room temperature for around 7-8 hours or until the starter has doubled.   You can use it immediately in the final dough or let it sit in your refrigerator overnight.

 Main Dough Procedure

Mix the flours  and the water for about 1 minute.  Let the rough dough sit for about 20 minutes to an hour.  Next add the levain,  olive oil, ricotta cheese and salt and mix on low for 4 minutes.  You should end up with a cohesive dough that is slightly tacky but very manageable.  (Note:  if you are not using fresh milled flours you may want to cut back on the water)  Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 2 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours.  (Since I used my proofer I only let the dough sit out for 1.5 hours before refrigerating).

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours.  Remove the dough and shape as desired.

The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature and will only rise about 1/3 it's size at most.  Let the dough dictate when it is read to bake not the clock.

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 540 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

Right before you are ready to it in the oven, score as desired and then add 1 cup of boiling water to your steam pan or follow your own steam procedure.

Lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for 35-50 minutes until the crust is nice and brown and the internal temperature of the bread is 205 degrees.

Take the bread out of the oven when done and let it cool on a bakers rack before for at least 2 hours before eating.

 

For your viewing pleasure, enjoy a few photos from our gardens.

Comments

Benito's picture
Benito

Nice unique bread Ian, I always appreciate your detailed instructions and explanations.  I’ve never thought of using ricotta cheese in a bread before, sounds like a great idea to soften the crumb.  Great photos of your garden as well.

Benny

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Glad you liked the bread.  Give the ricotta a try and let me know what you think.

The gardens are really starting to bloom now.  It's my favorite time of the year.

Happy Baking!

Regards,

Ian

Elsie_iu's picture
Elsie_iu

Can't beat the texture achieved by adding porridge, mash or fresh cheese. How hard was your purple corn? I've milled both sprouted and non-sprouted yellow corn before. They were seriously tough, not kidding. The mill was clogged several times (yes, several) even when the corn was mixed with other softer grains. Did you encounter this issue? Dabrownman once suggested me to make corn flour from dehydrated fresh sweet corn. I have yet tried this out though...

As eye-catching as the flowers are, the leaves are capturing even more of my attention. It's truly comforting to look at the different shades and shapes of leaves :)

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Sorry for the tardy reply as I only just saw this today.  The corn is hard but I have not really had any issues with the MockMill 200 clogging thankfully.  You certainly could use DA's suggestion but I don't see how it would be any different.

Glad you liked the garden shots.  Things are really starting to bloom now and I will post some more from the garden in my next post.

Regards,
Ian