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Kamut Sourdough Baguettes 75% hydration

Benito's picture
Benito

Kamut Sourdough Baguettes 75% hydration

I really find that it is easy to get rusty when you don’t make baguettes regularly.  The dough knows when you are anxious and fearful when it comes to preshaping and shaping.  You must not feel fear.

This is an increase in hydration from the previous bake of this same recipe that was posted by Martin Philips of KA. I didn’t use IDY either time because my levain is so active I cannot imagine making it go even faster.

I did a fermentolyse of the all the levain used just past peak and dissolved the levain, diastatic malt and salt in the water.  The added both flours and mixed until no dry bits are present.  

Allowed to rest 78ºF for 20 mins, then I did slap and folds until the dough was smooth, about 200.  I think I’ll use Rubaud next time to develop the gluten less or increase hydration or both.

Coil folds every 30 mins x three.

Bulk ends when the aliquot jar shows 20% rise, at this point the pH of the dough was 4.87 dropping from 5.19 at the time of the first coil fold.

The dough was placed at 3ºC and left for a total of 29 hours (I had to work).  At this time the dough was divided and preshaped into three rolls. pH at this time was 4.53.  After a brief rest of only 10 mins (the aliquot jar was rising fast) I shaped the rather elastic resistant to stretching dough into baguettes where are shorter than I would prefer.  The shaped baguettes are placed in a Kamut floured couche.  About 10 mins after shaping the aliquot jar was already just past 30% rise, the pH at this time was 4.48.  

At this point the oven is preheated without convection at 500ºF and the shaped baguettes en couche are placed in a bag and put back in the fridge to firm up the dough to make scoring easier.  30 mins later boiling water is poured into the pan with the Sylvia towel to pre-steam the oven.

When the oven is fully heated another cup of water is boiled.  The baguettes are transferred to a parchment lined peel and then scored.  The baguettes are placed onto my baking steel and then the boiling water is poured into my cast iron skillet.  The baguettes are baked at 480ºF for 13 mins with steam.  The oven is then vented and the steam gear is removed.  I transferred the baguettes carefully to a rack 2 positions higher than the steel to complete baking.  This allows the bottom crust to bake a bit less darkly.  The oven is kept at 480ºF but changed to convection and baked for 10 mins, rotating the baguettes halfway.  The oven temperature is dropped to 450ºF, the baguettes are then rotated again and every several minutes until evenly browned and then removed.

 

Comments

gavinc's picture
gavinc

Benny, nice work. The baguettes finished up looking good with the golden-brown crust. I've never made sourdough baguettes, or with Kamut. A marathon undertaking with the long cold bulk fermentation. I guess the strong rise was due to the diastatic malt? The crumb looks like they have a good texture.

Cheers,

Gavin

Benito's picture
Benito

I’m hoping that my shaping giving these more tension circumferentially is what gave them a good rise and ears.  The diastatic malt was to help with browning.  I always find it a challenge to get the crust evenly browned with baguettes so I always add much more diastatic malt than I would for other breads.  Your baguettes are awesome Gavin, you should try making them with sourdough.  With so little proofing they really don’t turn out sour at all as my pH measurement confirms.  Kamut is a pretty milk tasting grain, I’m not sure at 10% that I taste it very much at all, but I don’t have the best palate.

Benny

alfanso's picture
alfanso

although they seem a little shorter than in the past.  One never really forgets how to ride a bicycle.  Once on and upright, the bike knows what you want from it.

I've yet to bake with kamut, but someday...

Benito's picture
Benito

I’m playing around with the idea that I need to develop the gluten a bit more to get better rise and ears.  More gluten development then increases the elasticity of the dough and results in challenges in elongation.  Also these fermented so quickly, I wasn’t able to give them enough time to rest after preshaping, the aliquot jar was rapidly rising so after a too short rest of only 10 mins I had to shape.  So along with more gluten development, I was dealing with gluten that hadn’t relaxed yet as well while shaping.  I’m going to increase the hydration in the hopes of increasing extensibility of this dough.  The preshape will need to be a longer roll to start.  Finally, during shaping with each fold I’ll have to give the dough more of a stretch to lengthen after each fold so when rolling them out I don’t have to roll out as much to get to a length that I’m happy with.  I’m constantly tinkering LOL.

I haven’t been a fan of adding much wholegrain to my baguettes, but whole Kamut is mild tasting enough that I do like this recipe.

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

Just stunning! You are giving Alfanso a run for his money! 

Benito's picture
Benito

You’re too kind Danni, I’m only nipping at his heels.  He’s still the baguette king around these parts.

Benny

alfanso's picture
alfanso

has me beat by a country mile when it comes to open crumb!

Benito's picture
Benito

Nah I’ve seen your crumb it is easily the equal of mine.  I’m just happy to be able to make a good baguette now, something I couldn’t have said a year ago.  I still have work to do to lengthen them with this particular recipe, I may have to go back to less gluten development and also maybe a higher hydration for this as well because of the whole grain.

SunnyGail's picture
SunnyGail

Oh they are so perfect!! Amazing crumb Benito :-)

What flour did you use??

Benito's picture
Benito

Gaëlle I used whole Kamut and all purpose flour.  To be more specific Anita's Organic whole Kamut and their organic all purpose.  Thanks for your kind words.

Benny

SunnyGail's picture
SunnyGail

Thank you Benito.As I know you are in Canada, it's very useful for me to know the brands that you use

Thanks :-)

Benito's picture
Benito

Sorry the flours were both from Anita's organic lineup and they are great flours.  I keep forgetting who lives in Canada.

Benny