July 21, 2021 - 12:07am
100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf - Debra Wink
Today I baked Debra Winks 100% Whole-Wheat Sandwich Bread from Hamelman’s Bread Edition 3. I never thought that 100% whole-wheat would produce such a soft and pleasantly tasty sandwich loaf. I milled the whole wheat yesterday, but I’m not sure of the protein level as Debra recommends about 14% protein. Debra also recommended some recent changes to the formula and process tweaks for the home baker that I adopted. This was my first attempt and I’m very happy with the result, however, I will increase the dough amount for these loaf pans (21 x11 cm / 8 ½ x 4 ½ inches) as they would be a better sandwich slice if taller.
This was a very different process than what I’m used to and have extended my experience and knowledge.
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That loaf has a very nice crumb Gavin. Would you mind sharing the formula you used or point me towards the original post of Debra’s?
Benny
Thanks, Benny. The updated formula was sent to me on a PM, so I've summarised it here. I used hand mixing on this attempt but I didn't develop enough gluten during the first mix. I'm going to use a mixer next attempt and I would recommend it in future.
whole wheat sandwich loaf.jpg
Milk, egg and water together are the total hydration
Weigh the milk and egg and enough water to make up
to 75% - 375-400 grams (solves the problem of egg size)
Process keys:
· Develop gluten before adding oil
· Give the dough two full rises in bulk instead of just one
· Keep the dough cool to cold for the majority of fermentation (no higher than 23C)
Mixing
Type of mixer
Mixer
All except oil/butter
Rest
10-20 mins to hydrate
mix to good gluten development
Add oil /butter until incorporated
Final Dough
DDT
23 C
Bulk Fermentation
Refrigerate
1st rise
length of time
12 hours to at least double
Remove from fridge
Cool room temp, up to 2 hrs if needed
Degas and fold
2nd rise
Rise again
3 to 5 hours cool room temp. Should rise higher
Shaping
Oblong
Divide
500g doughs
Pre-shape
round
Resting time
20-60 mins as needed
Shape
blunt cylinders
Proofing device
oiled loaf pan 21 x 11 x 7cm
Proof & Bake
Final Proof time
Approximately 1.5 to 3 hours hour at 22C
Scoring
nil
Oven type/temperature
Conventional 190C
Convection 177C
Total bake
25-30 minutes
Happy to answer any queries.
Cheers,
Gavin.
Thanks for taking the time to share that Gavin, I appreciate it. I’ll have to wait until fall or winter to try it out given the suggestions to keep it cool. Summer here is far to warm to maintain the FDT of 23ºC.
Benny
What kind of wheat is this?
I really want the 3rd edition, but I can't justify to myself buying it just yet.
Wheat used:
IMG_5760.jpeg
Hamelman's 3rd edition is very good and worth the price IMO.
Cheers,
Gavin
Nicely done, Gavin. I have the third edition and have been thinking of baking this, but am curious about the updated formula. Where did you find it?
Richard
I mentioned her contribution and formula when someone asked about roasted walnut oil. Debra's 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf was the only one I could think of. To my surprise, I got a PM from Debra with a lot of detail. Apparently, the formula in the book is about two years old and she has continued to tweak it. Consequently, she sent me her latest notes and formula specific to the home baker. That is the one above. Debra is very gracious and generous with her knowledge to which I am thankful. She has a great attitude to sharing.
Cheers,
Gavin
Thanks, Gavin. I'm always impressed with the baking community and their willingness to share their knowledge and help others. Debra is very knowledgeable about the science of bread baking and sounds like she's also a very nice person.
Richard
I have been following Gavin’s posts about this bread and want to try baking it. It is just the sort of bread recipe I have been looking for!
Any advice on adding some seeds? Am thinking of maybe 1/3 cup each sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower. Would I change the recipe or process to account for the addition? Or should I not add? I could also adhere some seeds to the crust before baking!
Any insight/advice would be appreciated!
Thanks. I'm glad you have shown interest in this bread. Debra Wink has suggested to me that adding some seeds would be a great addition and is interested where people take it. I would adopt the technique of adding seeds from Hamelman's 5 grain levain; the percentages are below as a guide and are added as an overnight soaker. Just subtract the water used in the soaker from the final dough. I'm interested with the seeds you use and how the bake comes out. Please report back with your results. I'm sure Debra will also chime in with a comment and advice. Also, don't add the oil or unsalted butter until you have reasonable gluten development. Cheers, Gavin.
This is helpful. I have his second edition and will take a look.
I’ll keep you posted for sure.
My VWG should be delivered on Monday so will be a few days.
Thanks!
This bread only appeared in the 3rd Edition. I'll PM you a link to my spreadsheet for you to have a play with. Mine included a small amount of sourdough PFF that you could ignore.
This is fantastic! Thanks for this.
I will keep you posted!