I created a new starter using masa hariña in four days. This loaf is the first bake using it.
I don't know that there's much benefit out of using an all- masa hariña starter but I wanted to see if it would leaven a wheat bread well enough, as I thought it would. It seemed possible that there might be some interesting flavors compared with a wheat starter.
With a masa hariña starter, if you make it thick, as it would be at 100% hydration, it doesn't trap enough gas to show convincingly that it's active. You need to add liquid up to perhaps 150% to get a viscosity like a AP wheat flour at 100%. Then the top and sides will show plenty of bubbles. Of course, it will ferment faster than the thick version.
With this starter, the last day's mix was thick. I took 40g of it and mixed it with 40g of AP flour and about 60g of water, to demonstrate that the new starter was nice and active. After 5 hours it looked very satisfactory. So I decided I had just made a levain and I should make bread with it. It made quite a nice loaf. Here's a slice from near the end of the loaf:
Recipe
- 110g (37%) - levain
- 60g (20%) - rye (stone ground)
- 20g (6.7%) - masa hariña
- 220g (73%) - KA bread flour
- 190g (63%) - initial water + ~30g (10%) more during mixing.
- 1 Tbs - sugar
- 6.5g (2.2%) - salt
Mix everything until hydrated. Rest 1/2 hr, knead. Rest 1/2 hr, S&F. Rest 1 hr, S&F. Rest 1 hr, S&F.
Bulk ferment total ~6 hr. Refrigerate overnight. Warm 1 1/2 hours, shape, proof 1 1/2 hours.
Bake preheated to 450°F with steam, reduce to 300°F 18 min, 410°F 18 min.
The flavor is pleasant and delicate, but the corn isn't very noticeable. There isn't as much masa as I've been putting in my corn-rye loaves recently, and I will increase it next time to about 20%.
The crumb is soft and is nicely open. The crust is too soft even though it looks good. That's because the corn holds onto a lot of water and I didn't bake it long enough to compensate. It will still make great toast, though. The dough was very pleasant to handle by the last S&F, and I'm sure a dough like this will make a good Pullman loaf. Instead of the sugar, added because it plays well with rye, @trailrunner's Trinity (EVOO, honey, yogurt) ought to work really well.
As a proof-of-principle this loaf is a success.
TomP
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Such love flavour and works so well when eaten with oily foods.
Very nice indeed, Tom.
Thanks, Abe. I like the combination of corn with rye - somehow they work well together.
With rye, cornmeal and spelt. Inspired by Broa di Milho and very tasty.
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/37952/broa-de-milho-portugese-corn-bread
Oh, yes, I've seen that post. I've made Broa de Milho before, not Ian's version. I must have had beginner's luck since it came out really well the first time but not so much in a later try. Time to try again, I think.
I'm so far behind I'll never catch up with all the great bakes. I am certainly enjoying your masa experiments. I look forward to getting around to more baking soon. The grands will be here for 2 weeks and then daughter picks them up and stays several days so we will be baking stuff for their fun times in the kitchen c
Great looking bake inside and out Tom. I haven’t baked anything with masa harina but it intrigues me.
Benny
Thanks, Benny. When you do, remember that the masa really soaks up water. I'm always feeling my way to a good consistency.
That’s a great combo of flavors. I love mixing corn flour into my bakes and it’s a wonderful idea to make a starter out of it. I actually have a formula I’m about to mix with durum and corn flour if I have time today.
Thanks for sharing your excellent bake.
Happy baking!
Ian
Thanks, Ian. I made the corn starter about the same as any other starter, and it seems to have leavened the dough the same too. I'm going to make another bake with a much higher percentage of the corn starter to see what flavor it adds.
With any existing stored starter? I was thinking that would speed up process and be a conversion like I do with other flours. c
No spiking involved. For the initial mix I used masa hariña and pineapple juice, using water after that. I should have used pineapple juice the second day as well, but even using water after the first day it only took 4 days to a usable starter.
I'm sure that spiking with an existing starter would have worked just fine but I was in a mood to experiment. This is the second non-wheat, non-rye starter I've made. The other was made with beaten rice flakes.
I’ve never used pineapple juice but I’ve read that procedure here on TFL in the past. I’ll have to try something new! Thanks for the momentum!
From the initial hypothesis, to the expert implementation, every thing is perfect. I like the shaping too. Well done.
Most kind, most kind, thank you!
inside and out. Reminds me of a bloomer loaf.
Michael
Perhaps a term familiar in the UK but not the US?
Referred to simply as a "bloomer".
The rounded batard like shape with diagonally leaning horizontal scores.