50% wholemeal sourdough
Last week i presented an "excuse to use sour dough", this week its a continuation with this weeks bake a 50% wholemeal effort, same basic ingrediants 3:2:1 flour water and sour dough culture
1.5kg whole meal +1.5kg bakers flour
2kgs water
1 kg sd culture
70g salt (2%) 100g butter 100g malt extract (home brew can)
The dough was a little tighter than last weeks effort due to the wholemeal being more thirsty but still a nice moist dough .
3 series of stretch and folds on the hour followed by scaling and shaping onto the couch and into the cool room/ retarder. This time i came in to work earlier to bake off before my normal WORK duties.
Fired up the combi oven as soon as i walked in then removed the dough pieces from the retarder and placed onto baking sheets , made up my wash of cornflour powder and cold water brought to the boil in the microwave stiring occasionly until thickened (it does bubble over easily when it gets to boiling point and will make a mess)
Apply the wash liberally to the loaves add seeds of choice and score, take to the oven and load up, apply water/ steam for the first 10 minutes and then shut off the water/steam injection, it actually lowers the oven temperature some 25 degrees whilst being applied but quickly jumps up when shut off, bake at 200c for 30 minutes remove the sticks and bake for a further 5 minutes then remove and cool on rack.
Last job is to distribute the bread to the worthy souls and place some in the staff lunch room sliced when cool with a tub of butter and watch it disappear.
Kind regards Yozza
Comments
Those look great! Can you tell me a little more about your wash?
Thanks,
Loyd
Hi Loyd
The wash is just a little conrflour dissolved into some cold water and bought to the boil, this then ruptures the starch cells an produces a paste you want it so that it doesn't quite run when you brush it on to the loaves the seed will stick so you can get them down the sides of the loaf too, the paste has the added advantage that it will keep the dough skin soft and allow oven spring when it hits the heat of the oven it will give some shine to the loaf too.
I will have to try that! 100% hydration or wetter?
I really envy the drama you get in the final loaves from the seeds and the slash pattern you use. The loaves are beautiful.
Very nicely done Yozza.
OldWoodenSpoon
Thanks OWS i was pleased with the result i think i will now have to marry my stout and the wholemeal with the sourdough,
I think i hear heaven calling, just need to respond and probably get another brew of stout underway before it gets to hot.
The slashing is as i would imagine cutting a throat from behind, i get the loaves facing lengthways away from me and come in with the blade at aboutbetween 33 and 45 degrees and pull through the dough. the loaves have come almost straight from the retarder and open up a little on the bench but more in the oven.
I actually use a blade from a bakery slicing machine , you can get them for free if the have a broken blade or even better if they can no longer be sharpend as they become quite slender.
One of our chefs has a knife that is used for decorative cutting it is a slight semi circle shape a bit like the old scyths that were used for cutting crops except in miniture, it is a delight to use and something i would like to have in my kit.
You must have a very captive audience Yozza. Where does all this bread go? The staff must be drooling when you bake.
Eric
Hi Eric i think even if i doubled the production i would still have people missing out i do like to make sure that loaves go into the communal areas so that as many as possible get the chance to at least taste what real bread tastes like.
I get to take one home my supervisor gets one the duty chef whose kitchen i use the tea room the kitchen prep staff a couple of officianados of bread and it is all gone!
They have a really professional look and the shining is very attractive. What's the hydratation of the sourdough you used?
Those seeds on the surface make me drool.
Hi Nicodvb
The hydration of the sourdough was 100% fed twice a day equal amounts flour and water to the original s/d culture, been going for 3 years now.
The seeds do add quite a bit to the overall look and enhance the crust taste too and by using the conflour paste wash makes them stick well and adds a nice shine as well.