Wholemeal Options; Wood-fired Baking on 30th January 2012

Wholemeal Options; Wood-fired Baking on 30th January 2012

After the success of Friday’s Farmers’ Market I had no bread in the house; none at all!   I spent a bit of time at the weekend building up my wheat levain and rye sourdough, and looked at my flour stock and decided to make a few loaves with my lovely Marriage’s Organic Strong Wholemeal at the centre of attention.

Two formulae offered below; a Pain au Levain made with Marriage’s Organic Strong White flour in a wheat levain @ 20% and Bacheldre Organic Dark Rye flour in a Rye Sourdough @ 5% on flour; the remaining 80% is the aforementioned Wholemeal.   The second offering is a yeasted dough @ 90% Wholemeal, with the other 10% being Strong White in the wheat levain which I used as a pre-ferment.   More detail below:

Refreshment Regime

a] Wheat Levain

b] Rye Sourdough

1. 1.    Wholemeal Pain au Levain

Proved in 6 Bannetons; 3 small Boules, 1 large Boule and 2 Miches

Method:

• Calculate water temperature needed for DDT of 28°C.   Combine Rye Sourdough, Water and Wholemeal in the mixer, then autolyse for one hour.
• Add the Salt and Wheat Levain and mix with the hook attachment for 6 minutes on first speed and 2 minutes on second speed.   Scrape down, rest for 10 minutes, then mix a further 2 minutes on first speed and 30 seconds on second speed.
• Bulk proof, maintaining the dough temperature @ 25°C for 3 hours with S&F after 1 and 2 hours.
• Scale and divide; 3 @ 500g, 1 @ 1000g and 2 @ 1500g.   Mould round and rest covered for 15 minutes while preparing bannetons.   Re-mould and place upside down in bannetons.
• Final proof 2 hours
• Score the tops of each loaf and set to bake in the wood-fired oven.   Small loaves baked for 30 minutes, large for 45 and miches for 1 hour.
• Cool on wires.

1. 2.    Panned Wholemeal Loaves

Not that long ago, if anybody had forced me to restrict myself to one type of bread only, this is the one I would have chosen.   Now, I’m not so sure; however, today’s offering from the oven is one I am really pleased with.   The leaven is there as a pre-ferment such as a biga, though yeast level in the final dough is not very high really.   No fat used!

Method:

• Calculate water temperature needed for DDT of 28°C.   Combine Water and Wholemeal in the mixer, then autolyse for one hour.
• Add the Salt, Fresh Yeast and Wheat Levain and mix with the hook attachment for 2 minutes on first speed and 4 minutes on second speed.   Scrape down, rest for 10 minutes, then mix a further 1 minute on first speed and 2 minutes on second speed.
• Bulk proof, maintaining the dough temperature @ 25°C for 2 hours with S&F after 1 hour.
• Scale and divide: one small tin @ 4900g, one large @ 950g and 4 pieces @ 340g for the Pullman Pan.   Mould round and rest 15 minutes, covered.   Shape and pan the dough pieces.
• Final proof @ 18°C for 2 hours
• Bake in the wood-fired oven.   Small loaf for 30 minutes, large loaf for 45 minutes and Pullman Pan for 1 hour.
• Cool on wires.

Last photo: Alison arrived with the jar this afternoon, and Faith posted me the tub around a week ago...must be Borodinsky time once more!

It’s turning cold here in the UK now, with Thursday looking rather perishing.   Hopefully I’ll be baking more bread and keeping warm…or trying to anyway!

ps. Just found these lurking on my pc.   Baking makes me smile!

Happy Baking!

Andy