Whole Wheat Sourdough From "CRUST" and Pastry#6
Two weeks ago, we made some cup cakes and muffins. Techniques like creaming (beating butter and sugar first), and all together were essentially what we used for cupcakes and muffins. Foaming technique was not used here, only for sponge cakes that require no soda or baking powder. This lesson wrapped up the baked goods section, and we were scheduled to start cold and hot desserts next.
For bread, I wanted to give Whole wheat bread recipe from Richard Bertinet’s book: “CRUST” a whirl. The bread is 50% whole wheat sourdough that calls for a stiff sourdough white levain. The dough took hours and hours to proof and I eventually had to retard it for 18 hours, after which additional warm up hours were needed to get it to proof well. I have mixed the bread as advised by Bertinet, i.e. slap and fold, but in hindsight I should have mixed the dough a la Tartine book. The reason being that I would mix the dough into a somewhat stiffer texture, autolyse it, and then add the additional recipe water, levain, and salt which can reduce the strain slap and fold has on my back.
I’ve sampled this bread with some cream cheese and it is sour! yet very nutty and sweet at the same time. The crumb was moist, and the crust was crispy and slightly chewy. I still don’t know what the perfect accompaniments for this bread are, but anything mild should be ok. It is a good bread, but if I were to do it again, I’dd add some wholegrains flour to the levain to boost its leavening ability.
-Khalid
Comments
Wow! Simply stunning! bet they tasted amazing.
Regards
Yeasty
Thanks, yeasty!
These look beautiful! Your scoring and visual appeal of the crust is something I am immediately drawn to. The crumb appears nice and even dispersed. Congrats on such gorgeous breads!
Warm Regards,
Casey
Thanks. i wanted to mimic the le pain quotidien Mich score. i think i'll get it better next time.
Thanks, Casey!
Those loaves a beautiful, Khalid, and your cupcakes look tasty too!
Many thanks, Floyd!
-Khalid
Odd the recipe is a 50% whole wheat sourdough and none of the grain is in the levain. Looks really nice. I'm sure it'll be a good toast or sandwich loaf for the week to come. How goes the pastry course? Has it found its way into your kitchen at home? Good to see you still find some time to make a good loaf as you do it so well
Happy baking
Josh
Odd , isn't it? I'm still puzzled at the formula. Ideally it shouldn't take more than 2.5 hours to proof, but mine wasn't there after 5 hours! I guess i had to proof mine in a warm oven (@30c) to able to get the proofing time right (mine was proofed at (23C).
Pastry course is doing well but i haven't had much time to bake much from the handbook, only chocolate eclairs and grissini (bread sticks). I have been out of sourdough bread for over a week, and i've had it rough!
Thanks, Josh :)
-Khalid
Hi Khalid,
I like the dusting on top of the loaves. Gives them a rustic look. I also enjoy reading about your experience with working the dough and how you would change things to get the results you want. We are so fortunate to know that there area myriad of ways to knead dough and use refrigeration to bring about different results with the same ingredients. Just several years ago I though the only way to knead dough was the 'old' fashion way of kneading by hand on a counter top for at least 20 minutes without a break! I didn't know anything about kneading until a windowpane was achieved so what I got were bricks :O
Thanks for the post and your photos.
Take Care,
Janet
True, mine were bricks too for the lack of the know how. The dusting was not intentional, mind you, i didn't want any flour marking left on my loaves so i rubbed the loaves top with my hands. This only distributed the rice/all purpose flour mixture. Rice flour shows in the loaves no matter what you do, but the dough was very wet, and i couldn't proof it overnight without some rice flour.
THanks, Janet!
-Khalid
Great looking loaves, Khalid! Looks like your excellent dough-sense has paid off again. I can imagine it would be sour after such a long rise but I've always felt that whole wheat hearth breads handle a little extra sour in a way that lighter breads maybe don't. As you mention, the nutty flavor still comes through, and with a little something on top it's just about perfect.
Marcus
to appreciate the sourness in whole wheat bread, but it can be a tough choice for toppings. I've tried tune with mayo, honey , and some olive oil mixed to a paste and spread on an open slice.. it was good.
-Khalid
And the sweets look mouth-watering, too.
Paul
Many thanks, Paul!
-Khalid
fine looking on the outside. Boldly baked but covered in a light white, ghostly veil is a very unique crust effect. Has to be tasty at 50% whole wheat and the crumb is open. That is one long retard on top of the hours of proofing. My dough would be over proofed and pooped out by then. It seems aq very strange recipe for sure and even though I love slap and folds they are not good for your back - no matter how well they might work. Nice to see your continued pastry work now moving into other deserts.
Happy baking Khalid
Thanks, DA! Yep strange indeed. The recipe for the levain called for in the recipe includes some tiny amounts of whole spelt flour, I think that this makes up for the activity difference.
-Khalid
Your breads are so clean looking. Mine are always "rustic." How do you do it? And of course beautiful crumb as well. -Varda
Thanks, Varda!
I try to catch mine on time, and give it plenty of time to proof. I test the readiness by tapping on the bottom of my brotform/pan... and i should sense a hollow thump. I don't rely on the finger poke test anymore, it can be misleading, rather i touch the dough and feel it. When the dough is ready it will be soft and pillowy, and makes a thump when tapped from below.
Another thing is the Oven. Mine has a faulty door that shuts close but not enough to prevent leakeage, although being relatively new. It was leaking moisture and heat, but when i pushed the door handle in place using a chair with a weight on top, there was a significant improvement in my breads. I also preheat two stones and bake my bread on the lower one.
-Khalid
Love the image of your juryrigged oven. It is certainly getting the job done. -Varda
Great scoring Khalid and nice looking bold crust and crumb. Those cupcakes look bakery ready! You must be doing something right!
Regards,
Ian
Thank you , Ian! that is sweet of you.
-Khalid
Looks great Khalid ...
I love that book ...
cheers,
Phil
Thank you, phil!
I hope you are happy with your new job.
-Khalid
Hi Khalid,
A gorgeous contrast between scored and floured areas of your breads, and also in the range of beautiful baked goods you are baking, at class and at home!
I am sorry the slap and fold kneading caused discomfort. I use autolyse all the time to reduce mixing time and hope that helps for next time.
Your mixing and proofing adjustments have yielded a gorgeous crumb.
:^) breadsong
An unintended gorgeousness, but thanks!
I'll autolyse next time.
Thanks, Breadsong!
I never use slap an folds and I am very happy with the crumb and structure of most of my breads. I agree the longer autolyse will most likely help you. I just do about 3 stretch and folds over a 2 hour period before bulk fermenting in the fridge. I mix the initial dough for 6-7 minutes on low after letting the flour absorb the liquids for about 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on my schedule. My back would be barking at me if I did it any other way I think :).
Your cupcakes look scrumptious! I frequently go without dessert, but I couldn't turn any one of them down.
If you mix dough with a stand mixer here's the routine I've developed with for all my medium hydration (65% to 72%) sourdough breads, including those with other ingredients such as milk, milk powder, oil or fat (< 10%).
I mix all the flour, water and levain only until it's combined. I sprinkle the salt on top of the shaggy dough ball--a good way to not forget to add the salt after autolyse--and autolyse for 1 hour in the refrigerator if I'm going to retard the dough and have used iced water to lower the DDT to 12°C (my retarding temperature). If I'm not going to retard the dough's development I autolyse for 30 mins. at room temperature.
After autolyse, regardless of dough type or ingredients I mix on low speed for 2 mins. This distributes the salt evenly, and stimulates gluten development. Then I shift to second lowest speed. I mix at speed 2 for 3 to 10 minutes depending on the dough's ingredients and hydration. As examples:
50% whole wheat flour, 50% bread flour @ 70% hydration: 7 mins.
90% white flours, 10% whole rye flour @ 68% hydration: 3 mins.
After a 1hr. (for retarded dough) or 30 min. (non-retarded dough) I perform 2 or 3 Stretch & Folds, with 1hr, or 30mins. rest respectively, judging gluten development by strength, flexibility and tenacity--I usually do three.
I've developed this general procedure, in part, to relieve arthritic pain in my back and hands.
I do use slap and fold for high high hydration doughs, but only after I've already initiated gluten development with dual-hydration mixing, and/or machine kneading for many minutes.
If you don't have a stand mixer, with your back difficulties, I recommend obtaining one. I intentionally, put mine aside for one year and mixed everything by hand to teach my hands and eyes what good dough felt and looked like. Nonetheless, now my stand mixer is permanently a part of my bread baking discipline.
Regards,
David G.
P. S. Your art has been printed, I'm now looking for an appropriate frame.
Thanks for the valuable suggestions, David. I do own a mixer and i use it frequently, but like you said: autolyse, double hydrate, mix with machine, and finally finishing off with a brief hand mix.
As to the painting, I'm really honored, David!
-Khalid
Lovely crust..and crumb Khalid,
All good wishes
Andy
Thank you, Andy!
All the best wishes to you and your bread n roses.
-Khalid
I have never been impressed with the "slap and fold" procedure. It seems to work, but repeated bouts of "stretch and fold in the bowl" with longish rests in between is my preferred method these days. Oh, well.
"Running out of sourdough" is a high price to pay. I do hope the course is worth it. ;-)
Happy baking!
David
I don't know what is wrong with me, but i really missed your comment, David.
Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, ever since that day, i've totally turned by back on this laborious kneading method. I still love it, though, but there are more efficient ways to get to the same result. You are right.
-Khalid