The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Rye and walnuts sourdough bread

xena's picture
xena

Rye and walnuts sourdough bread

It is my first and maybe the only post at least in the near feature. This is the only bread I`ve been work on for about 3 years, since the birth of my ferment. Enjoy!

295g flour (Hard wheat) 
90g rye flour
270-290g of water
200g white ferment (75% Hydration)
11 salt
75g walnuts

Place all the ingredients (except salt and walnuts) in the bowl and knead with a dough hook. Make sure the dough is soft and sticky but not to much. Correct with flour or water only in the next three minutes of kneading. Start with 270 grams of water and correct accordingly. Continue to knead for about 3 minutes more. Autolyse for 30 minutes. Knead again three minutes, add salt and knead another 7 minutes at slightly higher speed till the dough manages to escape from the walls.

It is very important the dough reaches a state which is flexible and detached from the walls of the mixing bowl (although it is sticky). If it sticks to the sides like a paste, the bread will not rise properly in the final stage. The state of the ferment probably matters here. I always use a "fresh" ferment (refreshed about 2-4 days before) with nice developed bubbles, and is not reached to its honeycomb stage.

After 7 minutes of kneading, add 100g chopped walnuts and mix them slightly. Rest the dough for an hour and a half, and then fold the dough in all directions. Repeat the stage once more. Put it in a bowl covered with plastic, and refrigerate it 10-12 hours for the night. In the morning get it out of the fridge. Divided it into rounds of 900g. Fold them on floured surface and let it rest and warm for an hour. Shape each piece into a loaf and place them on parchment paper (no Bannetons needed!). Let them rise for about 3-4 hours until the dough is springy and jiggly to touch.

When you see the dough is in the right direction, turn on the stove (250 C) with a baking stone. Heat it for at least one hour.

When the dough is ready, squirt water on it and sprinkle whole spelt flour. Score the bread in an angle, throw half a cup of water on a hot pan below the stone. Gently slide the dough on a stone, and squirt more water into the oven. Bake for 17-18 minutes (250 C), then turn the bread upside down and bake for 7-10 minutes more (also 250 C). The bread is ready when a hollow sound comes out when knocking at the bottom of it.  

Place the bread on a cooling grid to cool down completely before slicing. I slice it and freeze it sliced. 

Here are some pics:

Comments

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Your bread looks great.  Thanks for sharing.  Why would this be your only post?  Now that you have this one down you should open your horizons and try some other variations and techniques.

Ian

xena's picture
xena

It`s not that I bake only that bread :)

I always try other variations and techniques but I won't dare posting them. If it's not perfect by me, it's not postable...

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Okay...guess you will have to perfect them then :).

Look forward to your next post.  P.S. check out my latest post from yesterday.  It was my 3rd attempt at the bread so I know what you mean.

ExperimentalBaker's picture
ExperimentalBaker

My posts are usually imperfect loaves. Either brick/cake-like bread, or saucer-like bread. How else would I learn if I don't get comments from others?

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

It is way more important to post your failures with your successes.   The whole idea of the TFL in my book is to learn from your mistakes -  not to get atta boys from your best bakes.  But we may be in the minority EB:-)

ExperimentalBaker's picture
ExperimentalBaker

I am happy to learn from you.

Cheers!