Brown Bread
Another loaf made using the "Sponge and Dough" method, only this time the sponge contained whole wheat flour and vital wheat gluten.
Formula:
Sponge:
70% Stone Ground Red Whole Wheat Flour
5% Malted Milk Powder
2% Vital Wheat Gluten
0.5% Salt
0.6% Instant Yeast
0.18% Soy Lecithin Granules
73% Water (variable)
Dough
30% Bread Flour
4% Brown Sugar
3% Shortening
1.5% Salt
The method used is the same as in White Bread. The total amount of flour used in this recipe was 18 ounces (510 grams). The finished loaf weighed in at 2 pounds (907 grams). A Cuisinart DLC-2007 seven cup food processor was used in the production of this loaf.
The photo below shows the dough ingredients in the food processor work bowl before being blended with the metal chopping blade. After several pulses to blend the ingredients, they are dumped on top of the sponge and mixed by hand with a brotpisker (dough whisk).
The metal chopping blade was removed and replaced with the plastic dough blade. The roughly mixed dough is then dumped in the food processor work bowl as shown below:
As can be seen from the photo, the dough ingredients have not been completely incorporated into the sponge (yet). Once the food processor is turned on, all of the ingredients are incorporated within a few seconds. Total remix time: 45 seconds. After mixing, the dough is turned out and rounded as shown below:
After a short rest (known as "floor time") the dough is panned, proofed, and baked.
Comments
I think that pan breads are really under-rated, and the constant sourdough, sourdough, sourdough is really boring. "I cant' get my sourdough to work, How do I feed it, It's too dense, ", etc. etc. etc.
It's nice to make a satisfying loaf of bread that works without the need for any sourdough black magic. ;-).
It's really nice to see more pan breads here. Beautiful loaf and great technique. Thanks!
I also add malted milk powder to my light wheat bread. I use either Carnation/Nestles or Ovaltine malted milk powder (for those that want to try it, don't use the chocolate flavor). The Ovaltine seems to have more flavor per tablespoon. It adds a really nice flavor. Once again, I haven't used the sponge method, but I'm going to try it.
from whole wheat flour. I made a 50% / 50% loaf with all of the whole wheat in the sponge. I didn't have the lethicin, but I did have diastatic malt powder so I added the appropriate amount of that. In addition yeast, salt, vital wheat gluten, malted milk powder, molasses and honey went into the sponge. Let it sit in a covered bowl in the kitchen for 8 hours overnight (76F). It had bloomed by this morning, smelling nice and yeasty. Added the bread flour, additional salt and shortening this morning. I used the bread machine Dough cycle to knead the dough. Had to add a little more water to make a nicely hydrated dough. Put the dough in a 9 x 5 bread pan, sprinkled some rolled oats on top and let it rise and baked it. What a beautiful smelling loaf. It has a fragrance that the single dough process doesn't produce, especially with whole wheat flour. Okay, after trying the sponge dough method, I'm hooked. Thanks for showing the way.
Glad I could be of help. I, too, am hooked on sponges. The flavor and volume is superior (in my opinion) to straight doughs, and easier to achieve.
Bob
Oh, Bob,
this is a perfect loaf of bread! Magnificent. Gorgeous.