100% whole wheat honey sourdough
I am not having any luck with my 100% whole grain bakes. I thought I’d give it another try, but this time with a different grain, this is a stoneground 100% whole wheat. I should have applied some of the lessons from my previous two whole red fife bakes, those would have been to lower the hydration (isn’t that what we always advise new bakers? I should take my own advice) and reduce the proofing. Being a bit stubborn I went ahead and ignored some of that advice and thought that it was the red fife flour that was the problem. No I think my methods and high hydration are the problem.
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In the morning add levain to saltolyse dough, mix to incorporate with Rubaud mixing.
Slap and fold to good gluten development.
Rest 30 min then bench letterfold ferment at 82ºF removing 30 g of dough for aliquot jar
Rest 30 min then lamination
Then every 30 mins coil fold until dough showing good structure
End bulk when aliquot jar 60% rise
Shape then bench rest until aliquot jar 100% rise
Then cold retard until next day.
Next day
Preheat oven 500ºF with dutch oven inside.
Once over reaches temp, turn dough out of banneton, score and bake in dutch oven for 20 mins at 450ºF with lid on. Drop temperature to 420ºF and bake 10 mins with lid on.
Remove lid band bake for 20 mins or until done with the bread out of the dutch oven on rack directly.
Not sure I will keep banging my head on the wall with doing 100% whole grain. Perhaps for me, doing 75-80% might be the sweet spot. That amount of whole grain certainly has the flavour and has been much more successful for me. On the other hand I hate calling it quits and not figuring something out so who knows.....
Anyhow, not my finest baking that’s for sure.
Benny