Whole Wheat + Gluten
This loaf is a complete game changer for me. This is my first (nearly) 100% whole wheat loaf (I think!) that I have found to be delicious. I'm generally an aspirational high-percentage whole wheater - I'll often make high percent whole wheat loaves wanting to enjoy them, but ultimately finding them overpowering in flavor and sourness.
For this loaf, I used some leftover whole wheat flour from Maine Grains that I had purchased to make matzah. This particular flour was shmurah, or "watched," which means that it was observed from the time of harvest to ensure it didn't come into contact with water. While I've been familiar with the company for a while (I won their lottery for a ticket to the NY Grains Home Bakers Meetup a few years ago!) this was my first introduction to actual Maine Grains flour, albeit in a roundabout way. The flour was marketed as whole wheat, but because I didn't get it from Maine Grains I don't have much other information about it - the taste is so mild that I am slightly worried it isn't 100% whole wheat (I'm reaching out for more info).
Anyway, this loaf has 100g starter (75% hydration, 50/50 AP and WW), 500g mysterious MG flour, 20g vital wheat gluten (Anthony's), 10g salt, 383g water. 45 min autolyse, stretch and folds every 30 mins for 3 or 4 hours. Refrigerated for about 14 hours, pre-shaped cold and rested for an hour, shaped and did a final proof for another hour in the Lodge, baked at 475 first covered, then uncovered (no idea for how long).
This is my first non-matzah use of this flour, so I can't tell how much of an impact the vital wheat gluten had, but I am very pleased with this loaf. It has a nice crumb as far as I am concerned, and it is flavorful without being super wheaty or very sour.
I generally mill my own whole wheat, but I'm afraid to say this flour is far superior to my own... I need to learn how to get my flour closer towards this one.
You can see that I need to re-season my Lodge!