Pretty happy with this bake!
Started using 2x the levain called for with my whole grain as well as a tiny amount (1/4 tsp) of active dry yeast along with 12g of gluten to get better rise and workability. This seems to be working well and I’m also working the dough more “traditionally” in other words kneading it to build gluten instead of the laborious multiple foldings used in high-hydration recipes. Doesn’t seem to bother the bread and is a little less work. Both methods seem to produce a similar crumb texture. I like a fairly close crumb as I use the loaves for toast or sandwiches, which is kind of difficult to do with the very open-crumbed sourdoughs folks are producing these days. Butter should stay on the bread, not slide off on the plate, as far as I’m concerned.
This recipe had 120g each JoJo’s Organic Rye and Palouse Hard Red Winter wheat milled pretty fine (about 60 seconds) in my NutriBlend processor with milling blade.
The rest of the mix was 180g of unbleached APF and 12g gluten, 10g salt and 260g water at about 90ºF added to the combined ingredients. I started with 230g water but had to add 30 to get the dry ingredients to come together. I used my Danish dough hook to start the combining then finished by working the dough by hand, until the dough cleaned the sides of the bowl. Autolyzed after covering with clingfilm for about 2 hours.
I combined the double hit (180g) of ripe levain (made with half stoneground whole wheat flour and half stoneground rye flour, which get a nice levain with big bubbles) and about 30g water at 90ºF (it was cool in my kitchen so the water was a little warmer than I typically use) and added the 1/4 tsp active dry yeast with the water and stirring it to a slurry consistency.
I stretched the autolyzed dough out over the bottom of the bowl (it was already fairly elastic, thanks to the gluten) then poured the levain slurry over and pinched it in then worked the dough until the levain was very evenly mixed, about 10 minutes. Covered the bowl again with cling film and let it set another hour to rest before turning out on a lightly oiled board and kneading until the dough surface was pretty smooth. Covered and let it rest for another hour and a half then preshaped for the oval loaf banneton, covered that with cling film for about half an hour then finished shaping and lightly sprinkled rice flour over the loaf and into the banneton and placed in the banneton. Bagged and left out on the counter for 2 hours then put in the fridge to ferment overnight.
This morning I took the bagged banneton out of the fridge and let it set for an hour, turned on the oven and set it to 450ºF to heat, and let the oven warm for an additional hour after it reached temp.
Baked on a half sheet with a piece of foil with parchment over it. Just turned the banneton out onto the sheet and then scissor slashed in two directions, one straight down the long center line and one diagonal to where it looked like the loaf might split.
Baked for 35 minutes then checked temp, gave it 10 minutes more. Removed when loaf reached 210ºF internal temp, checked doneness by thumping the bottom and it was done.
This loaf will get to set – I am going to use all my self-control and not cut it before it’s had a good 24 hours.
(we’ll see how that works out!)
Rust (truly) Never Sleeps 