16% and 25% WWW Sourdough Loaves

 Thanks to Mrs PG, the Dakota Maid Bread Flour is back in stock. So on Thursday night, I began to build up a starter for some weekend baking. The first loaf went to Mr Barney for helping me out with a part of our kitchen remodeling project. I don't have the required tools but Mr Barney does so I baked a loaf that I knew his family would enjoy.

It was a 16% WWW sourdough at about 72% hydration. The DM flour made it a lot easier to do this time. The dough was a little bit sticky during shaping but an overnight retarded proofing in the fridge helped out quite a bit. The loaf didn't have an outflow in the oven after loading so I got to breath a sigh of relief and continue work on the next loaf for Mrs PG and I.

16% WWW Sourdough
Starter
150 g at 100% hydration

Main Dough
300 g Dakota Maid Bread Flour
60 g Wheat Montana Prairie Gold flour
240 g water at 85 F
All of starter
9 g kosher salt

25% WWW Sourdough
Starter
150 g at 100% hydration

Main Dough
270 g Dakota Maid Bread Flour
90 g stone ground Wheat Montana Prairie Gold flour
230 g water at 85 F
All of starter
9 g kosher salt

This second loaf differed from my usual routine in that I used the refrigerator during the bulk fermentation of the dough. I shaped the dough for my brotform as soon as it had dried out from the first loaf. It sat downstairs in the somewhat cooler basement while we applied a circular saw, sabre saw, hammer, and other implements of discipline on some manufactured wood products. By the time I was ready to sweep up the sawdust and wood scraps, the second loaf had proofed very well without any oversight. It turned out well though this time around I didn't follow the bake with a five minute cool down with the oven door cracked open. Its A/C weather in Kansas these days and cracking open an oven cooling down from 425 F just didn't seem very prudent. There is a difference in the flavor of the two different forms of the WM Prairie Gold in loaves like this that goes beyond the percentage. The stone ground flour has a bit of the tannin flavors that are in hard red whole wheat flour whereas the store bought Prairie Gold is smoother. To put the difference in perspective, a beer drinking baker will recognize the signature of the Cascade hops used in Sierra Nevada  Pale Ale. When drinking a similar ale, he or she will notice the difference if Chinook or Centennial hops are used. In the end, its all good, just different enough to notice.

The passing of the Summer solstice seems to be making a difference in my garden. The garlic crop is almost ready, I dug up a few, and should be ready to start the digging  by Thursday. I still don't have any ripe tomatoes which isn't good at all. July 4th is my usual latest day for the first red, ripe tomato and this year could be different. I suppose that as long as the local deer or squirrels don't ruin my expectations, I should get over it. A few of the wheat berries left in the straw I use for mulch actually grew up enough for me to actually recognize it before it got knocked over. Not many birds are at my feeder these days since there is so much other food available at this time of year.

Just twelve or so miles north of here in Atchison, KS, a tornado and torrential rains passed through tonight. We saw a very brief shower and heard some thunder but missed the excitement. I've lived here in the middle of tornado country for forty years and have yet to see a tornado. Maybe I will and maybe I won't before I die. As long as I have good shelter to run to when it starts to drop down, I'd still like to see one from a distance.

My obscure corner of the internet had a few unexpected views from Brazil this past week. With all the excitement of the World Cup going on down there, I was surprised to see that happen.

Comments, humor, and questions are welcome.