It has been a while since I found something to post about. I've been baking all along, trying different approaches to figure out how to get past loaves that didn't seem to want spring up and others that flattened out. I tried using more bread flour, lower hydration, retarded ferment, spiking with IDY, and lately, a shorter bulk fermentation combined with a closer track of the proofing.
This loaf was an escape from overthinking procedure. It's a lower hydration, half white whole wheat, half all purpose pan loaf. The recipe is based on "Mama's Bread" from the book "Breaking Bread" by Martin Philip. The quantities are for single loaf, derived by simply halving the quantities suggested by Mr Philip. I just changed a bit here and a bit there to allow for what I had on hand and a procedure that would give me time to run a few errands or go to the gym.
258 g Wheat Montana Natural White AP flour
258 g Wheat Montana Prairie Gold White Whole Wheat flour
330 g water at 82F
10.5 g salt
7/8 tsp Instant Dry Yeast, divided
26 g unsalted butter, melted
1 TBS or 15 ml honey
Yield: One 9x5 inch pan loaf
1. Add water to the mixing bowl, add 1/8 tsp IDY to water, rehydrate yeast for three minutes, and stir water briefly. Add WWW flour to the bowl, mix well, and cover the bowl. Let the bowl sit for at least 90 minutes, much more if your room is cool.
2. In another bowl add the AP flour, salt, and remaining yeast, stirring with a spoon or whisk to distribute the salt and yeast. When bubbles form on top of the mixture in the first bowl, add the melted butter and honey, stir briefly, and then add flour mix. Mix your ingredients by hand or with a dough whisk to incorporate all your ingredients. Since this is a low hydration formula, the dough will be on the dry side. Use any extra water sparingly. I suggest using a spray bottle for additional water. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for about twenty minutes. Fold the dough in the bowl and cover.
3. Fold the dough again after another 25 and 50 minutes. Let the dough rest until doubled, about an hour. Preshape the dough for use in a 9"x5" pan. Cover and rest for about ten minutes while you prepare your pan and clean up your work space and dishes. Place your dough, seam side down, in the pan and press the dough lightly to fill the bottom of the pan.
4. Cover your pan lightly and let the dough rise until it crowns 1-1 1/2" above the rim of the pan. Toward the end of the proof, preheat your oven to 400F. Remove the pan cover and place the loaf on a middle level rack in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, rotate the pan and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, looking for a golden crust, internal temperature around 205F. Cool on a wire rack for at least two hours.
Springtime weather out here was relatively cool, followed by a week or so of warmth, and then we launched into a dry summer. The garden wasn't as productive as usual, a common complaint among other gardeners in the area. We're now in a pleasantly cool and wet spell, too late to save the garden but in time to put some green back in the lawns in the form of crabgrass. As the saying goes among the fans of the KC Royals baseball team, wait until next year.
258 g Wheat Montana Natural White AP flour
258 g Wheat Montana Prairie Gold White Whole Wheat flour
330 g water at 82F
10.5 g salt
7/8 tsp Instant Dry Yeast, divided
26 g unsalted butter, melted
1 TBS or 15 ml honey
Yield: One 9x5 inch pan loaf
1. Add water to the mixing bowl, add 1/8 tsp IDY to water, rehydrate yeast for three minutes, and stir water briefly. Add WWW flour to the bowl, mix well, and cover the bowl. Let the bowl sit for at least 90 minutes, much more if your room is cool.
2. In another bowl add the AP flour, salt, and remaining yeast, stirring with a spoon or whisk to distribute the salt and yeast. When bubbles form on top of the mixture in the first bowl, add the melted butter and honey, stir briefly, and then add flour mix. Mix your ingredients by hand or with a dough whisk to incorporate all your ingredients. Since this is a low hydration formula, the dough will be on the dry side. Use any extra water sparingly. I suggest using a spray bottle for additional water. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for about twenty minutes. Fold the dough in the bowl and cover.
3. Fold the dough again after another 25 and 50 minutes. Let the dough rest until doubled, about an hour. Preshape the dough for use in a 9"x5" pan. Cover and rest for about ten minutes while you prepare your pan and clean up your work space and dishes. Place your dough, seam side down, in the pan and press the dough lightly to fill the bottom of the pan.
4. Cover your pan lightly and let the dough rise until it crowns 1-1 1/2" above the rim of the pan. Toward the end of the proof, preheat your oven to 400F. Remove the pan cover and place the loaf on a middle level rack in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, rotate the pan and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, looking for a golden crust, internal temperature around 205F. Cool on a wire rack for at least two hours.
Springtime weather out here was relatively cool, followed by a week or so of warmth, and then we launched into a dry summer. The garden wasn't as productive as usual, a common complaint among other gardeners in the area. We're now in a pleasantly cool and wet spell, too late to save the garden but in time to put some green back in the lawns in the form of crabgrass. As the saying goes among the fans of the KC Royals baseball team, wait until next year.
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