this loaf is 100% ap flour, aside from the starter which has a bit of whole wheat flour. you can see the contrast with last weeks bread which had much less gluten. this one sprung well above the edge of the pan and the top is very domey
this loaf was made with equal parts rye and ap flour which gave it a slightly denser crumb but terrific flavor. ive included rye before but never this much. it is nice to get experience working with it. the dough was initially quite sticky but overall not too difficult to work with. the pan gave nice structure but i feel like i could get a good result in boule format too
50% ap, 50% einkorn, 85% hydration, 110% delicious
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im having so much fun with this new flour, i really want to work on some recipes that center it and rye. unfortunately neither of those have a ton of gluten. but i think its possible if i use bread flour.
pan loaf went much better this week, i used enough cooking spray for it to pop right out. i also swapped the whole wheat flour for a heritage grain-based flour called einkorn and the resulting flavor was unbelievable. i will definitely be experimenting with this more in the future
new recipe!! this is a mix of ap and whole wheat flour with more yeast than usual and 78% hydration. it didnt come out of the loaf pan super cleanly but otherwise im happy with it.
okay okay i know i said it would be different but it is and we are just starting small. this loaf wasnt based on a recipe and i used my own blend of ap, whole wheat, and dark rye flour. i had approximate proportions but ended up adding a lil more water off the scale bc the dough didn't feel quite right. i think end hydration was about 80%.
im very happy w how it turned out. the crust was thinner than normal and the interior very moist so it could have used another five minutes in the oven probably but the flavor that comes from the blend of flours is really really nice. the rye is very subtle but just present enough to be intriguing. i think this would work great w a preferment, like using ap the night before and then adding the richer flours the next day to give the yeast more to snack on.
next week we will have a different shape i promise
whole wheat bread this week to change it up. i finished everything for the semester on friday and it feels so good to be done with another year! i have stuff to do over the summer but it's much more relaxed than during the school year.
congrats to all the graduates!! im glad the rain mostly held off for your ceremony and i hope you had the best time celebrating your achievements.
ill be around over the break and my plan is to experiment a little more. ive been making basically the same artisan-style loaf for the last two years and its taught me a lot about working with yeast and dough and sourdough starter. i wanna build on this foundation and try applying it to other forms. ive also got more time to spend on learning new things.
ive been hesitant in the past to switch things up bc while im not exactly baking for other people (most of the time--i do occasionally bring bread to parties) i have felt some pressure to deliver an appealing-looking loaf every sunday and i didnt want to take any big risks that might not turn out. but now that ive got more confidence, im feeling ready to try new things and want to learn from them when they go wrong. if you have suggestions id love to hear them, but either way look out for some new stuff over the next few months.
as ive said before, kneading is only half the work of making bread, and it wont rise if it doesnt rest :) i hope everyone is able to take some time over the next few months to be outside, destress, and relax!
new view of the loaf this week bc it is very pleaseantly round from all angles. regular straight dough bc thats all i have time for rn.
im so...disappointed with the university leadership. ive felt for a while that they kinda disregard the students but this was really blatant. it felt like there was no integrity or empathy. i feel esp bad for the undergrads, you all didnt deserve to be treated this way. and its hard to take my ta job seriously when assessment turns out to be this arbitrary thing that disconnected leaders can delay and reinstate on a whim. so ig just know that whatever happens, the circumstances didnt allow you to be your best and at least some instructors are as unhappy w things as you.
good luck w finals, i hope everyone is able to make the best of it. we are almost through another year <3
same bread as usual, it just ended up a lil square bc of how it came out of the proofing bowl