Whole Wheat Levain

Following closely in the footsteps of Hans, I baked Hamelman's "Whole-Wheat Levain" this morning:

The more I bake from Hamelman's Bread, the more comfortable I feel with every stage of baking. Things that used to evade me and make baking a stressful endeavor now seem to be second nature. Rather than struggling against the dough, I feel like I am able to work with it. I don't think I have any great skill when it comes to baking, but, as Hans says, Hamelman's methods are bulletproof. This gives the baker the confidence to move forward without second-guessing the multitude of decisions required throughout the process.

One thing I love about baking with whole wheat is the smell of the dough. The intensely sweet, wheaty aroma when I turn out the fully fermented dough onto the bench is almost too much to take. I have been tempted to just take a bite. Oddly enough, this sweetness doesn't carry through to the finished loaf in smell or taste. This is probably for the best, because it might be a bit overwhelming. It's a fascinating transformation, though.

Today, I tried a technique that I had long ago abandoned: overnight proofing in the refrigerator. In the past, my dough always stuck to the cloth and ruined the final loaf. I think this was caused by two things. First, I wasn't shaping the dough correctly. Following Hamelman's instructions, I ended up with a much tigher boule than in the past. I think the increased surface tension may have helped prevent sticking. Second, I floured the heck out of the dough (obvious from the picture above). I used to have a "thing" about too much flour on the crust, thinking somehow that it was less "pure." Forget that. Being able to pull the dough from the fridge and toss it into hot oven first thing in the morning was great. I'm a convert.

Thanks to Hans for bringing this recipe to my attention. I don't think I was anywhere close to his final product, but it tastes amazing. I can't wait to share it with my wife and coworkers later today.