Multi-grain Struan
This is my take on Peter Reinhart's whole-grain struan. Instead of adding yeast, I made the firm starter using sourdo.com's San Francisco strain that I've been feeding nothing but home-milled wheat.
For the flour, I milled a mixture of 45% hard red wheat, 45% hard white wheat and 10% rye.
For the soaker I used 2.5 oz roasted (unsalted) sunflower seeds, plus .5 oz each of black seasame seeds, two different kinds of flax seed and two different mustard seeds. These are combined with flour and a little water, then left out overnight.
The firm starter was left out overnight to rise.
The next day, the firm starter and the soaker were worked together on a cutting board, then chopped up into a dozen pieces and mixed with the wet ingredients in my DLX. You can see it come together as I mix the preferments with oil, honey, and agave nectar. I also added in 2T of espresso-ground coffee beans that I'd finished roasting earlier in the day (Costa Rica La Legua Bourbon taken just into the beginning of second crack, for you sweetmarias.com fans), plus a teaspoon of caramel color from KA.
After the dough came together, it got a 15-minute autolyse.
Here's the final dough after another 10 minutes of hand kneading.
For the first 2 hours, I did a stretch-and-fold every half hour. Afterwards, it was left to rise for another 3 hours.
The risen dough was broken into four pieces and shaped for mini-loaves. They proofed for another 2.5 hours.
The loaves were cooked at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 
The result is a dense, but not at all heavy, bread that is fantastic sliced thin and served with cheese and fruit.
Comments
I will slice it really thin and toast it like melba toast then schmear it with homemade pimento cheese.
Love the addition of the ground beans. Was just looking around sweetmaria's yesterday. Thinking of getting the Behmor 1600 and trying my hand at roasting coffee, which doesn't seem all that challenging. Of course, I really want this instead, but money's money: http://www.diedrichroasters.com/index.cfm?page=LabRoaster
Where can I buy a bread pan like that? Are they mini loaves or full-size 1lb'ers?
I can't believe you showed me that roaster. Now I'm sad. How much is one of those beasts? Maybe I could convince my wife she doesn't need a desk in her office.
I found the pan at my grocery store over the weekend (HEB). They're mini-loaves.
I have a Behmor 1600 that I used to replace the iRoast 2 that I'd used for the first year I roasted. It's a great roaster as far as quantity goes, but be warned that if you like dark roasts, you won't be able to do a full pound at a time. I get between 10 and 11 ounces per roast when I want something that gets fully into second crack. Even so, that's double the capacity of my old iRoast, so I'm still happy. And if you're only going for a City or City+ roast, you can get 12-13 oz.
I think they're $6000.00. Ouch, huh?
Deitrich is the best of the best, though. Their commerical roasters start in the $30,000 range (and that's for a small unit).
I watched the video on the Behmor and that's what they said too: avoid if you like dark roasts. I don't. I think if you go much passed a 90 roast, it's basically carbon (French/Italian/Charbucks roast).
I sent Behmor an email asking if a new model was in the works, but haven't gotten a response yet. The 1600 model has been around for a few years (great reviews too!), so wondering if they plan an unpdated version. Good reviews besides, it looks rather like a cheap(-ish) toaster oven.
An updated model has been "in the works" for several years. Don't hold off on any purchase waiting for a new model, based on the discussions around it with the folks from Sweet Maria's on their forums. It paid for itself for us in around 4 months over buying pre-roasted.
Price is so high. I need to buy a low cost product. I can buy a new Coffee Roaster Machine from Kafgar. https://kafgarglobal.com/
Hi Loyd, What beautiful loaves! What a unique pan you have and what a nice size of loaf they produce. Perfect gifts for friends. I bake using PR's soakers and starters too and noticed you use a DLX. I have read that they have to have the wet ingredients fed in first but using starters I know all the water is already soaked up in the grains but obviously the DLX had no problem mixing up your dough despite not free water….is this true? I ask because I am currently eyeing a DLX but have been hesitant to commit due to the mixing instructions. Overall how do you like your DLX? Why didn't you complete the kneading using the mixer - you mentioned finishing up the job by hand…. Thanks for the post and now I am wanting to pull my strain recipe out and bake a loaf too…..but tonight I am working on a loaf filled with fruit and chocolate and nuts…..straun will have to wait in line :-) Take Care, Janet
Thanks! I love love love my DLX. Although there was no extra water added, I did start with the honey, oil and agave nectar in the bowl. I then added the preferements and got it mixed well before adding the final flour.
This is only the second time I've made this recipe -- I like to do a final hand knead on the first few times I make a particular loaf to get a good idea of what the dough feels like. Stuff that I make a lot (PR's sourdough, for example), I finish everything off in the DLX.
On the subject of liquids first, I've done it the other way as well. The two problems are a) you end up having to scrape the bowl a lot to get everything combined at first and b) it can send dry ingredients exploding across the kitchen in a mushroom-cloud burst of flour if you turn on the DLX and the bowl is full of nothing but dry :)
Honestly, 'b' is the biggest issue IMO...
Thanks for the reply Lloyd. So what you are saying is that the DLX will mix any type of bread dough no matter how you add the ingredients - you just have to adjust - or duck :-) - whatever the case might be?
I get afraid of spending that much money and then finding out it doesn't do a good job on the types of doughs I use…I have gone down that road before and this one would be an expensive lesson :-0
Did you have another type of mixer before? I am curious how the DLX compares if you did…specifically, what makes you love it? Does it develop the gluten in a way that is superior - whatever that really means?
I note you use whole grains that you grind yourself - I do too so I am curious if the gluten development is different because I know developing gluten with whole grains doughs is a tricky business - made easier if grains are soaked first but there are formulas I use where I don't pre-soak the grains - those loaves get a long cold bulk fermenting time in the refrig…
Do you notice a difference in gluten devel. strength when mixing soaked grains vs when you put freshly ground grains in first?
Thanks for your time in answering my inquires about the DLX…
Take Care,
Janet
Yes, the DLX will mix anything. It's just really easy to cause a flour 'splosion.
Prior to this, I've owned two KA mixers. I burned out the first one on large batches of bread. I still have the second one, but only use it as a meat grinder for the most part. The DLX does a much better job at replicating the actual kneading of the dough with the roller IMO.
The biggest thing I notice with home-milled (other than the much-better taste) over bagged is that it is a little thirstier, and maybe a bit stickier. Since most commercial whole wheat flour has been hammer-milled, it makes for a smoother dough than homemade stone-ground (the bran is still there in the bagged, it has just been pulverized). I can come closer to this by sifting out the bran and re-milling it, but using a soaker seems to do the job just fine as well. Since I like the flavor development from a soaker, that's usually what I do if I'm going to use my own WW without sifting.
Lloyd,
Thanks for the information.
My search for information on the DLX has been very interesting and discouraging at the same time.
Luckily people like you - owners of a DLX - are around who will take the time to share what you have learned with people like me.
On the 'darker' I have discovered that other big brand name mixer companies who currently dominate the market do not allow their retailers to display other mixers directly on their sites ….in other words one has to know DLXs exist or else they are invisible. Kinda like going into a physical store and only one mixer is visible. Any other mixers are kept in a closet - totally out of sight.
Very deceptive. Only way I found out about the DLX was by reading about them here. Prior to reading about them I was/am one who owned the more popular mixer out there….and now I know it's popularity isn't due to it's superiority but rather due to the companies marketing tactics….seems a little 'dirty' to me…..
Thanks for the comment on grains too. I have only ever used whole grains so have no comparison. I too love soakers! Makes putting a dough together so easy :-)
Again, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
I did order a DLX and won't be getting it until mid November but I will try to remember to let you know how I like it…actually, I will probably send you a message asking how to run the thing :-) I hear it operates pretty differently from other mixers.
Take Care,
Janet
They look great Loyd,
Strauns are lovely and the ones I have eaten don't have all the fantastic goodies that yours do. The crumb looks amazing. Perfect breakfast :)
Phil
I'm about to have some for breakfast right now!