Challenge: Extra large loaves
First attempt at baking an extra large sourdough fresh ground whole grains bread, about 8 lbs., met with some success -- but it would be nice to hear any tips from others that could help improve.
Recipe was about 10% rye, 12% soft white wheat and 15% oat flour with the remainder of the flour mix as white bread flour. 3 lbs. of 100% hydration white starter to make a final dough weight of 8lbs. at 66.7% hydration. Salt and oil at 2% and 3% respectively.
About a lb. of onions and some garlic cloves cooked down in a half stick of butter were added during kneading for six minutes to help flavor the dough.
Bread was immediately transferred (no bulk ferment due to time constraints) to a proofing container lined with parchment paper in the approximate size and shape of a 12qt cast iron dutch oven.
In order to allow a bit more rise time as it came up to temp -- the dutch oven was not preheated, but the loaf was initially baked with top cover on for 60 minutes on 300. Good rise and shape -- but no browning (as expected) -- internal temp at about 170.
Another 15 minutes with the cover on at 450, then a follow up 15 minutes with the cover off at 450 before the internal temps rose to 200-205 when bread was removed.
The browning was excellent on top -- but the bottom and sides in contact with the cast iron were a bit too dark by comparison (although edible). Crumb was a bit dense as expected for the whole grains, but not gummy.
Was thinking cover off immediately after the slow bake and trying 400 degrees to even up the browning between the top of the loaf and the parts in contact with the cast iron.
Any thoughts?
I don't have to worry about trapping steam. The top crust looks like some of my early loaves when I over steamed them. Same kind of cracking and splitting with most of the crust feeling like I had fried it. Might not need covering at all, or perhaps later in the bake should the crust get too brown before the centre has baked.
Including garlic in the crumb as opposed to stripes or swirls of garlic may have something to do with the dense crumb. Garlic tends to suppress bacteria and yeast growth. Adding it at the last possible moment (when shaping) would give the sourdough critters the best chance at raising the loaf.
Never thought about the garlic interfering with sourdough action (good advice!) and will definitely try the next round without the cover on to see if the top stays intact better (no splitting) without the extra steam being trapped for so long. I suppose that might also help with getting some of the excess moisture out of the center of the large loaf and potentially reduce cooking time to even out the browning between the top and the sides.
My "shaping" consisted of lifting the 8lbs of dough from the plastic proofing container and dropping it into the cast iron dutch oven, allowing it to rise further as the oven/cast iron slowly came up to temp. Maybe a longer bulk ferment and adding some manipulation/stretch/fold of the dough before adding to the vessel would help as well.
I love making large loaves. The biggest one I could fit on a peel came in at just under 10 lbs. That was my response to cutting back to one slice a day.
The loaf size turns out quite a large cross section slice, but holds up when sliced very thin. I think the real test is the Reuben -- if you can toast and hold corned beef, sauerkraut and dressing without falling apart -- you pass the test.
What about cutting large bread cubes, pinch out the middle and fill with the Reuben ingredients, top with cheese/bread crumbs and broil them shut. How many do you need to make at a time? Wrap up and enjoy the game while it keeps your hands warm. :) White Rueben Cubes (Do they exist? Heck if I know, just invented them.)
Following some cues from Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads and delayed fermentation with a few mods:
1) 75% hydration wild yeast white bread flour starter - 40% of final dough
2) Whole grain scalded milk soaker with 20% fresh ground rye flour and the rest fresh ground Ohio soft white wheat - 45% of final dough.
Both of the above started the day before -- and left at room temp, then mixed and kneaded with final additives for 8 minutes with KitchenAid dough hook. 2.5 hour bulk ferment then fold and into the 12qt dutch oven for proofing another 2 hours. Added the dutch oven to a steam injected 350 degree oven without the cover.
Probably took an hour or so to get to 205 internal temp. Crust and crumb shots below...
Probably needed another 2 lbs to fill the 12qt entirely with a sandwich height loaf -- but the bread works.
I wonder what the effect would be to ditch the sugar completely. Supposedly the soaker is allowing enzymes to convert starches to sugars during the overnight soak time. Don't mind adding oil -- but the crust really doesn't need to have more color and added sugar is kind of contrary to the reason for making whole wheat bread in the first place.