A Big Tin Loaf

I chanced upon a long TFL post Chasing thin, crispy, not thick/tough dough A comment by Mariana regarding a 100% sponge method loaf caught my eye. I think Mariana made it in a bread machine, but the loft was incredible. I've been thinking of making a tin loaf for a while, so this was the perfect opportunity.

It's a yeasted dough, but I did a couple of tweaks to add some extra flavour: addition of 10% Mockmilled whole wheat flour and addition of 13% leftover stiff levain I had in the fridge. Overall hydration was 64%, plus the butter.

Initial mix

• 270g Duchy bread flour
• 270g Waitrose Canadian bread flour
• 60g Mockmilled whole wheat flour
• 1.5g diastatic malt
• 24g warm butter
• 3g IDY
• 0.03g ascorbic acid
• 80g levain @ 56%
• 324g warm water

 Later Additions

• 12g salt (1.8%)
• 12g honey
• 24g dried skim milk powder
• 64g water

Process   

• IDY creamed with 24g water at 40C
• 64g boiling water poured onto honey and skim milk powder - mix and allow to cool
• 300g water in mixer, add AA, then flours, levain, creamed IDY, malt, butter
• Mix lightly - no gluten development
• Rest for 3hrs 40 mins
• Add honey/milk mix and mix in on slow, then add salt and mix in
• Develop gluten - 5 mins on high speed
• Bulk ferment at 28C for 30 mins
• Shape to 1 x 900g tin loaf plus a very small "leftovers" loaf
• Final proof 1 hour at 28C - dough nearly at top of tin.
• Bake in oven at 230C with steam for around 50 mins until internal temp 95C

Thoughts

• A crazy big loaf - I don't think i've ever made a taller one! Height was 185mm/7.25"
• Nice crumb - not too open, which wouldn't have been appropriate, but not tight.
• Mild but pleasant flavour.
• Probably not a type of loaf I will make on a regular basis, but a nice occasional style.

Lance