Eric's awsome adventure
Corn Rye Crumb
Multi-grain Crumb
Corn Rye
Multi Grain Levain
Today I planned to bake two breads I had not done using my new DLX mixer. I have been drooling over dsnyder's photo's of Hamelmans multi grain levain and also his corn rye. So today was the day to try both. The corn rye is split up the side like his first ones were. It seems like the docking wasn't effective at releasing the steam pressure. The second image is the multi grain which turned out very nice. The recipe makes 3- 1.5 Lb loaves which I used MCS's shaping technique on and I'm a convert. Just a little pushing, rotating, pushing and bingo a very nice tight ball with no open seams. Thanks Mark for that tip!
Anyway, when I get crumb images I will post by edit. Thanks Dave and Liz for the formula's and Zola for the DLX tips. I'm hooked, that's a really great mixer. The slack corn rye would have been very hard to get right with a KA and the DLX made child's play of that one.
ADDED BY EDIT:
The crumb image above is the Multi Grain Levain. NOW I know what all the fuss was about. The crust was crispy and crunchy and caramelized, full of flavor. David said leave it in the oven 15 minutes longer than you can imaging it would stand which I did, with the last single baked loaf. The two above didn't get that last 15 minutes and they look great but they don't have that snap. Future loaves will get the Snyder treatment. Thanks David!
Eric
Love the color of that multigrain!!!
Susan from San Diego
Looking forward to pics of crumb and taste report!!
Those loaves look really nice; I'm wondering what you are using for your scoring and if you did them at an angle or straight from the top. Just curious since they look great.
-Mark
http://thebackhomebakery.com
Thanks Mark for your kind words. I just used a paring knife and follow the curve of the loaf. So, around the sides it does get to be an angled cut.
Eric
Fantanstic looking loaves, Eric!
The Multi-grain levain is really something special, as you have discovered. Matter of fact, I had that bread for dinner with salmon cakes and chard. I confess to eating 4 salmon cakes ... and 5 slices of bread.
I have not kneaded the corn rye in my new Bosch Universal Plus, but you have inspired me to give it a try. Have you tasted the corn rye yet? I'm eager to read your impressions.
David
I posted the corn rye crumb image above and you can see it looks about how it should on the inside. It is a little moist. This corn rye is very aromatic and I suspect the flavor will change with time as it dries out. The flavor is great now, the crumb is chewy and the crust is crunchy. This bread to me is like a desert treat for a baker. It's delicious even in the face of being butt ugly.
Maybe I did something wrong in the shaping or preparation with the dough. It looks like the crust isn't strong enough to hold back the expanding dough below. It could be that the interrupted start to the baking process is weakening the crust. Removing the dough after 5 minutes to dock and glaze, bake another 10 minutes and repeat the docking and glazing. It seems disruptive to me. I try to think about how the bakers of 200 years ago would do this with a wood fired oven and many loaves. Hmmm, thinking.
I must be nuts for attempting 2 complicated new breads on the same day. Both breads are amazing in their own rights and deserve proper attention at the table, alone. I think I need some Bunny bread to drag my taste buds back to the center!
I had to grab the book to find his explanation. He should have said "Korn".
All these months I have had this book and never read the corn bread recipe.
This does sound yummy and Eric, once again, your loaves are awsome !
anna
Eric:
Your Five-Grain Levain is gorgeous! Love the crumb. And, it looks like you got great ovenspring. Isn't the flavor just wonderful? This bread does bring out the 'superlatives' in me! What mixture of grains did you end up using? I didn't get to respond to your previous post, but I have baked this bread 4 or 5 times and used either cracked wheat or rye, flax seeds, oats and sunflower seeds as suggested by Hamelman. I think that each imparts a special quality to the bread, but I am sure some experimentation with different grains would yield interesting results. I recall that this bread has excellent keeping qualities and, like many whole grain loaves, the flavors will develop more over the next day or two.
You and David have made me want to bake this bread and my weekend is too busy to fit it in....
Liz
And Look at all those wonderful seeds! Sure do make a pretty loaf! When I saw your picture, I could almost taste it! My last loaf was Leader's Alpine Baguettes (p279) and it ended up a 100% sd (250g) multigrain loaf with rye, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, millet (i've noticed that with millet I need just a little more salt), quinoa, sesame seeds and spelt. It had a hard time keeping it's banneton shape so ended up being baked in a hot cast iron bowl like pan.
Mark has an excellent video, I watched it quite a few times.
Again, a Three Musketeer bow (with wide rimmed hat and feathers, foot extended) to you, Eric.
Mini O
I saw your post before you showed the interior. Thought they were beauties and couldn't wait to see the crumb. Just perfect is all I can say. I can almost taste the bread, the photos are so good. I took my book out to look over the recipes and I can't wait to find time to make these. You did a great job, as always, Eric. weavershouse
I appreciate your words of encouragement. I'm going to work on the corn rye. I can't believe that's the way it's supposed to look. ---
Eric
The list just keeps getting longer, huh? Wow, those are beautiful loaves. I am interested in making the 5-grain but I'm not sure about where to get the cracked rye. ??
I'm also in the "bake-it-longer" camp and find this makes the bread so flavorful and you get a much better crust. That's the Glezer influence on me though.
Eric, it looks like you are having no problems at all adjusting to your new mixer. :o) Great job!
Hi ZB,
I didn't see cracked rye when I went looking but I just went to the one super market near us that has a decent selection of health food grains. We live near Milwaukee and I will be surprised if Whole foods or Trader Joe's doesn't have some. Cracked Wheat was my sub as recommended by Fluer de Liz and David.
I remember reading somewhere that you can't over bake bread. I will admit I have been watching the internal temp and have pulled bread when it hit 205 instead of on crust color. I'm less structured lately and more willing to let it go. I'm having more fun anyway!
Eric
Now that's bread!
Rosalie