The Fresh Loaf

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Dave Miller 100% Whole Wheat 102% Hydration

louiscohen's picture
louiscohen

Dave Miller 100% Whole Wheat 102% Hydration

I baked a 100% whole wheat 102% hydration loaf using the Dave Miller Basic formula from an article  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/what-makes-whole-grain-bread-so-hard-to-bake-63878/ (informed by another article https://www.rootsimple.com/2014/01/dave-miller-on-baking-with-100-whole-wheat/).  I also added 15% olives and chives, the main reason I am trying to bake this myself because the local artisan bakery doesn't have ww or multigrain with olives.

The crumb is evenly open, but there was zero-nada-nothing oven spring, even in a hot covered dutch oven.  When I dumped the proofed loaf from the banneton on to a piece of parchment paper, it spread a bit but not horribly; I think there was some OK gluten development.  

Is that typical of this bread/100% whole wheat in general?  Or is there something I could do to promote some oven spring?

It tastes pretty good, BTW.  Nice crust too, just the kind of bread for sandwiches or accompanying stews.  

Thanks

bikeprof's picture
bikeprof

pictures are really helpful if you are looking for advice/troubleshooting...

lack of oven spring can be a number of things...starter/levain condition, overproofing (my hunch), shaping issues

btw - I'll just note that I was really disappointed in the link that included the highly disputed claim (myth?) that bran acts like a knife, cutting gluten, with the associated advice not to mix much.  Gluten development through mixing/S&F continues to be one of the most important elements for 100% WW bread success for a number of us...e.g.:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/22831/sd-100-ww-sandwich-loaf-bulgur-cracked-wheat-my-sourdough-starter-declare-defeat

and also, this (about 96% hydration, using a double hydration method):

Of course, your flours will impact just what is needed/tolerated...but in general, I continue to find the bran = knives that slice gluten and degrade your dough in mixing to not be supported, and just the opposite view (bran interferes with gluten development, so more mixing is needed) to be true.

louiscohen's picture
louiscohen

The photo did not appear in the message?  Please have a look at this link to it:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/uAnxgW3NaCZxhm368

Thanks for the thought on overproofing.  Can you use the poke test with a 100% ww high hydration loaf?  What would you look for after poking the bread in the anneton - it comes back, but slowly?  Does 3 hrs proofing at room temp sound too long after a retarded bulk fermentation in the fridge?

That loaf in your photo with the nice ear is beautiful.  Was it 100% or grain or is there some strong white flour mixed in?

Thanks

 

bikeprof's picture
bikeprof

You can use the poke test, but will need to do some trial and error on your own to figure out what the particular bread you are making calls for (I retard mine after fairly short room temp proof, so what I am looking for a pretty good spring back from mine when they go into the cold).  The poke test (and the jiggle test, and volume increase) are all a bit of a different critter when it comes to super high hydration (not to mention whole grain) doughs...so as always, practice and good observation in your particular context is super helpful, regardless of what a formula says.

And yes, the pic is 100% WW (Central Milling WW Hi-Pro Fine).

And no, I did not and still cannot see the pic in this thread...the linked pic you provide further supports that overproofing is at least part of what is going on

louiscohen's picture
louiscohen

I would be grateful for any information about how you got that great oven spring and ear.   Lots of mixing to develop gluten?  

seasidejess's picture
seasidejess

Bikeprof, I can I ask what is the double hydration method?