Over-Hydrated Mixed Flour Miche
I baked the Mixed Flour Miche from "Bread" 3rd edition (slightly different from the 2nd edition).
Mixed Flour Miche Formula (2/3's whole grain, rye and chickpea flour; 1/3 bread flour)
I used the metric formula in the book, divided by 10. Per Hamelman's instructions when making a home-size batch from the commercial formulas, I used 50% more sourdough culture than the commercial formula (22g vs 15g).
It was one of the tastiest breads I have baked in a while, and one of the ugliest.
When I set up the autolyse with 90% of the final dough water (saving 10% for bassinage), I couldn't get all the whole wheat and chickpea (garbanzo) flour wetted, so I tried to dribble in a little more water on the dry spots. I must have added too much water. After the autolyse, and mixing in the salt and sourdough, the dough just felt too wet and soft, so I added in a little more whole wheat flour. 10 minutes of Rubaud's method, 10 minutes rest, and 5 more minutes of Rubaud and it was a nice smooth dough, very extensible for folds but very little elastic strength. When I took the dough out of the fermenting bowl in order to do the folds, it poured like a thick batter. I worked in more flour with each of the 3 folds, but it made only a small difference. I kinda-sorta shaped it and tried to round it up tightly, and got it into the proofing bowl.
It did expand nicely, but when I dumped the dough out from the banneton on to parchment paper, it just spread. I used the corners of the parchment paper to drop the package into the pre-heated dutch oven; my round dutch oven is just the right size to support a double-loaf dough like a loaf pan.
In the event, the bread had nice height and an open crumb. But it was ugly. You may be able to see, just barely, my attempt to score the top of the loaf. The crumpled parchment paper left some odd marks on one side. And I should have checked the bread for doneness 5 minutes earlier (I cut off and ate the blackest part of the crust).
Taste is number One, looks come later or maybe not at all. Not to worry. Once sliced, most breads look about the same. I think it looks just right. Next time, you get dry spots just give the flour more time to hydrate. Throw a towel or lid over the dough and come back in ten minutes to finish before deciding to add more water or simply wet your hands instead. Easier to find the gooshy wet spots that way. Old fashioned Rolled oats or rolled spelt are my favorite soaker uppers. Seems I always have some around.
It can be sad however to present a beautiful picture perfect loaf that disappears into a kitchen and when cut up, nobody knows what it looked like straight from the oven.
Good suggestion. That bread was so ugly, with the scores not showing (probably little to no oven spring), part of the top burnt, and the marks left by folds in the parchment paper, I was too embarrassed to take the usual intact out of the oven oven.
But it was delicious.
Your formula is so interesting-I never thought of 15% buckwheat and 15% rye.
Amazing to get the crumb too with those grains.
The toasted sesame seed on top will make each bite special!
In fairness the formula is Jeff Hamelman's in the 3rd edition of "Bread".
It's 2/3's whole grain, and 1/3 KA bread flour (the formula calls for Type 80 flour, or a facsimile using half whole wheat and half high gluten flour), so there is plenty of gluten, and with 80+% hydration the crumb should be pretty open.
The formula doesn't include the seeds, but I just like them.