Ming's blog

This is basically a repeat of last week's loaf with 50% wholegrain but with about 30% of the water replaced with sourwort. If your goal of getting an open crumb with sourwort then I would say you might be disappointed. As shown, the crumb is more and less the same with and without sourwort. Fortunately, that is not the reason I like sourwort, I was after it for some additional aromas and flavors and I think it did deliver which obviously not showable here. This is my first official baguette bake with sourwort so it is possible I still have not unlocked its potential.

Baked my weekly 50% wholegrain baguette this morning per following spec:

25% wholegrain red fife from Breadtopia

25% WW from Bob's Red

50% bread flour from KA

77% hydration

Did a Biga preferment with all the flours for 24 hours in my 55-degree F basement

0.2% instant yeast

2% salt

Mix with a spiral mixer for about 25 min

Dough temp was consistently kept at around 80-degree F throughout the process

Bulk ferment for about 2.5 hours starting from the mixing, pre-shape, final shape, and final proof within another 1.5 hours

I upped the ante from a loaf I baked yesterday for an 80% whole grain baguette I baked today. It had 50% whole grain Kamut, 22% whole wheat, 8% dark rye, and the rest with bread flour. Hydration was around 75%. The process was the same with a slap and fold and a stretch and roll during the 7 hours bulk rise. I was gauging it for a 100% rise, but I think I got fooled as I think the crumb seems under fermented. Yesterday's loaf took 8 hours to double but this loaf did seem to rise quicker perhaps due to a having higher percentage of the whole grain.

It had been a while since I used my SD starter as a standalone leavening agent since I adopted a biga preferment approach for my baguette making. Anyhow, I gave it a run to see where my SD starter stand strength wise, and I have to say I was disappointed even though it did okay but no match for a biga with instant yeast. 

I made a batch of pizza dough balls last night for next week's and it just occurred to me to steal one to make a baguette this morning, which is exactly what I did. It had 20% WW, 30% whole grain Kamut, and the rest was with bread flour. My pizza and baguette doughs share the same recipe except the pizza dough had a lower hydration and less developed, all made with a 95% biga and a 5% SD starter. I was very pleased with the expansion in the oven, which had twice the height and roundness of a 50% rye loaf I baked yesterday.