mwilson's blog

Probably the best of my Panettone bakes so far this season! Lucky number 5!

I have been using the Milanese bound method exclusively to manage the LM this Christmas, in attempt to really get to grips with it and try to develop a deep understanding of what it does and how to use this technique wisely. Except for one occasion weeks ago where I made the over night in water, Piemontese style, as I felt the leavening seemed a little sluggish and as expected it massively ramped up yeast leavening power! Otherwise bound method all the way.

Before panettone, I tested my new LM starter. I choose to try something of quality... Wildfarmed is a brand in the UK that promotes regenerative farming practices headed up by former DJ and music producer Andy Cato. This bag says its from UK and French wheat, protein is low at 10.x%.

This was circa 70% hydration. I don't have any notes to describe what I did...

I did a flour water only autolyse at 55% hydration for about 3 hours.

Until recently I was busy working hard making English Sparkling wine for a large UK producer, we collectively processed 2000 tonnes of grapes! Now harvest is over it's time to get baking again and of course it is panettone season...

In addition to making wine at scale I have a few vines and make my own. I do spontaneous fermentation and I used this as a source of naturally occurring yeasts.

It's been several weeks since then and I have made three panettones (one per week) with my new LM starter.

Also I have been using a new formula - my own!

The Zoia Panettone Challenge

- Recipe from “Non Solo Zucchero” by Iginio Massari

Iginio Massari a name much revered in the world of Panettone yet his mentor, Achille Zoia is lesser known, but to his credit a speciality flour formulated to accommodate Zoia’s technological liking bears his name… “Panettone Z” produced by Molino Dallagiovanna is the flour of choice being favoured by many maestri for its excellent extensibility.

Formula:

Spontaneous fermentation of water soaked raisins (sultanas). 3rd life cycle (refresh) [pic]

Kept @ 27°C for 3 weeks (once a week remake with water and fruit + previous ferment top-up)

Then used to seed a flour and water dough at a concurrent 27°C, kept in a volume of water.

7 days and 7 refreshes @ 1:1 or thereabouts daily (24hrs).

Next 8hrs, then 4hrs x3.

Typical float time = ~45 mins in all cases.

Looking good for a viable vigorous starter.

Admittedly, I am aware and I have spoken emphatically about the importance of calibrating pH meters. My training in the wine lab has instilled the habit of calibration each and every time prior to use, in that environment.

Why then have I been so lax with my bread and dough meter! Perhaps it is the domestic setting that gives rise to such a laid back approach. Then again, even in the work place I have been deemed as a 'laid back' kind of guy!

So, it has been several years since I was baking ‘Grandi lievitati’ regularly. Getting back into the swing of things, and to some degree relearning what I once had figured out, or was at the very least working with more successfully…

Mastering Lievito Madre is no joke and is perhaps the most difficult accomplishment for any sourdough baker that wishes to really understand and control the many intricate nuances of fermentation and manipulate the biological and chemical processes which can ultimately make or break one’s endeavours.

It has been a considerable blot of time since my regularly featured Italian enriched doughs were frequently demonstrated. I am out of practice, and in need to validate my reputation, even if to myself but not only that but to exceed where I recognised the faults. Now armed with a new bit of kit, the Hanna “Bread and Dough” pH meter, I wanted to go deeper where such tracking was once a novel endeavour, the time had come to up my game as it were.