If it’s Good Friday then this is Hot Cross Bun Bake Day. This year we did a sprouted grain, poolish version after the YW and SD versions the past 2 years. This one really proofed well and then sprang great in the oven.
Lucy was going to do something else but came back to one of my favorites – Mediterra’s Pecan and Cranberry Sourdough. This great bakery, located in the small AZ town of Coolidge, AZ, supplies the local Whole Foods with some of their upscale breads – including this one. Here is there web site http://mediterrabakehouse.com/
After my less than spectacular Forkish Country Brown....good flavor, not as good oven spring as I would like, I was advised by my mentor (you know who you are) to go back to basics.
Hamelman's 5-grain Levain is one of our favorite breads. My wife and I always have some on hand in the freezer (it freezes quite well), ready to toast a slice for breakfast or for a sandwich. It also lends itself to all kinds of variations since it is easy to modify the ingredients and relative amounts of the soaker. I have used cracked rye (as called for in the original recipe) and have also had success with bulghur wheat. This time, inspired by this post earlier this year, I tried it with freek
It's not the best or holiest baguette I've seen, but I think it is a solid attempt to develop upon (it's actually my fourth attempt since last week). I used all purpose flour (or something between APF and bread flour, it says 12.78% protein), 67% hidration and 20% sourdough starter, plus about 3% of malt flour, mixed and folded a few times yesterday afternoon, retarded in the fridge overnight and shaped and baked this morning.
The crust is really nice, not too thick, the crumb is soft and almost creamy; the taste is mostly sweet.
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To me it was new to do the finall rise of the bread in the fridge, I usualy do it the other way round, I knead the dough
and put it in the fridge for 12 - 18 hours and then shape the cold dough and put it in the baneton, proof and bake.
