I've been experimenting with using chia seeds in my regular "low hydration" sourdough. I tried incorporating them in three ways.
1. Pre-soak 2 tablespoons of chia in 8 tablespoons of water. "Dimple" into the pre-dough along with the levain/starter.
This was quite messy and difficult to work with. There was a lot of wet chia gel to try and mix into a fairly firm dough. I tried to take a light-handed approach to this and not worry too much. The end result was great! The texture of the crumb was almost silky. My guess is that this is because I managed a higher hydration than I usually would.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of chia to the usual pre-dough, with no extra water.
This produced a very stiff dough that was almost hard to handle for that reason. The texture of the bread itself was fine but nothing especially interesting. The taste was good - a bit nuttier, maybe, than a loaf without chia.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of chia to the usual pre-dough, plus 4 tablespoons of extra water.
This has been the most succesful method. I tried using an extra 6 tablespoons of water but find 4 tablespoons more manageable. I love the texture of the loaves made this way. The crumb is somehow shiny and smooth. I've been getting a good crust and rise too. As with the first method though, I'm not sure how much of this is attributable to the chia seeds, and how much is due to the (slightly) higher hydration than what I'm used to.
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I've never used Chia seeds before, i just know that they are very thirsty.
Your loaves look great, i'm also experimenting with lower hydration dough. Trying to improve my dough handling and not rely so much on high hydration for a great crumb.
Is your regular low hydration loaf the one in Trevor Wilson's video?
I use rye instead of wholemeal, and NMNF starter. I use it for exactly that reason. It feels like a great one to use while working on my skills like dough handling and understanding when the dough is "ready" for each stage.
as I understand it, which would mean your three loaves are slightly different. When mixed in without pre-soaking them, the seeds soak up water. So, for example, if you used 600 gm of flour plus 400 gm of water and the seeds soaked up 50 gm, the dough was actually 600 gm of flour plus 350 gm of water; i.e. the hydration was 58.3%, not 66.7%.
Adding water with the dry seeds changes the equation, but unless you add the amount of water that is hydration-neutral, the hydration % of the dough will still be affected.
Fwiw, while I've never used chia seeds, what I usually do with other types is to pre-soak them then mix them in when I make the dough or pre-dough so that I don't have to work them into a dough or pre-dough that's already made. And the pre-soak means the seeds don't "steal" water from the flour.
You're right about the hydration changes. The chia seeds definitely soak up more water than other seeds. Pre-soaking before mixing into the pre-dough is a great idea! I can't believe I didn't think of this. That would be the best way to control the hydration without making the mixing too difficult. I'll give it a shot next baking day. Thanks!
I've never tried chia but your experiments are a great if I will ever encounter it in the future! :D And I must just say that those are lovely loaves inside out.
Thanks Pal! They're weird little seeds. Some people soak them in coconut milk to make a sort of porridge/dessert that resembles sago pudding. I haven't tried them like that, but I do like them in bread.
chia seed pudding is fantastic. the seeds can be added to any dairy or non-dairy beverage. The flavor is varied with the addtion of cocoa powder, chocolate, cocoa nibs, fruit, nuts, flavorings, etc. It's very good & a little is very filling.
Claudia
Thank you for your post on chia seeds in dough. I've been experimenting with varying results. I'll definitely try a few of your ideas in future breads.
Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/Happy Holidays
claudia
Thanks Claudia! I'm stoked that you found my post useful. I'd be interested to hear the results of your experiments. Happy holidays and festivities to you too!