Hi All,
So I am modifying a sour dough loaf to include chorizo. I was wondering if there was a steadfast rule for what the maximum amount of mix ins/ add ins ( meats, cheeses, nuts, fruit, etc....) you can add to a mixed dough before it starts to effect the structure/ crumb of the loaf. It would be great if someone knew of a magic percentage ie, 23% for high fat ingredients and 30% for low fat ingredients.
Thanks!
I think that regardless of the nature of the add-in the structure of the crumb will be affected. I think the fineness of your chop on the chorizo will determine the percentage at which you can add it in without destroying the crumb. Chorizo is pretty strong, so you probably wouldn't need that much to get a good pronounced flavor. I'd try maybe 7-8%, and even that seems high to me.
OK, So maybe saying not affected was the wrong term to use, I know it will be in some way, was more thinking negetivly affecting it by making it dense.
The excellent sausage bread I used to get in Newark NJ (when I had a younger person's metabolism) had lots of big chunks of sausage -- this is not a subtle food. I'd guess 1/3 by weight. So me, I would go nuts and see what happens. The main worry I'd have with chorizo is fat and water draining off during the bake and getting the dough gummy.
Adding even a small amount of anything will affect the final product to some degree, so it basically comes down to determining how much of a trade-off you're willing to make to strike what you judge to be the best balance.
Looking at my raisin bread formula, it calls for 24% raisins added in bakers%, and they are likely about the same density. You might look at a few others with solid add-ins, like some walnut bread formulas and see how much they call for...
dry weight sprouts. Wet weight of the sprouts was 54%. I have made breads with 60% no problem and some up to 100%. Smaller add ins like sunflower seeds and sprouts can actually help open the crumb for some reason. remember many breads where w=every large hole had a sunflower seed or sprout in it. Since yoor meat will be heavy for its size/volume, I would say you could do more rather than less.
Sprouted 5 Grain Bran Levain Sourdough with Cranberries and Pistachios