80% whole wheat and challah

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Rustic Rye on 18 Jan 2019 at 13:44

Sharing is caring. So for one of my holiday gifts this year, I made some bread gifts for my family.

Since I enjoy making nutritious bread, I made two loaves of naturally leavened 80% whole wheat along with a loaf of challah, just for good measure. Since I was traveling from Massachusetts to Colorado to see my folks, and thus unable to easily travel with my starter, I contacted one of my parent’s neighbors whom I am long time friends with. Luckily, they had a sourdough starter that I subsequently used for the bread. Why not commercial yeast, you may ask? Because sourdough is just so superior in taste, nutrition, satisfaction, etc. Need I go on?


The scoring could have been a little prettier on the batard and boule since the cuts didn’t open to the extent I was looking for. Perhaps that could be solved with making the cuts deeper and longer? But I didn’t steam the oven so that could have contributed to lack in expansion. But now I am home and excited to try using lava rock for the first time. I am eager to compare rocks to my dutch oven and see how they compare. Overall though, I was very happy with how they turned out aesthetically, and they tasted pretty good too. It sure is nice when you can give bread as a gift and enjoy eating it too! Happy baking!

 

-Rustic Rye

I think you underestimate the stamina of SD starter. In winter I've mailed it in a baggie to friends in other parts of the country and it arrives fine. Two or three feedings and it's back to Olympic strength. Bringing it in a suitcase would be no problem at all. 

You can mail liquid starter? Or would you convert it to a stiff starter so it's less messy? I know you can dry it out then crush it up into flakes but I don't want to fuss with that.

If you know anyone who's had a yeast infection they'll tell you, it's hard to kill yeast. Sure, make it a drier mixture, maybe 70% hydration, and just mail it. When it gets there, feed it. It will be fine.