Last week I tried making the sprouted wheat bread from Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread which was a disaster probably from something I did or did not do properly. The pan loaf was very dense with the wheat still so hard you could only eat it with determination. Intrigued by the notion of ground sprouted mash I decided to try again with modifications.
Hard white spring wheat was soaked 24 hrs then drained and rinsed saving the soaking water. The still moist grain was allowed to just sprout (6hrs) then ground using the finest setting in a hand cranked food grinder. It formed the base for a loaf.
500 g of the mash
140 g 85% hydration just fed and doubled starter
140 g unbleached AP
25 g vital wheat gluten (usually don't use this stuff but needed for structure)
170 g + 14 g wheat soaking water
13 g salt
Mix all but the salt and 14 g water until incorporated but still kind of clumpy. Make small well in dough and put in the salt and water to predisolve. Let sit for 20 min then mix with pinches and folds. Do S & F every 20 min 3 times then let ferment 3 hrs. Do one more S & F let rest 15 min from a boule, put in a well coated with flour and bran banneton , cover and retard overnight. A 55- 60 F pantry was used.
Next morning the boule had expanded noticeably. Preheated oven with cast iron DO to 500 F. Flipped the boule which stuck a little but not so much it got mangled onto a peel dusted with bran scored with a sunburst(this may not have been needed, the loaf did not expand that much, but scoring practice is always welcome ), placed in the DO, put on the lid, put in oven and turned oven down to 450 F. Baked 20 min, removed lid and turn oven down to 425. Baked another 15 min until center of the loaf was 195- 200 F. Put on cooling rack.
The loaf is moist, chewy and tasty with a nicely crisp crust. It is still dense but in a good way. This is an approach still needing refinement, maybe adjusting fermentation or hydration(suggestions anyone), but I made a step in the right direction.
Stu