Cream cheese and pecan levain

This is an unusual enriched bread for me!

I started with Hamelman's levain bread with increased wholewheat recipe, but having seen some breads including cream cheese I could imagine how soft and creamy and substantial the crumb would be! I decided to add quite a bit of cream cheese, guessing that it would not add that much hydration, so I wouldn't need to make too many changes.

I usually work from Hamelman's metric recipes, but make 1/20th of the recipe, which gives on each large loaf. It fits in my casserole and it's by far the easiest way to scale down. 

I made my sourdough/levain in the morning before work (7.30 am). After about 11 hours it was ready to make the dough. I beat 100g of cream cheese into the water for the main dough, taking out about 50g of waiter initially, but I actually added that back in as I mixed and slap & folded. It took the whole amount of water plus cream cheese very easily. 

I don't have a mixer, so did an autolyse with the levain but without salt for about 50 minutes, then two sets of 100 slap and folds. 3 sets of stretch and fold, 40 mins apart, and I added a couple of big handfuls of broken pecans on the second set. I didn't manage to get the pecans distributed very well! 

I gave it another 90 mins bulk in the microwave with the light on, as my flat is about 15'c, then put it in the fridge for 21 hours.

Next day I took it out & let it come to room temperature, preshaped, and shaped (badly) and rolled it in oats, put it in my new banneton.

I should have let it final prove for longer but at 11pm I wanted to go to bed! It stuck to the banneton a bit coming out (I'd not floured enough right on the top couple of loops) but I got it out & tucked the torn bit under. It baked for 20 mins with the lid and another 25 without, smelling AMAZING.

this is the best tasting bread I've made yet, definitely! I'll be making it again (probably with walnuts so it is more savoury, although the pecans are lovely too).

Darling Jeffrey!