Buckwheat Brown Rice Date Pepita Loaf

This bake has been inspired by Abe's buckwheat explorations HERE that started with the GF Community Bake. Rather than hijack his thread, I thought Id post this separately.

Right up front- "Thanks,Abe! This is the best GF loaves I've seen! or tasted"

I used Bob's Red Mill Whole Buckwheat flour which yields a very dark brown dough as it includes the husk. Still, it is a very fine powder. My dough was more of a batter than a dough. On the next try, I may reduce the water and see what happens. No matter the hydration, buckwheat is a VERY thirsty and VERY sticky dough. Do NOT let it dry on anything!

Very similar to 100% rye in how to handle and how it behaves. I made this loaf with that in mind and added chopped dates,honey and bread spice. It is a wonderful breakfast bread-toasted with butter or a schmear of cheese. It has a moist enough texture to make a sandwich-not as chewy as a dense rye.

Sigh-sorry about the rotation. Can't seem to get that correct.

RECIPE

Overnight soak:

Dry ingredients

350g Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat flour

150g Brown Rice flour

8g (1 tbsp) ground flax

10g (1 tbsp) fine ground psyllium

7g (1tsp) salt

1 pinch of yeast (or a tsp of starter)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl

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WET INGREDIENTS:

500 ml water

Mix WET & DRY and put in oversized covered bowl and let sit overnight on counter

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NEXT AM-FINAL DOUGH:

WHisk together until light yellow (like making mayonaise):

1 egg

30 ml oil (1 tbsp)

15 ml (2 tsp) vinegar

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While whisking egg mix, mix yeast mixture and bloom for a few minutes:

1-2 tsp Commercial Dry yeast

30 ml (1 tbsp) water

1/2 tsp sugar

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OPTIONAL-add to final dough:

1/4 c honey

51g (1/2 c) chopped dates tossed with a little flour

1/2 c unsalted pepita or other seeds

1-2 tsp Breadspice (equal parts ground cardamom,fennel,caraway,coriander)

FINAL DOUGH:

Mix overnight preferment, eggs, optional ingredients and yeast mixture thoroughly.

Place in prepared pans ( I used a pullman pan and 1 small loaf pan)-oiled and dusted with oatflakes or cornmeal.

Proof as a rye-as soon as any cracks/holes appear, it is probably properly proofed. (Mine took about 50 min in 80F

Bake 380F 50 minutes-  (internal temp was 206F at that time).

Wait until next day to slice for best crumb.

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So with this recipe and method, it is essentially a batter dough that is just a matter of mixing,1 proof and bake. I was hoping the pinch of yeast in the overnight soak would yield a better fermentation flavor but it really did not. Perhaps a starter would do that. Hmmm.... I also have some Vegemite (which imparts a great yeast flavor to baked keto goods.)

I was originally going to use sorghum or millet flour but ended up throwing both of those away as they had a really bitter aftertaste-probably old. Teff always adds nuntiness but I didn't have any. Buckwheat is much blander than I remember but the crumb texture, for a GF, is superb!

Have great fun baking this delicious loaf!