Spelt, Emmer, Rye and Wheat Sourdough – 50% Whole Grain

Following up the 10 grain SD bake, Lucy decided to do a 4 grain SD using our favorite grains.  Besides the rye in the starter, this one had 3o0 g of whole grains – 40 g each of spelt, rye and emmer (farro) and 180 g of whole wheat mixed into the 330 g of LaFama AP flour from Mexico.  LaFama  has higher protein than the normal AP at 11.2 %.

The Wonder Mill powered through the whole grains quickly and easily and the temperature of the flour came out at 99 F – so no problem at all with heating that would damage the flour.  We sifted out the hard bits and got a 19 % extraction this time which was fed to the rye sour starter to make the levain over 3 builds.  The levain ended up being 17.5% of the total flour and water.

The 66% hydration rye starter was already 4 weeks old in the fridge but we also refrigerated the levain for 48 hours after it had risen 25% after the 3rd feeding.  These long cold retards all  bring out the sour.  LAB reproduce very slowly at 36 F but they still reproduce 3 times faster than the symbiotic yeast.  The long cold starter storage makes for a more sour bread that takes longer to rise since the yeast has been restricted to a greater degree than the LAB.

Lucy specified a 1 hour autolyse of the dough flour and water with the salt sprinkled on top so we wouldn’t forget it – no Tuscans around here.  Then the levain was mixed into the  dough and the slapping and folding began.  We did 3 sets of slap and folds of 8,1 and 1 minute ….spread 20 minutes apart.  The dough quit sticking to the counter at the 8 minute mark.  This dough was at 81% hydration – about right for a 50% whole grain bread.

Once the slap and folds were completed we did 3 sets of stretch and folds from the compass points only, also on 20 minute intervals.  Since the levain was a high 17.5 % of the dough flour and water, we cut down the bulk retard to 9 hours in the fridge – from our usual 12 hours.  Once it came out of the cold the next morning, we let it warm up on the counter for and hour and half before pre-shaping and then shaping it into a squat oval and placed in a rice floured basket to proof on the counter.  Since the kitchen was 88 F it only took 1 1/2 hours to proof to 90%.

Now that it is summer time in AZ, we never fire up Big Ole Betsy,  the electric GE , but we still bake bread by taking the Cuisinart, countertop, toaster oven outside on the patio to bake bread.  You are limited to 750 g of dough in a squat oval shape but the mini oven puts crust on bread like no other oven.  the 12 x 12 x 7  space with top and bottom coils is perfect for (2) of Sylvia’s steaming cups.   The Pyrex cups are half full of water with a dishrag rolled up inside.  They sit along side of the dough on the mini ovens vented broiler pan top.   When the dough is upended onto parchment, it won’t stick to the broiler pan top either.

The Mini Oven was heated up to  500 F as Sylvia’s Pyrex steaming cups  were heated to boiling in the microwave.  Once the dough was placed on the cover on parchment, slashed and the steaming cups placed catty corner,  we loaded the whole assembly into the mini oven and steamed the bread for 12 minutes.   We turned the oven down to 475 F at the 2 minute mark.

Once the steaming cups came out of the  oven we turned the oven down to 425 F, convection this time, and continued to bake for 15 more minutes until the bread was done at 207 F on the inside and removed to the cooling rack.   The crust came out of the oven very crunchy, browned well enough with small blisters covering the loaf.  The crumb came out very soft, glossy and moist….. and more open than we thought it would – Nice Holes!

Still, the best part is the taste.  it is one of the best tasting breads we have made in some time and that is saying something having made over 200 different beads in the last 2 plus years.  The Wonder Mill has changed our bread making forever.  No more hating the grind – now it’s all peace and no worries in the grinding world.

Lucy says – Happy Sourdough Baking – here is the formula in grams