Isand66's blog

In honor of my 16 Year old  Mookie! This one was made with high extraction freshly milled whole wheat, spelt and rye with a little bread flour mixed in.

The crumb was nice and open and it tastes amazing.

I like using the whole potato skin and all and just chop them up in my mini food processor. It makes for a soft crumb and the bread will stay fresher longer.

I’ve been lowering the % of starter with my fresh milled flour bakes and it’s helping control the fermentation much better.

I used one of my favorite whole wheat berries from Barton Springs Mill called Rouge de Bordeaux as well as some fresh milled spelt, Danko rye and some KAF bread flour. The whole wheat and rye were milled and sifted twice and the spelt was milled twice and sifted once.

The dough was left to bulk at a lower temperature than I usually use at 75 F with a target bulk rise of 50% which took 5 hours and 45 minutes in my proofer.

The end result was a nice open and moist crumb and one tasty bread. This was great grilled with some EVO and melted cheese.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Add the levain in pieces and mix for a few seconds to break it up. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 – 30 minutes.   Next add the salt, mashed roasted potatoes and sour cream, and remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 12- 24 minutes. 

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl and do several stretch and folds.  Make sure the dough is as flat as possible in your bowl/container and measure the dough in millimeters and take the temperature of the dough as well. Based on the chart from http://www.thesourdoughjourney.com, determine what % rise you need and make a note. If you have a proofer decide what temperature you want to set it at and what rise you are aiming for. If the dough is fully developed you don’t need to do any stretch and folds, but if it’s not, do several sets 15-20 minutes apart.

Once the dough reaches the desired bulk rise, pre-shape and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Finish shaping place in your banneton, bowl or on your sheet pan and cover it so it is pretty airtight. You will then place it in your refrigerator so you don’t want the dough to get a crust on it. Since there is such a high percentage of whole grains in the dough I didn’t want to leave it in the refrigerator for more than 12 hours. Depending on how cold your refrigerator is you could leave it longer and have to experiment to make sure it doesn’t over ferment.

When you are ready to bake, an hour beforehand pre-heat your oven to 540 F and prepare for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water into the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.  Remove your dough from the refrigerator and score immediately.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature of around 200-210 F. 

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a baker’s rack for as long as you can resist. 

I needed some nice semi-soft rolls for burgers and hot dogs. These are not like those air-whipped supermarket rolls that are so soft and tasteless but are the perfect consistency to hold a juicy burger or some natural casing hot dogs.

I decided to follow my new method of taking the dough temperature, measuring the rise for bulk, and then shaping and refrigerating for at least 12 hours before baking. The dough was allowed to rise to 30% at 80 F.

I used fresh milled and sifted Butlers Gold whole wheat along with some KAF bread flour, egg yolks and butter.

The end result was a flavorful roll with a nice soft and open crumb.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Add the levain in pieces and mix for a few seconds to break it up. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 - 30 minutes.   Next add the salt, and egg yolks and softned butter, and remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 12- 24 minutes.  The dough should pass the windowpane test.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl and do several stretch and folds.  Make sure the dough is as flat as possible in your bowl/container and measure the dough in millimeters and take the temperature of the dough as well. Based on the chart from the Sourdough Journey.com, determine what % rise you need and make a note. If you have a proofer decide what temperature you want to set it at and what rise you are aiming for. If the dough is fully developed you don't need to do any stretch and folds, but if it's not, do several sets 15-20 minutes apart.

Once the dough reaches the desired bulk rise, shape into rolls around 135 - 150 grams each depending on how big you want them. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cover them using plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. I also put a moist tea towel over the tray a well. Place the cookie sheet in your refrigerator for around 12 hours or longer. The dough will continue to ferment so if you are using fresh milled flour you have to be careful not to leave it too long or it may over-ferment.

When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 445 F and prepare for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.  Remove your dough from the refrigerator and using a scrambled egg yolk, coat the rolls and top with seeds, toasted onions, cheese, or whatever you desire.

Bake for around 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 195-200 F. 

Take the rolls out of the oven when done and let them cool on a baker's rack for as long as you can resist. 

I made a version of this a week before and completely over-hydrated the dough and ended up with an unintended super sized ciabatta :).

I’ve been experimenting with the amount of time and temperature to use for bulk and have not been getting consistent results. I decided to not only adjust the hydration of this one taking into consideration the water content of the fresh cherries and sour cream but also to significantly reduce the amount of starter used. I went from over 22% to only 16.4% for the levain. The total dough hydration including the water content of cherries which are 80% and the sour cream which is 73% ended up being 83%.

I used one of my favorite whole wheat berries from Barton Springs Mill called Star Dust as well as some fresh milled spelt and some KAF bread flour. The whole wheat was milled and sifted twice and the spelt was milled twice and sifted once.

I pitted the fresh cherries and put them in my mini food processor and pulsed a few seconds to create a cherry slurry. I drained the slurry as best as possible before using. The cherries added a beautiful purple swirl to the final bread and subtle cherry flavor. I might try using chopped cherries along with the swirl next time as it would give it even more cherry flavor.

The dough was left to bulk at a lower temperature than I usually use at 75 F with a target bulk rise of 50% which took 5 hours and 40 minutes in my proofer.

The end result was not only a beautiful bread but one of the more flavorful ones I’ve made in a while. The caramelized crust with the semi open crumb tasted amazing. This made great sandwiches as well as toast and grilled bread.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Add the levain in pieces and mix for a few seconds to break it up. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 – 30 minutes.   Next add the salt, and sour cream, and remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 12- 24 minutes.  When the dough is fully developed add the cherry slurry and mix on low for a minute until it’s incorporated.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl and do several stretch and folds.  Making sure the dough is as flat as possible in your bowl/container measure the dough in millimeters and take the temperature of the dough as sell. Based on the chart here, determine what % rise you need and make note. If you have a proofer decide what temperature you want to set it at and what rise you are aiming for. If the dough is fully developed you don’t need to do any stretch and folds, but if it’s not, do several sets 15-20 minutes apart.

Once the dough reaches the desired bulk rise, pre-shape and let rest 15-20 minutes. Finish shaping place in your banneton, bowl or on your sheet pan and cover it so it is pretty air tight. You will then place it in your refrigerator so you don’t want the dough to get a crust on it. Since there is such a high percentage of whole grains in the dough I didn’t want to leave it in the refrigerator for more than 12 hours. Depending on how cold your refrigerator is you could leave it longer and have to experiment to make sure it doesn’t over ferment.

When you are ready to bake, an hour beforehand pre-heat your oven to 540 F and prepare for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.  Remove your dough from the refrigerator and score immediately.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F. 

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist. 

This is another experiment with trying to find the right timing for bulk fermentation using mostly fresh milled flour. It ended up pretty good but still a little over-proofed.

I made a sweet stiff levain using some Vermont Maple Syrup and added some additional syrup along with coffee concentrate (you can use fresh brewed coffee instead but you will need to adjust your overall liquid to compensate). I like the flavor combination with the coffee and maple syrup and they went well with the fresh rye, whole wheat and spelt. As usual I milled my own flour using Barton Springs Rough de Bordeaux whole wheat and Ryman rye as well as spelt flours. The whole wheat and rye were milled and sifted twice and the spelt was milled twice and sifted once.

Overall this one turned out pretty good with a nice open crumb that was wonderful grilled or toasted with some good EVO and/or cheese on top.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Add the levain in pieces and mix for a few seconds to break it up. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 – 30 minutes.   Next add the salt, maple syrup, coffee extract, and remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 12- 24 minutes. 

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl and do several stretch and folds.  Making sure the dough is as flat as possible in your bowl/container measure the dough in millimeters and take the temperature of the dough as sell. Based on the chart here, determine what % rise you need and make note. If you have a proofer decide what temperature you want to set it at and what rise you are aiming for. If the dough is fully developed you don’t need to do any stretch and folds, but if it’s not, do several sets 15-20 minutes apart.

Once the dough reaches the desired bulk rise, pre-shape and let rest 15-20 minutes. Finish shaping place in your banneton, bowl or on your sheet pan and cover it so it is pretty air tight. You will then place it in your refrigerator so you don’t want the dough to get a crust on it. Since there is such a high percentage of whole grains in the dough I didn’t want to leave it in the refrigerator for more than 12 hours. Depending on how cold your refrigerator is you could leave it longer and have to experiment to make sure it doesn’t over ferment.

When you are ready to bake, an hour beforehand pre-heat your oven to 540 F and prepare for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.  Remove your dough from the refrigerator and score immediately.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F. 

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist. 

These were made with freshly ground soft white wheat Purple Straw grain berries which is a heritage grain. This is another unique and hard to find wheat berry from Barton Springs Mill. It is not really meant to be used in bread, but rather biscuits, pancakes, pizza etc. but I wanted to try some in rolls. From the site:

This Colonial Era wheat hasn’t been tasted in over 50 years and we’ve worked hard to revive it for you! This Colonial Era honeyed wheat is most applicable in delicate situations where you want a soft and fluffy texture and don’t need too much structure. Expect subtle notes of honey!

I also added some leftover mashed potatoes and copious amounts of softened butter and a little honey. The potatoes are about 80% water so the hydration listed on the formula is not a true reflection.

Similar to my last bake, since I’ve been trying to get more consistent results with the fresh milled grains I use for 50-100% in my bakes. Getting the fermentation down correctly so it doesn’t go over or in some cases under is tricky. So far this method based on experiments detailed at https://thesourdoughjourney.com/ have worked out pretty well. His timing charts are based on using all white flour so it’s not a perfect match when using freshly ground flour. I’m still experimenting but so far so good. Unlike my past bakes with rolls/buns I shaped them after bulk and placed them on baking sheets, and refrigerated them overnight. I baked them directly from the refrigerator after around 12 hours, but they could have stayed longer if necessary.

These turned out great and were nice and soft and perfect for burgers and sandwiches.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Add the levain in pieces and mix for a few seconds to break it up. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 – 30 minutes.   Next add the salt, honey, and softened butter as well as the remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 12- 24 minutes. You should be able to achieve a nice windowpane.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl and do several stretch and folds.  Making sure the dough is as flat as possible in your bowl/container measure the dough in millimeters and take the temperature of the dough as sell. Based on the chart here, determine what % rise you need and make note. If you have a proofer decide what temperature you want to set it at and what rise you are aiming for. If the dough is fully developed you don’t need to do any stretch and folds, but if it’s not, do several sets 15-20 minutes apart.

Once the dough reaches the desired bulk rise, shape them into rolls around 135-150 grams and place them on your baking sheet. When finished shaping, cover the dough with a moistened tea towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and place them in your refrigerator. Since there is such a high percentage of whole grains in the dough I didn’t want to leave it in the refrigerator for more than 12 hours. Depending on how cold your refrigerator is you could leave it longer and have to experiment to make sure it doesn’t over ferment.

When you are ready to bake, an hour beforehand pre-heat your oven to 450 F and prepare for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.  Remove your rolls from the refrigerator when the oven is fully heated and brush them with an egg wash. Add seeds, toasted onions, etc. as desired and place in the oven along with the cup of boiling water.

Bake for around 25 – 30 minutes until the buns/rolls are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F. 

Take the rolls out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist. 

I’ve been experimenting the last bunch of bakes with something new for me. Instead of doing a short bulk at around 78-80 F and then finishing the bulk in the refrigerator for 12-34 hours, I’ve been doing a longer bulk at 80 F and letting the dough rise around 30%. I have then been doing a pre-shape letting it sit for 15 – 20 minutes and then shaping and placing in bannetons, covering and putting it in the refrigerator for 12 hours and baking right from the refrigerator.

I’ve been trying to get more consistent results with the fresh milled grains I use for 50-100% in my bakes. Getting the fermentation down correctly so it doesn’t go over or in some cases under is tricky. So far this method based on experiments detailed at https://thesourdoughjourney.com/ have worked out pretty well. His timing charts are based on using all white flour so it’s not a perfect match when using freshly ground flour. I’m still experimenting but so far so good.

This bake used a combo of Star Dust WW freshly ground and sifted and milled twice plus fresh milled spelt sifted twice and milled once. I added some roasted red bell peppers and cubed mozzarella after an initial bulk at 20 minutes. The dough was laminated and the add-ins were folded in.

I was very happy how this one turned out. The dough was well fermented and the crumb was fairly open considering the high % of whole grains which came in at 74% of the total flour.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap. 

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Add the levain in pieces and mix for a few seconds to break it up. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 – 30 minutes.   Next add the salt, honey, and remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 12- 24 minutes.  

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl and do several stretch and folds.  Making sure the dough is as flat as possible in your bowl/container measure the dough in millimeters and take the temperature of the dough as sell. Based on the chart here, determine what % rise you need and make note. If you have a proofer decide what temperature you want to set it at and what rise you are aiming for. If the dough is fully developed you don’t need to do any stretch and folds, but if it’s not, do several sets 15-20 minutes apart. 

After 20 minutes, place the dough on an oiled work surface and laminate it. Add the cubed cheese and roasted red pepper and place back in your container.

Once the dough reaches the desired bulk rise, pre-shape and let rest 15-20 minutes. Finish shaping place in your banneton, bowl or on your sheet pan and cover it so it is pretty air tight. You will then place it in your refrigerator so you don’t want the dough to get a crust on it. Since there is such a high percentage of whole grains in the dough I didn’t want to leave it in the refrigerator for more than 12 hours. Depending on how cold your refrigerator is you could leave it longer and have to experiment to make sure it doesn’t over ferment.

When you are ready to bake, an hour beforehand pre-heat your oven to 540 F and prepare for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.  Remove your dough from the refrigerator and score immediately.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F.  

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist. 

One of my favorite new grains from Barton Springs Mill is called Stardust. It’s a hard white winter wheat variety grown in Oklahoma with a slightly malty and mild wheat flavor. I combined this with some freshly milled durum flour. I milled both using my my Mockmill 200. I sifted and milled twice with a #30 sieve, and then sifted with a #40.

I have used carrots previously in breads and similar to before I roasted some purple carrots to bring out the ultimate amount of sweetness. Usually I would cut the carrots into pieces and add them to the dough but this time I decided to add the carrots to my mini food processor and pulsed until a nice paste was formed. This was mixed into the dough at the end of the mix. I also added some Greek style yogurt which adds some nice softness to the dough.

I was very happy how this one turned out. The crumb was nice and moist and open and the carrots added a beautiful color and a little extra sweetness.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Add the levain in pieces and mix for a few seconds to break it up. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for an hour.   Next add the salt, yogurt, and remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 12- 24 minutes.  Right before you are finished mixing, add the carrot puree and mix until evenly distributed. If you are using a more traditional mixer you would only mix around 7-10 minutes.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 1.45 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours. I use my proofer set at 79-80 degrees. If you are leaving it at room temperature 72 degrees I would let it sit out for 2 -2.5 hours before refrigerating. Depending on how developed the dough is after the initial mix you may not need to do as many S&F’s.

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours or if using a proofer set at 80 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove the dough and shape as desired and cover with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap Sprayed with cooking spray and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.  (I use my proofer set at 80 F and it takes about 1 hour.

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 540 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F. 

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist. 

Grilling season is upon on us!  The weather is finally feeling like spring so some tasty rolls are in order for burgers and other tasty sandwiches.

I made a sweet levain by adding some dark maple syrup (the real stuff only of course) to some KAF bread flour and my stiff starter.

For the main dough some fresh milled Rouge De Bordeaux whole wheat was sifted and milled twice along with some fresh milled spelt which was  sifted  once and milled twice.  Some  more KAF bread flour rounded out the flour mix.

More dark maple syrup was also added along with some rolled oats and cottage cheese.  The total hydration of the dough takes the 81% water content of the cottage cheese and 33% water content of  the maple syrup.  The dough was nicely hydrated and very silky after fully mixing.

I have to say, these turned out amazing.  I added some grated Vermont Cheddar cheese to some rolls and some black sesame seeds and toasted onions as well.  Forget those tasteless supermarket rolls and make a batch of these for your next cookout!

Formula

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it sit at room temperature for around 5-8 hours or until the starter has doubled.  I usually do this the night before.

Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Mix the flour with about 90% of the water holding some back for after the autolyze for about a minute.  Let the dough autolyze for up to an hour.  After an hour add the salt, cottage cheese, maple syrup and additional water as needed.  If using an Ankarsrum mix on medium low for 15 – 20 minutes until you have a well developed dough.  If using another mixer you can mix as needed until you have a well developed dough.  Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.   After a total of 1.45 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours. (Note: I use my proofer set at 80 F, so if you are leaving the dough out at room temperature you may want to let it proof for longer.  The goal is not to have the dough double but maybe rise about 1/3 at most and it will do the rest in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1 hour.  Remove the dough and shape into rolls around 135-145 grams each for nice size burger buns.  Cover the rolls with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap Sprayed with cooking spray and let rise for 1 1/2 at around 80 degrees.  The rolls should be nice and puffy and increase in size about 30-40%

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

Right  you are ready to put them in the oven, apply an egg wash if desired and add any toppings you desire. Next add 1 cup of boiling water to your steam pan or follow your own steam procedure.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 425 degrees.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the rolls are nice and brown.

Take the rolls out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist.

My wife recently bought me a Traeger pellet smoker for my birthday and I decided to smoke a brisket for its maiden voyage. I needed a nice deli rye to make a killer smoked brisket sandwich and this bake didn’t disappoint!

I wanted to try a interesting technique that I have not used in over 20 years to add more onion flavor to the dough. The idea is to chop up a small onion and wrap it in cheesecloth and submerge it in the levain. When the levain is ready to use in the main dough you remove the onion and discard it.

I also added some dehydrated onions to main dough which were soaked briefly in olive oil and added at the end of the final mix. I was going to add some toasted onions to the top of the bread but decided it may have been overkill, but maybe next time it’s worth a shot.

I used King Arthur High Gluten flour, some Caputo 00 and some fresh milled Ryman Rye from Barton Springs Mill which was sifted once with a #30 sieve and re-milled. I only sifted out 3% of the bran for this bake. Normally I would use First Clear style four instead of 00 flour but KAF stopped selling it and I have not had a chance to take a drive to nearby Queens NY to buy it from a new source I found. I think this turned out great even without the First Clear but it certainly wouldn’t have hurt it.

I was pleased with how this turned out. The crumb is ideal for sandwiches and the onion flavor is subtle and not too strong but definitely adds a wonderful complexity and flavor to this bake.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and submerge a small onion wrapped in cheesecloth and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for an hour.   Next add the starter and salt and remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 12- 24 minutes.  When the dough is almost fully developed, add the olive oil and dehydrated onions and mix for another minute or 2 to fully incorporate the onions. If you are using a more traditional mixer you would only mix around 7-10 minutes.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 1.45 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours. I use my proofer set at 79-80 degrees. If you are leaving it at room temperature 72 degrees I would let it sit out for 2 -2.5 hours before refrigerating. Depending on how developed the dough is after the initial mix you may not need to do as many S&F’s.

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours or if using a proofer set at 80 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove the dough and do a pre-shape into a round(s). Let it sit covered for around 15-20 minutes. Next shape as desired and add to your proofing baskets/bannetons and cover with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap Sprayed with cooking spray and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.  (I use my proofer set at 80 F and it takes about 1 hour.

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 540 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 455 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F. 

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist. 

It's been a while since I made a bread using eggs. I wanted to make something using fresh milled durum as well and included some freshly milled Stardust whole wheat from Barton Springs Mill.

I love cherries so I added some dried cherries that I soaked in water to rehydrate them and used the water in the main dough. I've recently read on a Facebook post that using freeze-dried fruit is actually the best way to go. I will definitely have to try that soon. In any case I should have doubled the amount of cherries as it wasn't nearly enough.

I laminated the cherries in the dough after the first round of stretch and folds after mixing. I need some more practice with this technique as usually I just add in the inclusions at the end of mixing. I didn't get even distribution with the lamination so I have some work to do.

The whole wheat and durum berries were both milled with my Mockmill 200 and sifted with a #30 drum sieve, and re-milled at the finest setting and then sifted with a #40.

Some KAF bread flour was used to build the levain and in the main dough.

I used egg yolks which are about 48% water and don't tend to dry out the crumb like egg whites do.

This was pretty high hydration dough and the egg flavor really came through. The durum and Stardust WW flours along with the cherries made this bread taste like a supped up Challah. The crumb came out nice and open. This is a keeper for sure.

Formula

Gracie was desperately trying to get into my bread photo!

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for an hour.   Next add the eggs, salt, maple syrup, and remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 12- 24 minutes.  If you are using a more traditional mixer you would only mix around 7-10 minutes.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Laminate the dough and add the cherries. Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 1.45 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours. I use my proofer set at 79-80 degrees. If you are leaving it at room temperature 72 degrees I would let it sit out for 2 -2.5 hours before refrigerating. Depending on how developed the dough is after the initial mix you may not need to do as many S&F's.

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours or if using a proofer set at 80 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove the dough and do a pre-shape into a round(s). Let it sit covered for around 15-20 minutes. Next shape as desired and add to your proofing baskets/bannetons and cover with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap Sprayed with cooking spray and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.  (I use my proofer set at 80 F and it takes about 1 hour.

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 540 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 455 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F. 

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist.