ananda's blog

“NINE FOR THE SHOW”

Strange, but I am no longer working as a Lecturer at Newcastle College.   The decision to take voluntary redundancy felt right at the time, and I do not feel any different about that now, moving forward.

The TFL course was a great way to finish work at the College.   What better than being given a chance to teach a class of passionate, keen and like-minded bakers?   I left the write-up to Richard, and thank him for doing such a good job.   You can see it here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/21993/uk-based-baking-course#comment-178241

Since then I have been back into College on 4 days, and some of this blog entry is about what I was getting up to back in the old haunt.   I have to say, I was on holiday at the time, and was lucky enough to be indulging myself in lots of fun with a favoured pass time; namely, making lots of lovely breads!   I spent 2 days on production, then I had a teaching contract for a day to earn some money, then a trip in to collect all the bread I had made the previous week, and say a final goodbye to the few people there.

My mission was to make a range of craft and genuinely artisan breads which I could sell at our Village Show, here in Powburn, which took place on Saturday 6th August.   The write-up follows below.

I negotiated an agreement with my previous line manager in College, allowing me to have 2 days working in the Bakery Kitchen to produce a range of breads for myself to sell at the Show.   I then wrapped and stored all the produce in the “walk-in” freezer, and met up with the Stores Manager on Friday lunchtime to collect all the bread and transport it to Northumberland ready for the Show.

I worked over Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th July, with some valued assistance from an ex-student, Dgilly, on the first day: thank you for that my friend!   There are some photographs below taken during both production sessions.

On day one we made the following:

1. 12 small brown bloomers using an overnight sponge
2. 6 large white bloomers using an overnight sponge
3. 5 tinned Borodinsky loaves using the complex 3 stage process I posted on here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/24237/celebrating-rye-breads
4. 12 large Gilchesters’ Miche; see my post here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/23811/miche-using-stiff-levain-and-gilchesters-organic-farmhouse-flour
5. 12 small boules of Pain de Siègle de Thézac, formula posted here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/22688/some-weekend-home-bread-baking-and-college-quotequality-and-diversity-competitionquot-ent and here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/22439/brief-report-young-baker-competition-and-weekend-bread-baking-home and here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/21382/pain-de-si%C3%A8gle-new-year039s-eve-2010 and here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20955/pain-de-si%C3%A8gle-more-familiar-formula and here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20318/young-baker-competition-half-term-home-baking and here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/19922/two-similar-yet-contrasting-formulae-using-element-dark-rye-flour 

On day two I made the remainder of the planned schedule:

1. 12 Pane Siciliano, using an overnight Biga with some Gilchesters Pizza/Ciabatta flour and authentic Italian Semolina Flour [coarse, not re-milled].   The formula is posted below.
2. 10 panned loaves of Rossisky, all rye sourdough loaf, with some red malt for flavour, and topped with cracked rye grain
3. 6 large Chollah, as six-stranded plaits.   There is a detailed post here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/15230/ananda039s-blog
4. 8 large Sourdough seed boule, based largely on my previous post, and on Hamelman’s original formula in “Bread”, pp. 176-77.   I used the twin leaven procedure of my post here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/17308/semolina-durum-bread-and-sourdough-seed-bread

Pane Siciliano Dough using a Stiff Biga

All the bread was wrapped and frozen as soon as it was cooled, and labelled for easy identification.   It was neatly stacked in baskets on a set of dolly wheels, so we could transport it easily to load to my car.

In the meantime Alison went shopping to our newly re-furbished village Antique Centre and came back with some lovely large display wicker baskets and a huge piece of purple gingham cloth to use to cover the stall table which I had paid for.   The cloth had been made a by a company calling themselves “artisan”…how appropriate!   I called into the Bank for change for a float, late on Friday afternoon, and we made a last minute call out to the family for a proper cash box to use as a till.   Alison’s Dad came up trumps; thanks Maurice!

The other work was on the publicity side, and I have been given so much support here by Alison’s sister, Beverley, who works for a printing company in Cramlington.   Here’s a plug for Ravensworths, who have done me absolutely proud; thank you all, so much.

Beverley and my niece Eve arrived on Friday night loaded with the cash box, plus the following:

200 Business Cards; 2 large Address laminates; 4 laminates giving full details for each of the products; 2 price lists, as cards on stands; 2 pages of small stickers with my logo, to use to seal up the paper I was using to wrap  the breads at point of sale.             

The publicity information for all nine varieties is shown below:

Borodinsky

Description:

This loaf replicates the complex 3 stage formula from Auerman, of the GOST

Standards introduced in the Soviet  era.   Originally considered to be  a loaf to commemorate victory in the Battle of Borodino in 1812, this version of the bread uses a Rye Sourdough plus a zavarkha  [boil-up] of molasses, malt, rye flour and boiling water.   The 2 are combined to form a sponge.   This is then used with further flour to form the final paste.   Considered to be “The Prince of Russian Breads”   Bitter-sweet overtones with an aroma given off from the freshly ground coriander seeds.

Ingredients:

Organic Wholegrain Rye Flour, White Bread Flour,  Water, Organic Blackstrap Molasses, Red Malt from Barley, Salt, Coriander

Notes:

• No added Baker’s Yeast
• Salt constitutes less than 1% of the baked bread weight.
• Contains Gluten from Rye and Wheat

Small Brown Bloomer

Description:

This loaf is made with a ripened white leaven as the pre-ferment at 37.5% of the total flour.   The remaining flour in the final dough is a wholemeal bread flour.  The leaven brings strength, maturity and flavour to the dough and produces a wonderfully bold and attractive, tasty loaf.   There is a small amount of bakers’ yeast and vegetable fat added to the final dough.

Ingredients:

Wholemeal Bread Flour, White Bread Flour, Water, Salt, Fresh Bakers’ Yeast, White Vegetable Fat.

Notes:

• Salt and Vegetable Fat constitutes approx. 1.2% each of the baked bread weight.
• Contains Gluten from Wheat.

Six-Strand Chollah

Description:

This loaf is used as the centrepiece for certain Jewish Festival meal celebrations.   There are lots of different plaits which can be used.   The idea is to produce a showcase loaf which allows those participating to tear off portions of the bread, as a knife is not allowed to be used.   The bread is enriched, and I have used a short pre-ferment to encourage a reliable fermentation, plenty of loaf volume and the best flavour in the finished bread.   Note that this bread is sweetened, and that butter is also used, in addition to milk in place of the usual water.   A considerable amount of egg brings further tolerance in the dough through all the process stages.

Ingredients:

White Bread Flour, Water, Milk Powder, Sugar, Butter, Egg, Salt, Fresh Bakers’ Yeast.

Notes:

• Contains Gluten from Wheat.
• Contains Bakers’ Yeast
  • Contains Dairy Products including Milk Powder, Egg and Butter

Gilchesters’ Miche

Description:

This loaf is leavened solely with a wheat levain maintained using white bread flour.   The flour in the levain constitutes 27% of the total flour in the recipe. The  remaining 73% of the flour is Gilchesters’ Organic Farmhouse flour [a high extraction flour, approximately 85% wholemeal].   This means the bread is made using largely locally grown and processed ingredients.   Gilchesters grow single strain, tall-stemmed organic Sativa wheat on their farm near Stamfordham.   This is stoneground to flour at their own mill, the only mill to be installed in Northumberland in the last 150 years .

Ingredients:

Organic Gilchesters’ Farmhouse Flour, White Bread Flour, Water, Salt

Notes:

• No added Baker’s Yeast
• Salt constitutes approx. 1.2% of the baked bread weight.
• Contains Gluten from Wheat

Pain Siègle de Thézac

Description:

This loaf is leavened solely with a rye sourdough culture for plenty of flavour.   The rye constitutes 25% of the total flour in the recipe, the  remainder being white bread flour which gives a lighter eating texture .

Ingredients:

White Bread Flour, Organic Dark Rye Flour, Water, Salt

Notes:

• No added Baker’s Yeast
• Salt constitutes approx. 1.2% of the baked bread weight.
• Contains Gluten from both Wheat and Rye

Pane Siciliano

Description:

This loaf  has been made with an overnight pre-fermented dough called a “Biga”, using  a very small amount of  Bakers’ Yeast plus half the total flour in the formula.   The final dough contains a  mix  of half authentic Italian Semola di Grano Duro giving  a hint of straw colour to the dough, and the finished crumb.    The remaining half of the flour comes from Gilchesters, being an Organic Pizza/Ciabatta flour, very finely milled . The shaping symbolises the  eyes of Santa Lucia  watching over the faithful.   The legend is that Lucia refused to marry a Roman General as she had devoted herself to God during the pre-Christian Roman era in Siciliy.

Ingredients:

White Bread Flour, Organic Gilchesters’ Pizza/Ciabatta Flour, Italian Semola di Grano Duro,  Water, Salt, Fresh Bakers’ Yeast

Notes:

• Salt constitutes approx. 1.2% of the baked bread weight.
• Contains Gluten from Wheat

Rossisky

Description:

This loaf is made only with 100% whole rye flour, red malt, salt and water.   It is leavened with a rye sourdough culture only, with no added bakers’ yeast.   The sourdough is given a full 18 hours fermentation before it is used to make the final paste.   The most basic of the Russian sourdough rye breads; this panned version has a topping of  Organic Rye Flakes to give an attractive appearance and some extra texture to the crust.

Ingredients:

Organic Wholegrain Rye Flour, Red Malt from Barley, Water, Salt, Organic Rye Flakes

Notes:

• No added Baker’s Yeast
• Salt constitutes approximately 1% of the baked bread weight.
• Contains Gluten from Rye and Barley

Seeded Sourdough Boule

Description:

This loaf is leavened with a rye sourdough culture and a wheat levain for plenty of flavour.   A soaker of golden linseeds in cold water is also used, in order to encourage high hydration in the dough.   The dough is retarded overnight for more flavour.   The other seeds used are roasted in the oven before being added to the dough.   The final dough has a portion of wholewheat flour added along with white bread flour. 

Ingredients:

White Bread Flour, Wholemeal Bread Flour, Organic Dark Rye Flour, Golden Flaxseeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds Water, Salt

Notes:

• No added Baker’s Yeast
• Salt constitutes approx. 1.2% of the baked bread weight.
• Contains Gluten from both Wheat and Rye

Large White Bloomer

Description:

This loaf is made with a yeasted pre-ferment, commonly used in French bread baking, called a “olish”.   This brings strength, maturity and flavour to the dough and produces a wonderfully bold and attractive, tasty loaf.

Ingredients:

White Bread Flour, Water, Salt, Fresh Bakers’ Yeast, White Vegetable Fat.

Notes:

• Salt and Vegetable Fat constitutes approx. 1.2% each of the baked bread weight.
• Contains Gluten from Wheat.

The Event

Still feeling sleepy on Saturday morning, I loaded up the car while Alison provided an essential breakfast of fruit and yoghurt with espresso coffee enabling me to come fully to life.   The weather was wonderfully sunny first thing, although we were aware the forecast for the day was not good…as is, apparently, frequently the case for the annual event in Powburn!

I drove onto the site, found the “Food Tent”, and my allotted table space, and set too unloading the car and preparing to sell my wares.   Soon after, my 2 trusty assistants arrived.   They had walked to the Show, as our car was FULL of bread!   Alison was in charge of wrapping the sold items.   I took the money and gave change.   Anna, our next door neighbour took charge of the little “tastings” table we set up, offering little samples of the bread with butter, olive oil/balsamic combo, or naked.   Anna, you were fantastic; thank you so much for your enthusiasm and your belief in me and the bread for sale.   As you can imagine, I was more than happy to provide further customer support by answering any questions and giving more information out as needed; “talk the talk!”

The Show began to fill with people, and the weather turned to rain, as the forecast had promised.   It did not, however, detract from what became a really successful and enjoyable day.   I sold 70 loaves, with just 6 left to bring home.   Financially, I netted just over £200.   However, the biggest coup was all the favourable publicity, and the interest generated amongst fellow local traders and those visiting the Show.   I was overwhelmed by those committed people out there, selling local and really special food, taking such an interest in what I had done, and clearly impressed with the integrity and authenticity of the breads I had made.   It made me realise it was all worthwhile.

As you can all imagine, I have been taking numerous steps to carve out a new and more exciting destiny for me, and for Alison, in the months and years to come.   This adventure at the Powburn Show was a big and fun part of the plan.

Some photographs of the day are shown below.

“Bread and Roses” is the theme I’m using.   How very apt: the loaves which sold out first were the most specialist, special and…expensive!   The “Chollah” was a hit, and interest in both the Russian sourdoughs was just so fantastic too!   The biggie was the Gilchesters’ Miche.   That was so pleasing for me.   I have put a lot of work into perfecting being able to work with this flour, as various blog posts will testify to.   Everyone was fascinated by the local aspect and the details concerning the wheat being grown and milled here in Northumberland.   This is just great; it confirms that the small producer has to produce food which is genuinely nourishing and sustaining, in all aspects.   It also has to be really special, and something the large producers are neither able, nor willing, to try to poach, rip-off and ruin.

Lastly, thank you to all my family for support and utter belief in me; especially to Alison, of course, for wanting to share my vision as part of our journey together as life partners.

My very best wishes to all

Andy

Pain de Mie with Wheat Levain, Exploding Mixed Leaven Pain de Campagne and a 90% Rye Sourdough made with the Three Stage Process

1.    Pain de Mie

I made 3 loaves in pans, varying sizes as noted below, using only a wheat levain to raise the bread.   There is a basic amount of enrichment in the formula.

I built the leaven in 3 stages, beginning with 40g of stock on Thursday lunchtime and ending up with over 1300g of ripe leaven for Saturday morning baking session.

Method:

• See leaven build
• To mix, combine all the ingredients slowly to form the dough.   Rest for 10 minutes, then develop for 10 minutes, rest a further 10 minutes, then develop a final 10 minutes.   DDT is 28°C.
• Bulk proof in a covered and lightly oiled bowl for 2 hours.   Give one “stretch and fold” half way through.
• Scale and divide as follows, moulding each piece round:

One Pullman Pan needs 4 pieces @ 285g each; total 1140g

Large Loaf Pan, 4 pieces @ 195g each; total 780g

Small Loaf Pan, single piece @ 467g

• Pan the large loaves as “four pieces”, and use a single piece for the small tin.
• Final proof 3 hours
• Bake profile: I made the small loaf as a “Split Tin”, floured top with single cut along the top of the loaf.  Pullman is baked with the lid on throughout.   I set the bread in the oven at 220°C, with a reasonable amount of steam used for the first 10 minutes of the bake.   The small loaf baked in 25 minutes, larger loaf in 35 minutes, and the Pullman loaf was ready after 45 minutes.   Each loaf recorded a probe temperature reading of 96°C at the core.
• As ever, cool on wires.

2.    Exploding Pain de Campagne

This only ever seems to happen to me in the following situation: baking at home using my Baumatic Fan Oven with dough pieces which have been retarded to any extent.   The reactions seem to kick in after 5 – 10 minutes in the oven and the spring is too great, so the dough explodes at the most convenient spot……here, at one of the cuts; just one, of course!   I cannot believe the dough has not been properly fermented, but I have not cracked this problem yet.   I ended up with 2 loaves proved in bannetons, scaled as described below.

The bread is raised with 2 leavens, both built with 3 refreshments.   The wheat levain is described above.   The rye sourdough was refreshed at the same times and I began with 40g stock and ended up with a kilo of built culture.

Method:

• Build the leavens as above
• Autolyse flour, water and rye sour for 1 hour
• Add salt and wheat leaven and develop using slap and fold technique for half an hour with 2 rests of 5 minutes within that time.   DDT is 28°C.
• Bulk ferment for 1½ hours ambient, then 1 hour chilled.
• Scale and divide @ 1237g and 800g pieces.   Mould round, place in bannetons and proof in the chiller for 2 hours.
• Tip out of the banneton, cut the loaf top and bake with plenty of steam in a hot oven.
• Cool on wires.

3.    90% Rye Sourdough made with the Three Stage Process

Building on the theme explored with Borodinsky in the previous post, this recipe uses the same 3 stage process, but the “scald” is very much a “mash”, as opposed to a “boil up”.   I have called this a “zavarka”, as this is the term we used at Village Bakery where we made a “boil up” as part of the Pane Toscano breads.   This is a “mash” much more akin to the techniques used by Peter Reinhart is his “Wholegrain Breads” book.   Where the “boil up” seeks to fully gelatinise the starch, and thereby encourage maximum water take up, the mash is seeking to create optimum amylase activity by holding the mix at the ideal temperature to expose the sugars, and to engender the enzyme reactions.   It is the process used in brewing beer/ale/lager, which I enjoyed experimenting with way back in the 1980s as a student.

For the rye sourdough, I used the mature culture from the previous bread giving it one more refreshment.   However, this time I refreshed in a way which altered the hydration level from 100:167 to 100: 113.   This was a means to achieve the lower hydration I plan to use in the final formula at 78% rather than 85%.

Method:

• Prepare the final refreshment for the rye sour and set to one side for 5 hours.   Make the zavarka by combining the red malt and the dark rye flour with water @ 85°C to give a mix temperature of 65°C.   Hold the mash between 55°C and 65°C for 5 hours.
• For stage 2, combine the rye sour and the zavarka and leave to ferment overnight.
• Add the remaining flours and salt to the sponge to form the final paste.
• Bulk ferment for 1 hour
• Line a Pullman Pan and smooth the paste into it for final proof.
• Final Proof 3 hours
• Bake for 2 hours in an oven at 160°C with a steady source of steam.
• Cool on wires.

Sorry no crumb shots of the Pain de Mie; had to get the bread to the freezer whole for future projects.

Next week it’s the UK TFL Course in College on Tuesday and Wednesday; then, I’ll be on my way….

Best wishes to all

Andy

Celebrating Rye Breads

This weekend has involved multiple home bakes as I feed up my leavens in preparation for the 2 day “UK Fresh Loaf” course which I will be running at the College on 19th and 20th July.   Many thanks, in particular to ruralidle for suggesting this in the first place, and for his work to make it happen.   It will be my swansong at Newcastle College, as I am leaving at the end of this month in search of more exciting professional adventures in the wake of the savage cuts currently being inflicted across the board by the ruthless and deeply unimaginative Government currently in power over here.   The result is that the College has re-structured to continue to attract sources of funding without being brave enough to find ways to continue to fulfil a key aspect of its traditional role in UK education.   I am not short of ideas and leads, so am optimistic that a far more exciting future lies on the horizon.   The only definite part of the plan is to make sure I complete my MSc in Food Policy between January and August of next year.

So, the show, very much, goes on.   Here are the breads I made at home over Friday, Saturday and Sunday [8th – 10th July], having started refreshing the 2 leavens on Thursday evening, 7th July 2011.

1.    Caraway Rye with Blackstrap Molasses

This is a bread I first developed and made some time ago, not long after joining the TFL community and beginning this Blog.   You can read about it here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/16273/carawy-rye-bread-black-strap-molasses-superwet-ciabatta-too  This version is, however, quite different in that the leaven is wheat-based, with Dark Rye being added at the dough stage.   The original used a Rye Sourdough with only wheat flour added to the final dough.   There is half the amount of caraway in this formula, as this is all the stock I currently had in.   More detail on taste is given below.   I made 2 large miche type loaves from this dough; the recipe/formula and method detail are shown below:

Method:

• Weigh the dough water, and dissolve molasses and salt into that.   Add the flours and caraway seeds and mix until clear.   Autolyse for one hour.
• Combine the leaven and autolyse and develop the dough.   As Shiao-Ping originally noted, the empirical feel of the dough is akin to much higher hydration than that actually used.   This is the effect of using molasses and 25% rye flour making the dough very sticky indeed.   Persevere with slow and gentle mixing, avoiding adding any flour at all to the dough.   I used Bertinet’s slap and fold here, mixing for almost an hour, but with lots of resting phases along the way.
• Bulk ferment for 2 hours
• Retard for 7 hours, overnight.
• Scale, divide and mould the dough pieces.   I scaled one at 1550g and the other at 1200g and placed each piece upside down in prepared bannetons.   The large loaf stayed out for proof, and the other went back in the chiller for a further 2 hours to give a manageable production schedule, with the second bread following, then another bread after that.   Final proof time for loaf one was just short of 4 hours, and for loaf two exactly 5 hours.
• I cut the tops of each loaf with a diamond pattern and set them to bake at 220°C using plenty of steam.   For the bigger loaf, I baked it for 15 minutes at 220°C, then 20 minutes at 200°C, then a further 15 minutes at 180°C.   The smaller loaf baked the same, but for 40 minutes instead of 50 minutes.
• Finished loaves cooled on wires, as always.   The baked loaves had a finished weight which showed moisture loss of just under 10%.   I achieved a core temperature of 96°C for both loaves.

Some photographs of the finished loaf are shown below.   Regarding analysis of the finished bread, this is one of Alison’s absolute favourite loaves.   There is sourness and bitterness coming from the rye and molasses.   There is sweetness too, and plenty of aroma from the caraway.   The crumb colour is particularly lovely, and the moistness brings great pleasure to the final eating quality.   We took one of these loaves along as a gift to some friends’ house last night, as we had been invited round for dinner.   That was the first chance we had to sample the bread, but we had a slice each for breakfast this morning, with just a thin coating of butter.

2.    Borodinsky – The Auerman Formula [or thereabouts anyway]

I have now tracked down a supply of Red Malt, and managed to find a way to fit the more complex 3-stage build used for this bread into my home schedule for the last couple of days.   It’s something I have long wanted to do, have been slightly taken to task for previously on TFL, and am really happy with the finished result; subject to tasting and crumb analysis which I have yet to carry out.

I made one large loaf, in a Pullman Pan, weighing just over 1660g

Method:

• Refresh the rye sour as directed in the table above.
• Make the “scald” as follows: Weigh the red malt and dark rye flour into a bowl, add the salt, and coriander, which should be freshly ground using a mortar and pestle.   Weight the molasses into a pan, and pour boiling water onto this to the specified weight.   Bring this to a rolling boil on the cooker hob top.   Pour onto the dry ingredients and combine well with a stout plastic or wooden spatula.   Add any extra boiling water required first by checking the weight of the contents to allow for any evaporation.   Cool the scald as rapidly as possible down to a maximum temperature of 45°C.   This took an hour.
• Combine the scald and the full sour to form the sponge.   Leave this to ferment for 5½ hours.   I then retarded it a further 2 hours, as it was 05:00 and I needed a bit more sleep!
• Add the 2 remaining portions of flour to the sponge to form the final paste
• Prove in bulk for 1½ hours, and meanwhile prepare a large Pullman Pan by lining it with silicone paper.
• Pan the paste, smooth it off and dust the top with a sprinkling of freshly ground coriander.   Put the lid on the Pan and set for final proof for 2 hours.
• Use a pan of water in the oven and set to bake at 160°Cfor 2 hours, with a gentle supply of steam, topped up as needed.
• De-pan and cool on wires.   The finished weight of the cooled bread was 1400g, indicating a weight loss of 15.8%.   This means that the moisture retained within the bread remains at just under 70% of the flour, and equates to 35% of the total weight of the finished bread!

Notes:

• Red Malt: this is derived from malted barley, ground to a fine powder.   I believe it has been lightly roasted to the levels which would be known in the brewing industry as “Crystal Malt”.   In terms of amylase, it makes no contribution, as the grain has been roasted at too high a temperature for the enzymes to survive.   I suspect the Russian version would use rye as the source, rather than barley, but this is as close as I can get at the moment.   It looks like this:

• Constructing the Scald:   I did this exactly the same as I have done it in the past, except for using the red malt instead of the barley malt syrup which I have previously had to use as an alternative.   The formula does not use molasses or salt in the scald.   The reason I added the molasses at this stage is because I did not want to use sugar in the formula, as the “official” recipe directs.   Adding molasses to the final paste would be a difficult mixing process, as there is no liquid added at this stage to use to dissolve the molasses into.
• Additionally, the sponge process had to be left for longer than the 4 hours directed in the formula, on account of me requiring a bit more sleep.   So I added the salt in the hope it would retard the ferment.   I also hoped that the level of molasses in the formula would be sufficiently high to have a slight retarding effect too.   In the event, I woke up 5 hours into the final fermenting phase, and stored the sponge in the fridge to retard it for just over 2 hours before getting up to make the final paste.   This worked very well; some pictures of the dark and rich “sponge” are attached here.

• Undoubtedly this is the best version of this bread I have made.   You can reach your own conclusions about the origins of the term “Borodinsky” from the various stories uncovered in the research posted above.   I’ve never been to Russia, and have no idea what the “official” Borodinsky produced in Soviet times, or, the older, traditional loaf of its type tasted or looked like.   This version is stunning.   The bitter/sweet flavours are intense, the crumb is DARK, and very moist.   For all that, it is very easy to eat, and intensely “moreish”!
• References: there is more information about the Borodinsky formula given below.   Some of these are taken from previous discussion threads of interest on TFL.   This one http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/11812/rye-amylase is of interest in that discussion is given over to the part played by the scald in the formula, and the extent to which the water should be heated before it is poured onto the flour.   Here, I am left wondering if the key purpose of the scald is to fully gelatinise the starches in order to encourage maximum liquid take up in the final formula?   Or, have I still not got this part right, and missed that the scald is actually a “mash” and not a “boil up”?   Informative further discussion on mash chemistry and its potential impact here would be much appreciated.
• I did then go on to complete the process as outlined originally by Borodin, by combining the sour and scald.   However, I wonder if, because my scald was a “boil-up”, and not a “mash”, whether that meant the sponge would not work exactly as intended, and as outlined here in an earlier post on the referenced thread: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/11812/rye-amylase#comment-66360
• Two clear derivations are offered for Borodinsky bread, and this topic seems to spark off heated debate about what is the “true” Borodinsky.   Is it a black bread created in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Borodino, to celebrate the Russian army success in 1812?   Or, is it the heavily prescribed Soviet bread of the GOST standards, as referenced here:  http://www.borodinsky.com/recipe/index-r.html  on this thread: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20370/russian-sourdough-no-more   My attempt here was to re-produce the latter style, and I acknowledge I have not been entirely successful.   Some of this is deliberate…avoiding sugar, and replacing it with molasses.   The story on the zavarkha is another matter.   Can anyone provide further detail on whether the process is carried out primarily to mash, or, to gelatinise?   That would be much appreciated; if we can avoid derogatory comments this time, that would be all the better.
• For further information, I highly recommend reading the various discussion posts here: http://www.foodbanter.com/baking To do this, you will have to register.   Then use the “Search” tab in the top menu, and type “Borodinsky” into the search box when it comes up.   Select the threads you want to see from there.

For information on the very precise rye bread recipes from the Soviet era, see this table here: http://www.indiana.edu/~pollang/Russian_bread_table.pdf

I would like to dedicate this bread and post to my friend and TFL colleague Daisy_A, and pass on all good wishes for a speedy recovery, as I know you are having an operation on one of your eyes round about now.   Your intellect shines through in some of the passages referenced above and these typify the enormous cultural contribution you make to the pages of TFL.   “Get well soon!”

3.    Pain de Campagne with mixed levains

Just a quick one, to give me an excuse to feed up the rye sour and wheat levain one more time.   Recipe/formula and method below for one large loaf in a banneton.   The refreshment programme for the 2 leavens is not given, however, I used the cultures leftover from the previous 2 doughs, fed them each once more, and used these to make this bread, returning small amounts of each to stock for re-generation.

Method:

• Combine all the items in the table in a bowl to form a dough.   Mix by hand on the bench for 15 minutes.
• Retard overnight in the fridge.
• Mould round and place upside down in a prepared banneton.
• Prove for 5 hours
• Score the top of the loaf, and bake in a pre-heated oven with steam, for 45 minutes.
• Cool on wires.

A somewhat less detailed formula to finish with.   Photographs of the crust and crumb are here.   The loaf has gentle flavours in comparison to the full-on tastes of the other 2 breads.

Happy Baking!

Andy

Rye Sourdough with a Sunflower and Pumpkin Seed Cold Soaker

I made these as panned loaves, as seeded bread makes such wonderful sandwiches.   The leaven is a rye sour which I refreshed a couple of times and fed with some “altus” along the way too.   So, the figures for flour in the built sour will actually include a small amount of “altus”, which I have not declared in the formula below.   I soaked the seeds overnight for the Soaker.

I scaled one dough piece @ 465g to make a small tinned loaf, and then used the remaining dough [just over 1500g] to make a loaf in the Pullman Pan, moulded using “4-piecing” rather than the single piece method.   See this post for a video of me using this method: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/23225/three-flavoured-breads-and-few-fruit-scones

Method:

• Pour off any remaining liquor from the soaker, and set the seeds to one side.
• To the liquor, add the remaining required water, the rye sourdough and the flour.   Bring this together, then set aside for 1 hour “autolyse”.
• Develop this dough by mixing gently for 5 minutes.   Add the salt and mix a further 5 minutes.   Rest the dough for 10 minutes.   Mix it a further 5 minutes, then add the seeds and complete the mixing gently by hand.   If the seeds are still not evenly distributed, then use a metal “Scotch” cutter to cut through the dough a few times to aid better distribution.
• Ferment the dough in bulk for 2½ hours, with one fold after 1½ hours.
• Scale and divide as 1 x 465g for the small tin loaf, and 4 x 390g for the Pullman Pan.
• Mould each piece round and rest 10 minutes, covered.   Apply final shaping, brush the dough tops with water, and dip into the remaining seeds combined.    Pan the dough pieces and set to prove, covered.
• Final proof is 3 hours.   I did not use a lid on the Pullman Pan for this loaf.
• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C.   Use steam and set the loaf tins to bake in the middle of the oven.   Bake the small loaf for 25 minutes.   Drop the heat to 200°C and bake out the Pullman Pan loaf a further 35 minutes.   Drop the heat to 180°C along the way, if necessary to prevent the seeds on top from becoming too dark.
• Cool on wires.

This is one of the tastiest loaves imaginable.   There is virtually no sourness, but the seeds, the long fermentation and the bake profile all combine to create a bread soo very tasty!

Here are some photographs, plus the cat!   The sun’s back a bit more often just now, too!

All good wishes

Andy

Double Pains de Campagne, Olive Levain and a “Hardcore Borodinsky”

One large Boule, proved in a banneton, of just over 1300g, and one of 700g, proved in a brotform.

Olive Levain takes its inspiration from the Hamelman (2004) version on pp. 178 – 179, but with changes sufficient for me to feel happy publishing the formula and method I have devised.

As if Borodinsky isn’t hardcore with an 80:20 Rye: Wheat mix, this is all Dark Rye Flour!

Here’s the detail of the leaven refreshment used for the stiff levain used in the Pain de Campagne and Olive Levain.   Bonus of being able to make a couple of Naan breads with the leaven after first build to accompany yesterday’s evening meal of saag dal and aloo gobhi and brinjal curry.

1. 1.    Pain de Campagne

High percentage of pre-fermented flour in a really strong, stiff wheat leaven.   Dark Rye added at just over 9% of total flour.   Two loaves, scaled as mentioned above.

Method:

• Autolyse the 2 flours with the water for half an hour.
• Mix the dough by adding the leaven to the autolyse and developing for 10 minutes.   Rest for 10 minutes; add the salt and develop a further 10 minutes.
• Bulk Ferment for 2¼ hours.
• Scale and divide for 2 boules as described above.   Shape and place upside down in the banneton and brotform.   Retard for 2 hours in the chiller.
• Final proof for 1½ hours.
• Tip the largest loaf out, cut the top and bake with steam in a pre-heated oven [250*C] for 55 minutes.   Drop the oven temperature as needed through the bake, ending up around 200*C, depending on your oven.  Cool on wires and bake the smaller loaf for 25 minutes again, cut the loaf and utilise steam.   Cool on wires.

1. 2.    Olive Levain

Method:

• Dry the Pitted Olives with paper towel.
• Mix the leaven with all the other ingredients except the olives.   Develop for 10 minutes, then rest 10 minutes, develop a further 10 minutes and rest 10 more minutes.
• Chop the olives into the dough with a metal cutter.
• Bulk Proof for 3 hours.
• Shape and prove in a banneton for 2½ hours.
• Tip out the dough piece, cut the top and bake in a pre-heated oven [250°C] using steam, for 45 minutes, dropping the oven temperature to 200°C as the bake progresses.
• Cool on wires.

1. 3.    “Hardcore Borodinsky”

I have been out of stock of the Bacheldre Dark Rye, so my rye sour was in need of some “tlc” before I could bake with it.   I used a 2 stage refreshment process, and incorporated some “altus” as part of the second refreshment.   I used some old Borodinsky as the “altus”.   This was left overnight for a full 15 hours to ripen.

As usual, I made a “scald” for this loaf the evening before, as follows:

Method:

• Dissolve the syrups in the boiling water and bring to a rolling boil in a pan
• Crush the Coriander Seeds using a Mortar and Pestle
• Combine spice with salt and flour and pour on the boiling wort.
• Mix to a stiff paste, cover, and cool overnight.

Method:

• Blend the scald into the sourdough.
• Combine this with the remaining flour.
• Bulk ferment for 1 hour
• Prepare a Pullman Pan and drop the shaped paste into the pan.
• Prove for 3 hours until the dough is near the top of the pan.
• Close the lid of the pan and bake in an oven pre-heated to 160°C with generous steam, very gently for 2½ hours.
• Cool on wires.

The production schedule worked well for these loaves, with some retarding for the 2 Pains de Campagne.   I woke early, so I did make the Borodinsky at 05:30.   It’s a stressful time just now!

Lots of photographs are attached.   I apologise that they are indoor shots.   The weather here is very poor, with lots of heavy showers, and black skies leaving all our rooms very dark indeed.   Just no chance to get outside, despite very occasional glimpses of sunshine!

Very best wishes to all

Andy

Miche using a Stiff Levain and Gilchesters Organic Farmhouse Flour

Leaven Build

Final Dough Formula

Method:

• Combine the flour for the final dough with the water and autolyse refrigerated overnight, Thursday.
• Friday morning; combine the autolyse with the leaven and work up the dough for 3 minutes.   Add the salt and develop a further 3 minutes.   Rest for 15 minutes.   Develop a further 5 minutes.
• Bulk proof for 2 hours.   Stretch & Fold every 20 minutes.
• Mould gently round and place upside down in a prepared Banneton
• Final proof in Bannetons for 2 hours
• Bake Profile for the one large loaf: I loaded the loaf, once tipped out and cut, into an oven at 250°C and utilised steam.   After 15 minutes I turned the heat down to 220°C.   After another 20 minutes I turned the heat down to 200°C and baked the loaf out a further 20 minutes.   Then I left the loaf in the oven, switched off, with the door propped open.   Finally I cooled the loaf on wires before the inevitable photo shoot.

Notes:

• Where the previous loaves using this cold process took 7 hours to prove, this loaf was ready in just 4 hours.   Here are the reasons why:

1. The hot weather has returned and our kitchen has maintained a steady 28°C all daylong in the sunshine: FAB!
2. The high hydration of the dough
3. The dough contains a lot of high extraction flour with considerable increase in enzymatic activity
4. There is slightly more pre-fermented flour in this formula, and my leaven has been enjoying a lot of activity, and, therefore big feedings, of late

• Photographs: lots of them, and I am really pleased with these.   What a difference it makes to be able to take snapshots outside in the sun!
• The bread; I am soo pleased with this too!   The flavour is quite lovely.   A hint of sourness, not too obvious.   Lots of caramel notes from that dark crust.   The interior is chewy and robust, but just open enough to prevent it being too heavy.
• So this is it: how to make a Miche using genuine High Extraction flour!   AND, the flour comes from Organic Sativa Wheat, traditional tall stem variety, utterly untampered with by any genetic fiend, and grown on a family farm in Northumberland UK.   Stoneground on the only newly-installed traditional milling system to be opened in Northumberland in over 150 years.   Thank you Andrew Wilkinson!   High protein for sure, but put this side-by-side with any industrial bread flour and there is such a contrast in gluten potential.
• I suppose I could look at feeding the leaven with the Gilchesters Pizza/Ciabatta flour to create a 100% local flour loaf.   But the leaven would be so much less tolerant, and I am not sure I’d feel confident about being able to keep all the enzyme activity in control.

Very best wishes from a Happy Bunny!

Andy

Pain de Campagne using a Stiff Wheat Levain and a portion of Gilchesters Organic Farmhouse Flour

Leaven Build

Final Dough Formula

Method:

• Combine both flours with the water and autolyse refrigerated overnight
• Combine the autolyse with the leaven and work up the dough for 3 minutes.   Add the salt and develop a further 3 minutes.   Rest for 15 minutes.   Develop a further 5 minutes.
• Bulk proof for 3 hours.   One S&F after 2hours.
• Scale and divide into 3 pieces: 1 x 650g, 1 x 930g and the remainder, 1492g
• Final proof in Bannetons for 4 hours
• Bake Profile for the largest loaf, I loaded the loaf, once tipped out and cut, into an oven at 250°C and utilised steam.   After 15 minutes I turned the heat down to 220°C.   After another 20 minutes I turned the heat down to 200°C and baked the loaf out a further 20 minutes.   Then I left the loaf in the oven, switched off, with the door propped open.   Finally I cooled the loaf on wires before the inevitable photo shoot.

One note: a long proof, accounted for by use of refrigerated autolyse and leaven.   The dough proof temperature ranged between 18 and 23°C.   Seven hours of total proving was just about right; the percentage of pre-fermented flour is reduced on most of the breads of this nature which I have been baking recently   Photographs are shown below; tastings have not yet been carried out.

Very best wishes

Andy

Already the freezer stock of bread is running low, but the supply of Bacheldre Dark Rye and Gilchester Pizza Flour is just about exhausted.   There was enough to make a refreshed Rye Sourdough, but the wheat levain needed to be switched over to an alternative flour for its second refreshment to build up the amount needed to make these 2 loaves.   The rye sour had one refreshment from stock; the wheat levain had two refreshments.   There is still some Gilchester Farmhouse flour [c.85% extraction] in the cupboard, so I built this into the final formula for the bread, and used it in the Ginger Cake described below.

Two Large Boules

Alison found some Marriage’s Organic Strong White Flour for me on Saturday, so the levain build was complete, and I could start dough mixing this morning [Sunday].   Here is the recipe, formula and method:

Method:

• Autolyse flours, water and rye sour for 1 hour
• Add levain and form dough.   Add salt and develop.
• Rest for 15 minutes, then mix a further 10 minutes.
• S&F after 1 hour.   Bulk Proof 2 hours.   Knock back after 1½ hours, gently.
• Scale and divide.   I made 1 boule @ 1000g and 1 just over 1500g.   Carefully mould dough pieces.
• Proof upside down in bannetons for c.3 hours.
• Tip out of the bannetons, cut the top of the loaves and bake in a pre-heated oven with steam.   I baked the 1.5kg loaf for 1 hour and the 1kg loaf for just less than 45 minutes.
• Cool on wires

The steam has given these loaves a lovely shiny appearance.   They are quite bold and have expanded well around the cuts.   The crust has a few cracks appearing.   The crumb gives evidence of well developed dough and proper attention to fermentation.   We are both looking forward to a week of enticing sandwiches for lunch.   Photographs shown below:

Spicy Ginger Cake

The British contingent here may have come across Dan Lepard’s “Honey and Treacle Cake” in The Guardian Weekend Magazine on Saturday.   I’m quite a fan of these “blended” Ginger cakes, and one of my students made Dan Lepard’s “Whisky Ginger Cake” [see his website for this one] in the Confectionery exam last Monday…and it really is loaded with alcohol too!

Alison saw this article and decided it was a healthy option because it had no refined sugar in the recipe!!?   Well, this is my take on it, although the Mascarpone and Orange Icing  is down to Alison.   It’s very spicy and full-on ginger.   The finished cake texture is exactly how I like to eat cake; you decide for yourselves.

Recipe, formula and method are shown below.   I’ve made a good few changes to the recipe published in the Guardian, so I’m happy to list it below as my own take.

It is not so clear in the table above, but I have tried to show the formula in relation  to constituent parts, so 16% is proportion of spice, and 154.3 is proportion of syrups, both to flour.   Fruit is 172% of flour; this could perhaps be lower 

Method:

• Gently heat the sugars, butter and whole spices to 80°C in a pan.
• Lightly beat the egg
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and ginger powder.
• Strain the syrups off the whole spices.   Add zest plus dry ingredients and fold to form a smooth batter.   Fold in the egg.   Fold in the fruit.
• Scale equally between 2 loaf tins.   Bake at 160°C for 40 minutes
• Cool on wires.

Photographs of the finished crumb are shown.   Lovely cake, but neither of us ever really eat much of the stuff; let’s hope it will keep the week in the fridge?

Best wishes

Andy

Seeded Rye Hot Soaker Boules.

Pain de Siègle style of loaf, baked in a Sandwich Tin

The local flour theme continues….

After 2 recent homebaking sessions, my wheat levain has now joined the rye sour; both are built from traditional, local and organic flours.

I made 3 boules using a seeded rye hot soaker with a wheat leaven, a very simple formula for a sandwich bread, leavened with rye sour, and using the Gilchesters Farmhouse in the final dough with an 85% hydration! [Think high extraction flour here!]   Oh! We had the family round today, so I also made pizzas with homemade tomato sauce with garden herbs, and a variety of lovely toppings [from: artichokes, capers, olives, anchovies, flaked salmon, fresh basil, buffalo mozzarella or creamy Lancashire cheese.   The dough was made with a stiff wheat levain [60% hydration, just 20% pre-fermented flour], overall dough hydration was just over 76%.   No photos, sorry; but I made them as 3 tray-baked, skinny bottomed, hence crisp based, pizzas.   I gave the finished dough about 8 hours slow proof in the fridge before rolling out the bases and docking them prior to topping and baking.

1. 1.    Seeded Rye Hot Soaker Boules

I built the leaven with 3 refreshments.   Final amounts of flour and water only are shown, but I started with 80g levain and refreshed from there.

I made 3 boules: 1 @ 1.5kg, 1 @700g and 1 @ 940g

Method:

• Make the hot soaker and final refreshment of the levain the night before, about 6 hours ahead of use if possible.   Cover and leave ambient.
• Mix the soaker with the flour and water needed for the final dough.   Once properly combined, leave covered on the bench for 1 hour.   Add the leaven and work up to a soft dough.   Brush the bench with a little olive oil, to allow the dough to rest and condition, covered.   Leave 3 hours, using S&F regularly to develop the dough.
• Scale and divide as desired and mould dough pieces round.   Brush the tops with a little water, and dip into a seed mixture.
• Prove upside down in Bannetons for 3 hours.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven with masonry, and utilise steam.
• Cool on wires

1. 2.    Pain de Siègle in a Sandwich Tin

A really simple formula.   The rye sourdough was given 2 refreshments over 2 days.   The only flour in the final dough was Gilchesters Organic Farmhouse flour, which I am informed has an extraction rate of c.85%, and is beautifully milled.   The hydration overall is an impressive 85%, and I was able to mould this loaf just before panning!   Not bad when the weight is over 1.5kg!

Again, figures for flour and water totals only are given for the sour.   The recipe made 1 large loaf in a Pullman Pan.

Method

• Use autolyse principle, to combine flour and water with the sour, and leave, covered, for ½  hour.
• Add the salt and mix the soft dough to strengthen.   I used a small hand mixer with hook attachments.
• Bulk prove for 1 hour
• Use scant flour to mould and shape the dough piece for panning.
• Prove for 3 hours
• Bake for 1½ to 1¾ hours at 190°C with steam.
• De-pan and cool on wires.

Further thoughts:

• Flavour and performance in these doughs are both significantly improved on the last attempts with all local flour.   The high ash content dictates generous hydration levels, but also necessitates a reduction in the amount of pre-fermented flour.   The wheat leaven needs to be less ripe than my previous effort.   This time, I had it about right.
• The leaven is stiff, as the flour is thirsty, so 60% is less than generous hydration, but it gives greater tolerance in terms of fermentation rates.   I suspect a leaven made with the Farmhouse flour may need 70% hydration, so fermentation may be over rapid to give the best dough quality possible.
• Photographs of all products, crust and crumb are attached; my apologies, they are not the best shots I've ever taken, it has to be said!

All good wishes

Andy

Baking with All-British Flour

Given that Rye Flour is not so common in UK shops as Wheat Flour, when one finds it, it is far more likely to be of British origin, and often, Organic too.   The Bacheldre Organic Dark Rye Flour from a Welsh watermill is now the only flour I use to keep my rye sourdough culture properly fed.   It is very dark, coarse, highly fermentable and thirsty, and produces breads of outstanding flavour.   The Doves Farm Organic Light Rye is less impressive in these areas, but, its performance in producing a better dough structure is undeniable.

I'm trying to work towards using my local miller as a source for all the wheatflour I use at home.   It means karting 7kg of flour at a time on the train back home, but I am feeling the need to move away from relying on industrially-milled flour, and come up with exceptional bread quality on all levels, using locally-grown organic flour from traditional sources.   I achieved mixed success with this round of baking, but have produced much that I am very happy with, and a clear direction of the changes needed to induce improvement, and ultimately, fulfilment in the project.

•1.    All-British flour and 2 Leavens

Here is the formula for a bread dough raised with 2 leavens, and using only British Organic flour from traditional sources.

Method:

• Elaboration One on Saturday evening, 19:00. Elaboration Two Sunday morning 09:00
• Dough mixed Sunday 17:00. Initial Bulk Proof for 2½ hours. Retard overnight.
• Divide and shape 08:00 Monday. Set to prove in Bannetons
• After cutting, bake using steam and masonry at 13:00
• Cool on wires.

Notes:

• Too much pre-fermented flour, all-told in the formula. The rye sour needed rescuing, but was good by the time of dough mixing, and added at the right quantity. The wheat leaven was too ripe, and too much added. There is need to take account of the greater ash content in this flour; even though it is labelled "Pizza/Ciabatta" flour, it can hardly be described as "00"! The colour is a greyish white.
• I did not want to retard overnight, but had little choice. The rye sour needed some care and attention. As a result the wheat leaven was over-ripe, and it was early evening, so I had to retard, rather than stay up until 4 in the morning!
• I miscalculated the salt! At 1.8% on flour, there should have been just over 24g added. This is extremely significant in terms of the dough performance.
• I adjusted the water level upward, only slightly, but feel 70% is the best proportion of water to be adding to this flour
• Some information from the flour bags is attached in photographic form. Please do not take any notice of the claim that this is "Strong" flour. High protein [and mineral content], most certainly. High in gluten forming proteins, definitely not! Personally, I wish this claim had never been included in the marketing of this flour. It may well cause numerous customers to be seriously put-off from buying in the future. I want to learn how to make good bread with this flour, and I know it does not possess some of the properties most often associated with strong bread flour. However, I know it is possible, and now know and understand the significance of the notes I have listed above.
• I have been further reflecting on the use of utterly untreated flour. Thus creating a thoroughly different animal for the baker to deal with. How to up the ante, and increase skill and knowledge levels to retain control of the fermentation and dough development when adding in all the further variables of a less consistent performance in the flour. This is to be the new "bar" to jump over.
• Onward and upward in the future!

•2.    Borodinsky

Once rescued, I gave the rye sour dough one further elaboration, prepared a scald, and readied myself to make a large batch of this paste; very nearly 4kg...by hand!

Method:

• Give 3rd elaboration to rye sourdough and leave to ferment through for 14 hours. At the same time make the scald. Add molasses and malt syrup to boiled water in a pan and return to the boil. Pour this onto the flour, salt and coriander and mix to form a stiff, gelatinised paste. Cover well, and leave to cool overnight.
• Mix the final paste by combining the liquid sour with the stiff scald. Add the remaining flour and form a paste. See photographs for texture.
• Bulk prove 1 hour, then scale and mould into tins using wet hands to shape.
• Proof for 3 - 4 hours before baking in a moderate oven for 2 hours and upwards
• Cool on wires
• Note that I made one loaf in a Pullman Pan scaled off at 2kg, one loaf in "Farmhouse" tin, scaled off at 1.3kg, with the residual 650g proved in a small brotform, although it did, sadly, stick somewhat!

Photographs of the finished loaves are all attached.

Best wishes to you all

Andy