December 14, 2021 - 4:20pm
Walnut and Cranberry Sourdough
Hello All,
Decided to experiment with two different loaves using the same dough. For the first loaf, I used the ambient method with walnuts and cranberries, and for the second, I used the retarded method with poppy seeds. Otherwise, the recipes were exactly the same.
Questions:
- The first loaf came out stodgy and a little raw in the center. Is this due to the moisture from the cranberries?
- The first loaf was under proofed. Should I incorporate a final proof period of 2-3 hours after I shape? Or should I extend my bulk fermentation time?
LOAF #1...
Note: this loaf didn't have great oven spring because I only preheated the Dutch over for 15 minutes. This may have affected the bake internally as well.
LOAF #2...
Share
I'm a little confused with the recipes and pictures. Are they switched around? How are the poppy seed, cranberries and walnuts incorporated? Whole or chopped?
I find Raw cranberries will swell and then pop inside the dough bursting with liquid. May have a wetting effect on the crumb.
Poppy seeds absorb moisture inside dough and a sandy texture can result if the seeds are not cracked or milled first. May have a drying effect on the crumb.
My apologies. The inclusions are switched around but the methods correspond to the pictures. Yes it did seem wet around the cranberries. I wonder if I bake a little longer and let it rest longer, it might turn out better. I am going to try again but wait for about 2 hours before cutting in. Must admit I was eager to get into it as it was my first time incorporating nuts and berries.
The cranberries and walnuts were chopped. Poppy seeds just included in the last fold during bulk fermentation.
I was just thinking about cranberry walnut breads - these look nice. Thanks for sharing.
These loaves look lovely, nice distribution of cranberries and walnuts in the first and I think the second looks excellent.
For the first loaf, I do agree, it appears that you could have used a bit more time in bulk and final room temperature proof. I think that the lack of ear and stodginess in the center is because the Dutch oven wasn’t fully heated, which is fine, but then requires a longer bake to bake to the center. It can also affect the oven spring which can then compromise the ear.