Seven Grain Black Sesame Porridge Sourdough

My final bake of 2021, a bit overproofed I’d say based on the bit of spreading. We’ll see when it is sliced, it could also have more hydration than the flours could take, that is another possibility to explain the spread. Without the porridge the hydration is 80% with the porridge the hydration is over 100%.
Unfortunately I didn’t weigh the grains, black sesame seeds with the water and milk in the pot prior to cooking them, so I don’t know what the final weight was since I had to add quite a bit more milk to compensate for the water cooking off.

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The levain is put together prior to bed and allowed to ferment at 76°F.

In the morning, the whole wheat flour is added to the water and salt to dissolve the salt and quickly hydrate the bran in the whole wheat. 30 mins later when the levain is at peak, it is added to the slurry and the levain is broken down as well as you can with your hands or a silicone spatula. Next the bread flour is added and mixed. After a brief rest slap and folds x 150 were done to start to develop the gluten. Next the dough was placed back into the bowl and the hold back water was added and Rubaud mixing was done until the dough fully absorbed the water and there was good gluten development. After a 30 mins rest, the porridge with black sesame seeds were added to the dough through a series of stretch and folds until it was well incorprorated. The pH at this point was 5.48. The dough was moved to the proofing box to ferment at 80°F.

30 mins later a bench letterfold was performed. Then every 30 mins a coil fold was done until the dough felt strong. 4 were required. The dough was left alone until the pH reached 4.37 at which point it was shaped and placed in the banneton and allowed to warm proof until the pH reached 4.11. It was then transferred to the freezer.

While the dough chilled, the oven was preheated and setup for open steam baking at 500°F with the cast iron skillet in the oven. 30 mins later boiling water was poured into the loaf pan with Sylvia towel in place and moved to the oven. Once the oven reached 500°F the dough was flipped out of the banneton, rice flour was brushed off and the dough was misted with water. Dark cocoa was then sprinkled on the dough. Excess was brushed off and then the surface was rubbed with a hand to create a thin paste. Water was once again misted on and once again rubbed in by hand.

The dough was scored and transferred to the oven. 250 mL of boiling water was poured into the cast iron skillet. The oven temperature was dropped to 450°F and dough baked for 25 mins. The oven was vented removing both the cast iron skillet and the loaf pan with Sylvia towel. The oven temperature was dropped to 425°F and the bread is baked for another 25 mins rotating as needed.

I’m not sure why I pushed the fermentation further than I should have, I usually shape when the pH drops 1.0 and then bake when the pH drops a further 0.3. Oh well, should have trusted my previous bakes and the pH data gleaned from them.

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