Polenta Porridge Sourdough
My list of things I’d like to bake keeps getting longer but today I finally struck this one off my list. For some time I’ve wanted to try adding polenta to my sourdough bread. Alfanso has shared Kingdom Bread Tampa’s recipe for polenta bread so I based my recipe on that with some minor alterations (thank you Alan). When there is a small amount of wholegrain in the dough I like to use it in the levain, that way the bran is fully hydrated. I increased the polenta and the percentage of salt I used is based on the flour and the polenta while theirs was based on the flour alone. I also added diastatic malt to ensure that I was able to get a deeply coloured crust.
Cook polenta until thickened and gelatinized in a small pot on the stovetop. Allow to cool and then refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge in the morning to allow to come to room temperature or if you’re using the stand mixer add cold to keep final dough temperature from getting too high.
Build levain overnight with the aim to be at peak in the morning. At 76°F 3x rise and dome flattening at 11 hours.
Add water and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve salt. Add the stiff levain and break into small pieces. Add the bread flour, mix on speed 1 until no dry flour remains. Rest for 10-15 mins. At medium speed mix to develop the gluten. When the gluten is moderately to well developed add the polenta porridge in small aliquots. Mix until well incorporated.
Bulk fermentation aiming for 40% rise to shape. Perform coil folds every 30 mins until dough is strong and isn’t spreading.
Once the pH has dropped by 1.0 then shape the dough into a batard and then start final proofed shaped and resting in a banneton.
Once the pH has dropped by a further 0.3 it will be time for baking. Place the dough in the freezer when the pH drops by 0.25 and then pre-heat oven at 500°F with cast iron skillet in the oven and set up for open steam baking. 30 mins prior to baking, pour 1 L of boiling water into metal loaf pan with Sylvia towel and place on baking steel on the lowest rack of the oven.
Once oven reaches 500ºF turn dough out of banneton, brush excess rice flour off, score and then brush with water. Transfer to oven. Pour 250 mL of boiling water into the cast iron skillet on a high shelf, high enough that the dough have fully bloom. Drop temperature to 450ºF and bake with steam for 25 mins. Then vent oven and remove all steaming gear and drop temperature to 425ºF. Bake for another 25-30 mins rotating as needed.
Comments
Here’s a video where I show how I shape and score the dough if you’re interested.
It’s always feels good knocking an item off the bake list, and it looks like a good one! Congrats!
Nice color and blistering in the crust. It’s amazing how only 5% polenta gives such a rich yellow color to it. Was there any residual grittiness from the polenta or did it fully soften when cooked? I had a little grit feel to the last bake where I used polenta but I didn’t do the pre-cook.
I’m betting the corn flavor and aroma really comes through on this bread!
Thank you Troy. I can't say that I could feel any grittiness when handling the dough. I was also surprised at the nice yellow colour at the main score after baking. I'll slice this today and be able to report on the flavour. I hope 5% polenta was enough to be able to taste it.
I hope to pick up some brown rice flour today to try the gluten free bread recipe I found on the net. I'll probably try it out end of week.
Benny
Sounds good, and I think 5% will be enough to at least get a sense of it. Hope you enjoy it!
Is that from Debra Wink's link from the other day? This YouTube video: https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/70540/putting-out-feelers-community-bake#comment-508825
Have been thinking about it!
No but I saw that as well. Today I had a. change of heart and since the recipe said you could substitute millet for the brown rice flour and I've never had millet before, I purchased some millet instead.
Benny
Troy, it sounds like something you would have made!
Thanks for the mention. It is a winning formula, and with the addition of polenta, we get a boost in flavor profile for very little extra work. The first time I made it I rolled the dough in raw polenta before baking, for the look. Something I suggest avoiding unless you enjoy breaking out the vacuum and speeding up the date of your next dental check-up.
The (no longer) secret to fast cooking polenta: let the polenta soak in the pot with water for an hour or more. Stovetop on, bring to a boil with a few stirs along the way. Once it begins boiling, turn down a few clicks and stir somewhat constantly. And then watch it like a hawk as the polenta will turn creamy quickly, and just as quickly then turn to concrete.
As usual, a fine fine bake, pal.
(Pro spelling tip from a rank amateur: in the formula it should read as coarse)
Thanks for your comments especially the ones related to cooking polenta using (coarse) corn meal, you have an eagle eye!
Benny
Lovely bread, recognised it from your YouTube video which I saw first.
Interested in your thoughts on the taste, unless I've missed that comment. Also, how long did it spend in the freezer?
Thank you Jon! I haven't sliced it yet but will soon to have some with tonight's dinner. It spent one hour in the freezer, during that time the pH dropped about 0.1 which is typical of what I've seen when doing a freezer chill down prior to scoring and baking.
Benny
The polenta flavour isn’t that strong, I’d increase the polenta next time, but the creaminess it gives the crumb is amazing!
1B45AC84-1D60-48A0-8BEE-AEEFF298DEEA.jpeg
38409A34-C0CB-40B5-8823-722E6E45EF56.jpeg
9DDD7150-A18E-4D99-8DB4-5FB827B81DAE.jpeg
Wow! Gorgeous crumb! You can tell from the photos that the texture must be amazing. Although the polenta flavor wasn't as pronounced as you wanted, this looks like wonderful bread to me. Glad to find another recipe to provide some guidance on the polenta/corn meal add ins...I love the flavor and crunch they bring to loaves. I hope you post again when you increase the polenta.
What a pretty bake. Great post!
Thanks so much Leigh. I will definitely try this again with more polenta and use some of Alan’s suggestions he posted for cooking the polenta when I do. I’ll be sure to post that loaf as well.
Benny
I love adding polenta to bread. I’ve made many different variations myself with up to 30 added polenta. This one looks fantastic with a nice creamy crumb.
Happy baking Benny!
Thank you Ian, and thank you for sharing that you use up to 30% polenta, that gives me a good idea of how much one can add.
Happy Baking to you too.
Benny
The crumb and color look great. I would agree that a higher % of corn porridge would bring out the flavor with maybe even a dollop of butter. I guess the cooked polenta would be considered more of a scald or tangzhong than a porridge or a soaker. Semantics none the less it nice to see you returning to the basics now and then.
Thank you Don, actually I like your idea of butter, I think next time if I can remember I'll cook the polenta with some butter and maybe increase to 10%.
Benny
Which is fairly traditional that I refer to as Italian mashed potatoes besides the butter has grated Parmesan in it but the cheese might make it more difficult to incorporate it into the dough. The Tartine version calls for chopped rosemary and pumpkin seeds and corn oil (unrefined) but I don’t know if corn oil actually tastes like corn.
Benny you are a fountain of inspiration! Happy Baking!
Thanks Don, that’s nice of you to say, but really this was inspired by Alan. Your polenta ideas really would amp up the flavours of the bread, very nice that’s yet another idea. I’ve done a mashed potato bread with rosemary black pepper mashed potatoes but that didn’t have the cheese in it. I haven’t noticed any corn flavour in any corn oil I’ve tried but perhaps they were all refined, not sure it that would make a big difference or not.
Happy Baking
Benny
No flavor from corn oil as it’s a very neutral oil.
Absolutely no issues incorporating cheese from the polenta into the dough. I’ve done it many times.
I can see a cheesy polenta adding a lot of flavour to this bread, yumm.
Benny