23% Black Rice Pain au Levain

This is the latest addition to my daily bread rotation. The idea of building this formula is to create a sort of 'cookie cutter' formula, in which the black rice portion can be swapped with other gluten free flours (oats, buckwheat, bean flours, toasted bran, brown rice, etc) depending on what I have on hands. And also to prevent boredom. The goal is to create a dough that is rougly equivalent to dough made with 100% 10% protein white flour.

Theoretically the dough is stronger than APF dough, because all the gluten spent less time fermenting (all black rice went to levain, all 13% protein white flour is added during final mixing), hence less gluten breakdown. The black rice starter is a lot more vigorous than when it was still being fed atta flour. My typical formula involved 30% prefermented flour. But now even at 23% PFF, the loaf was overproofed at the same exact proofing time.

One thing that I found highly interesting, although the hydration is 75%, the tweak made the dough felt like 68% hydration dough, with all black rice goes to final mixing.

Overall: 75% hydration, 23% black rice flour, 3 stages levain, cold pot method, 50% hydration starter & levain, black rice starter.

Day 1

Mix 3 g 50% hydration black rice starter, 6 g black rice flour, and 3 g water. Ferment for 2 hours, then refrigerate.

Day 2

Mix previous levain with 24 g black rice flour and 12 g water. Ferment until mature.

Mix previous levain with 78 g black rice and 39 g water. Ferment for 2 hours, then refrigerate

Day 3

Dechill levain for 45 minutes

Puree levain with 305 g water for 10-15 seconds. Mix well with 370 g 13% protein white flour. Rest 20 minutes.

Mix well 11 g salt. Stretch the dough up using spatula north-south and east-west. Lift the dough up in the air using wet hands, S&F it north-south and east-west. Rest 20 minutes.

Repeat the wet hands S&F and 20 minutes rest until the dough resisting stretch. Usually takes me 1.5 hours or two. I never preshape after the last 20 minutes rest.

Shape and proof in parchment lined enameled pan. During the last 15 minutes of proofing, blow dry the loaf with standing fan.

Score and bake 250 °C for 45 minutes using baking stone.

IMG_20231126_160938-min.jpg

Taste Assessment

This bread has subtle literal sweet taste (the starter itself smells alcoholic, with literal sweet and sour flavor). The vanilla-ish flavor of black rice is perceivable. I couldn't notice acetic smell without trying hard. Flavor wise, this is a loaf I would confidently gift my picky Asian acquaintances without sounding like a snob trying to explain how to enjoy sourdough (lol). This bread pairs well with peanut butter and curry.

Note:

I prefer more extensible dough, because it gives me clearer signal on when to stop doing S&F. The dough was surprisingly too elastic for my liking. I'd do 80% hydration next time.

Line your pan with parchment VERY well. At this hydration (and higher), black sticky rice displays the reason why it earned it's name (I learned it the hard way. Three times. lol)

.