Honey Whole Wheat with Poppy Seeds and Lemon Zest
Sometimes there is a loaf that I just love baking. This is such a loaf and I think it is due to the fact that it is a simple dough that has a luxurious feel to it - especially after it has fermented all night in the refrigerator. It also has a wonderful aroma created by the lemon zest and the poppy seeds add a delightful texture and, I think, simply look spunky.
The original recipe if from Daniel Leader's book Bread Alone. I found it after reading about one of the challenges posted here where the '3grandmas' were baking his lemon cake. All raved about its results. I prefer baking breads to cakes so this is what I ended up with.
I adapted his recipe to my sourdough starter, my use of whole grains and use of an overnight bulk ferment.
TOTAL FLOUR 860g
TOTAL WATER 677g 79%
TOTAL PREFERMENTED FLOUR 129g 15%
LEAVEN 219g 26%
DOUGH
Hard White WW Flour 731g 85%
Water 587g 68%
Salt 21g 2.4%
Honey 28g 3.2%
Lemon Zest 8g 1%
Poppy Seeds 21g 2.4%
METHOD
• Build leaven during the day. I do 2 builds total each about 3 hours apart.
• Mix leaven, water and 3/4ths of the flour into a shaggy mass and let it sit for about an hour to allow the flour to hydrate and the gluten to develop a bit.
• Add remainder of the flour, honey, salt and the zest and knead on low until medium gluten devel. is reached.
• Add poppy seeds.
• Knead until seeds are distributed evenly.
• Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and allow it to sit at room temp. until it has expanded by about 25%
• Place in refrig. for the night.
• Allow dough to warm up for about 2 hours the next morning.
• Shape and proof.
• Bake (I have convection with steam so I pre-heat to 425°. When bread is loaded I turn off the oven, steam and let it expand without heat for 10 minutes. The remainder of the bake is then at 325° until internal temp. reaches approx 200°.)
The roll is lighter in color simply because the rolls were baked with the boules but, obviously, they baked much more quickly. They have a softer texture which my husband prefers while the boules have a crustier crust.
Our house now smells heavenly.
Sorry, no crumb shots. Boules are for friends that I bake for. Husband gets a couple of rolls. They don't present much of a crumb shot......I can tell you the crumb is soft though. Lemon conditions the grains and makes for a very soft crumb.
I will give you all a snow shot instead since we got 12" of much needed snow today.
Comments
Wow...what a nice adaptation. Funny thing is I have my own lemon sourdough waiting to bake later tonight. I like your idea of using the honey and poppy seeds and will have to try your formula soon. Not sure how mine will come out as I used lemon zest and the lemon juice in place of part of the water.
How did your crumb come out?
Nice to see you posting one of your bakes.
Regards,
Ian
Hi Ian,
I used lemon zest too. KA's - not fresh. The only time I have used lemon juice in a loaf it was goo by morning. The only thing I could think of that would have done that was the juice -and I didn't add all that much so I am curious to see how your loaf turns out.
I know the rolls have a very soft crumb. Won't know about the boules unless my friends report back. I frequently forget to ask....
Thanks for the comment.
Take Care,
Janet
Well it looks nice but won't know until tomorrow when I cut into it. I'm a bit nervous what the crumb will look like.
Looks like I struck out on my latest bake. The lemon is too overpowering and the crumb is to dense and gummy. I should have cut back on the lemon juice and the hydration. I think too much lemon juice in the starter slowed it down too much and the dough did not develop correctly. I will have to try your once I get the taste of lemon out of my head!
Sorry to hear about your bread. I know mine with juice didn't turn out either but the people I gave it to still loved it! They aren't as picky as I am about results :-) Always learning something new. I find it interesting that zest is fine in a loaf but the juice is just too much....I am sure there is a chemical reason for that but I have no clue what it is. Acid for sure and I guess it is more concentrated in the juice than the zest.
Onward to the next loaf!
Janet
Hey Ian,
I don't know if this is true, but I know citrus juices contain different types of proteases (at least according to this very old handbook, pages 6 and 7), which may or may not break down gluten or thereof. Perhaps that's why your crumb was dense and gummy.
Just a thought.
Zita
Where on earth did you find that gem? It's older than me and I'm getting old! Thanks for the insight. Either way, if I try this again I will use much less lemon juice or probably just the zest like Janet.
Regards,
Ian
Zita,
Wow, what a find! Explains why the rind doesn't break down the dough and does give it a luxurious texture - rind contains the oils without the proteases. Thanks for sharing this!
Janet
to the Honey Lemon Whole Wheat bread from Clayton's The Complete Book of Breads. His is yeasted and has no poppy seeds but the whole wheat / honey / lemon peel marriage is still there. And it's good!
As I'm sure yours is, too. Lovely bread, Janet.
Paul
Hi Paul,
Yes, this is very similar to his though his has shortening added and mine - sans fat. I think the added fat would make his crumb even softer than this one. I love his recipes though I have always changed them so I can use my sd as a leavening agent instead of IY. He really was a bread lover with a wide range of breads at his command. I have gotten a lot of my holiday loaf ideas from him and love the loaves he has included that were baked by nuns in various monasteries around the country. He was in a class by himself for many years.
Thanks for the complement :-)
Take Care,
Janet
Janet,
I love the combination of lemon and poppy seeds and with honey and whole wheat how could it not be a great bread. The little roll is very nice as well - I'm sure. You got a nice rise on the boules and they look perfect! Crumb shot? Great bake.
Linda
Hi Linda,
Thanks you for your kind words. No crumb shots.....loaves all gone out to friends. I did add a snow shot though it isn't the same...Just had to fill up that blank space :-)
Take Care,
Janet
or I wish I could. That must be wonderfully aromatic. And looks lovely as well. -Varda
Hi Varda,
Aromatic it truly is. Kinda like aroma therapy on this snowy day :-) Thanks for your complement.
I am off to read about your latest bread exploits now. Very interested in reading about all you learned so I can learn vicariously through you :-)
Take Care,
Janet
I was going to give the 3 GMA's Lemon Tea Cake a shot tomorrow but, since I also have Wingnuts 'old dough' vs levain experiment going for Tuesday, I think will convert it over to poppy seeds; black white and brown and lemon zest w/ juice (just a tad so no goo sets in) tomorrow instead. We love lemon anything around here. I'm going to check up on Clayton's recipe that Paul talked about too. I have always loved to bake breads and variations from his 'Complete' book that was fairly complete at one time in the early 70's.
I have read in one of your previous posts about shutting off the oven when the bread goes in to steam. I haven't tried that yet but will for this bake. Nothing like killing Wingnut and Janet birds with one bake!
I like the gringe and the speckles the poppy seeds leave on your bread.
Thanks for posting and love the snow too. We actually got a dusting of snow in Phoenix earlier this week. Never seen that before - so much for global warming ....
Hi Mr. D.
The only reason I turn my oven off for the first 10 minutes is so that the steam doesn't all get blown out of the vent :-O My Cadco uses convection only so I have no other way steam and bake. If it had a conventional bake mode I would use it and not have to worry about escaping steam. I often wonder how my loaves would turn out without that 10 off time. I know it does change things because the oven cools down and then has to get back up to snuff once I turn it back on. Oh well, we home bakers have to be resourceful :-)
My daughter is the only one who likes lemon or orange tones in breads.....Husband and son don't like it at all despite my trying to entice them into liking it.....so far I have failed completely in that department!
Thank you for your kind words about the loaves I baked today. I look forward to reading about how your lemony loaves turn out.
Take Care,
Janet
that if we put lemon in the bread for tomorrow's bake we would completely mess up our Wingnut experiment of testing 'old dough' against fresh levain for the amount of sour it produces. But no worries, we will be dong a lemon and poppy seed bread bread very soon. It sounds great.
Those are beautiful loaves & rolls. I'll have to give lemon zest a try. Right now I have this 8oz bottle of orange oil that I have to work off! As far as your hubby and son, you could break them into citrus hints with brioche or another enriched dough. Sourdough pancakes with a hint of orange ore lemon zest are good.
Peter
Hi Peter,
Thank you for the complement. I have one of those bottles of orange oil too. Isn't going anywhere fast though so is stored in the refrig.
I have tried the brioche deal on them....still no go which is okay. I get the variety by baking for friends and then I get to bake things that my family members do enjoy. All balances out in the end...but who knows...maybe someday....
Take Care,
Janet
Hey Janet,
I LOVE lemon zest ... these breads must be delicious!
snow? wow, we have never ending rain here ... for the past three weeks on my days off it has rained ... it is raining right now and has been for the past day and will continue tomorrow ... sigh
Cheers,
Phil
Hi Phil,
Wow - never ending rain. I know that can be a drag BUT we have had NO moisture here for ages. Like a year!!!!! We totally depend on all of our water for everything from rain and snow fall so this is a very welcome event. Our reservoirs need filling. Also, it is the end of Feb. so we know winter is on its way out. Today is beautiful and sunny so the snow looks brilliant. Sun glasses a must.
Thanks for the your words :-)
Take Care,
Janet
Oh dear, Janet, how beautiful those boules look! The color of the crust, the bloom, and the markings.. i love it. The rolls look soft too. On top of all, they are healthy, what's not to like?
Great post, Janet.. thanks.
Hi Khalid,
Such kind words warm my heart :-) Thank you so much. I figured I better post a 100% ww loaf since there are so few here who do. I always look forward to the ones you post and I love that you use Laurel's recipes too. Just amazes me how a small scale ww baker in a dinky town in California can reach someone as far away as you with her loaves. Most people here haven't even hear of her!
Take Care and Thanks again!
Janet
Beautiful loaves, Janet!
I know this may sound odd, but your photo induced the Canadian in me to miss snow... I haven't seen a snow flake for over 4 years!
Keep up the baking and wish you the best,
Zita
Hi Zita,
I grew up in San Francisco. I can get nostalgic for fog and it has been over 30 years since I moved away from there so I understand what you are saying. Where in Canada did you live before moving?
Thank you for the complement on the loaves. Learned most of what I know from people here like you who share what they do in their own kitchens :-) Amazing this Internet!!!
Take Care,
Janet
Haha, yes, the Internet is truly amazing. Where would we be without it?
Prior to moving, I lived the majority of my life in Ontaria, Canada, in a city near Toronto. My home was adjacent to the woods and during the snowy winter, the trees would strip themselves bare, reaching the skies with their barky limbs. Probably one of the most beautiful sceneries I had the pleasure of witnessing is a red cardinal, perched atop a pine tree, chirping defiantly during a snow blizzard. The contrast of red against the white background was stunning.
Zita
Sounds beautiful. I do love a good snow storm. Ontario is cold country. I imagine very different than the climate you are in now. Kinda like 2 extremes!
I had a hawk in my front yard yesterday. He/she was large and noble looking but I know he/she was looking for an easy meal and knew my bird feeders were the bait needed to attract his/her prey.....I don't think he/she had any luck though.
Janet
Hi Janet,
It is always good to see you post with your lovely bread
Very best wishes
Andy
Hi Andy,
You are so kind :-)
Take Care,
Janet
What a nice post Janet. Great photos! From your comments and other posts, I know you are a great baker, but you (like mini) rarely post your own bakes. Wow, if this isn't a nice one and I'll bet your house smells good, from real lemon and not some artifical stuff in a cleaner (sorry -- got Lemon Pine Sol on the brain and in the nostrils -- we use it to mop our kennel and if that's lemon, well...never mind).
Your place looks like ours, but ours has mercifully less snow. Until tomorrow, they say. Now we've got this weird ice-encrusted leftover snow that our dogs refuse to run on -- probably as much because of our laughing at their slipping and sliding as their own paw discomfort cracking through it.
Those bird feeders look hungry....:-)
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thank you for such high praise in regards to my baking skills though I do not think I had better inform you that I am a mere novice as far a baking goes. Sure have fun doing it though :-)
Our dogs love the snow. Both are older now and my 11 year old slips on the ice due to weak back hips so she was delighted to be able to pounce around in this stuff without worry of slipping.....not sure dogs worry but she acted less timid then when I take her for walks on slick roads.
I hate household cleaners with artificial scents too. Can't understand the idea behind that one. We just got ss appliances and every ss cleaner I have looked at smells awful. My favorite mode of cleaning is with vinegar and baking soda. Use it on almost everything but it doesn't quite cut it with the ss.....My search led to the Interned and I ordered a couple of products that are supposed to be scent free.....will see how they work.
Bird feeders....yep need more sunflower seeds but I couldn't bring myself to fill them yesterday. When I returned from my walk late in the afternoon I disturbed a large hawk that was perched on one of our trees waiting for his/her dinner....
Thanks for your comments!
Take Care,
Janet
and nice snow shot. Getting to DIA was a rodeo this morning - but now I'm in the land of sun. I know we need the moisture, but I want clear streets by the weekend so I can do a Costco run (can't drive my little green sports car in the snow.)
Spent most of yesterday shoveling that liquid sunshine. Good day to bake!
How do you do the shaping on that roll. It is very cute!
Pat
Hi Pat,
You need a Subaru! I took my 16 year old son in his Subaru over to an empty Target parking lot yesterday to do some serious snow driving. Wanted him to know how to get control in a spin etc. For him it was a blast.....making donuts with his mother IN the car!!!! We both survived and he did pretty well. I must say I did too for a mom. High tailed out of there when other divers showed up doing the same thing but without mothers in their cars. They were not interested in gaining control...
I think the streets will be clear by the weekend. I think we are supposed to get a bit more snow tomorrow but then back up into the 50's. A lot melted off of the today when the sun came out. Gutters were like rivers around here. Main roads all clear - the usual when you hit the off streets. Solar snow plow mode. Our tax dollars at work :-)
Thanks for the complement.
Take Care,
Janet
Looks amazing and I'd love to bake this. I'm a bit of a nvoice though so need some help, what does "building a leaven" look like? I assume you start by mixing starter with flour and water, but how much and why do you build in stages? Thanks!
It simply means that you take a smaller amount of your starter and feed it fresh flour and water a couple of times to build it up the final amount of leaven you need for your dough.
I keep my builds 3-4 hours apart to keep them from becoming too sour. (I use freshly ground grains which ferment more quickly and therefore can become more sour if left for longer time frames.) You can easily just do one feed 6- 8 hours before you need the final leaven you will use in your dough. Many here feed their starter in the evening and in the morning they are ready to use it.
My feedings schedule:
10:00 AM 30:24:30 (starter:water:flour)
2:00 PM 84:67:84
Ingredients all combined at about 6:00 PM.
Total Leaven = 235g. Th excess was saved to be used in the next day's build schedule.
Hope this helps.
You might search for more information using the search box. I know people post photos showing their leavens in various stages of 'readiness'. The visuals can be very helpful when learning how to tell when a leaven is ready to be fed or used. I have listed times but those are based on how my leavens behave. Yours may ripen in a shorter time frame or a longer one. As with most things bread - it is important to watch the dough and not the clock.
Good Luck,
Janet
Wow Janet that was speedy thank you! Will give these a go over the next week or so and let you know how it goes. Thanks again.
Janet, how did you shape the light colored roll. I don’t ever remember seeing that shape before. Is there a name for that shape? I’d like to learn.
Dan
Janet, I don't usually proclaim homebaked loaves as art, but when I view your Honey WW with Poppy Seeds & Lemon Zest I happily make an exception. Right now I'm hours away from my Starter being ready after feeding so I've been ruminating on recipes. Yours is probably going to be the choice. Instead of WW I plan to use Red Fife. However, one question: how do you do the preferment? OK, that's all for now, again...Thanks.
Janet good evening. I'm aware that your recipe was posted looooong time ago and that it's not good forum étiquette to revive old threads. However, I've loved the idea of combining lemon, honey and poppy seeds in a WW sourdough loaf, hence my note.
For a rookie baker, would you please share with us what are the steps to build the levain? I've worked some math out myself but I've had to assume the % of inoculation. Your help would be truly appreciated.
Thanks a million for your help.
I am just taking the day to recover from an early morning out-patient GI procedure. I enjoy exploring The Freshloaf and stumbled upon you simply wonderful post on this gorgeous bread. You have a good eye for photo composition. I especially was drawn to the pale colored roll.
Is the lemon zest freshly made or in some other form?
Curious Roger