July/August Notes

I've been way behind about typing up notes on my past few loaves.  A couple were nothing new and worth making notes on, but two are worth jotting down even if I've forgotten the details.

Lavender Loaf

This loaf was pretty bread flour heavy.  I think it was maybe 80% bread flour and 20% white spelt flour.  The notable aspect of this is that I incorporated a pretty good amount (maybe 20g) of lavender (some fresh, mostly dried), probably a good bit more than the two or three previous times I've tried adding lavender.  For the first time the lavender flavor came through distinctly- a very nice but not overpowering flavor. Paired nice with cheese and the fresh figs that were ripening then.

 Brown Rice Loaf

Other notable loaf was a brown rice loaf.  I regret that I forgot to weigh the cooked rice before I added it, but I used 1 cup if cooked brown rice.  I think I was a 600g loaf, with some rye and some whole wheat.  I was pleasantly surprised that the rice did not seem to change the moisture and handle-ability of the dough when added anywhere near as much as with other porridge and soaked grain additions.  The flavor was quite nice and the texture excellently creamy. 

One thing I did for both loaves was coat the outside in cornmeal rather than flour.  I really like the result: a bit more texture and the crust seemed to come out crunchier.