For bread with a tight crumb and little to no crust, you might like to consider getting a Pullman Pan and bake a modified, levain risen Pain de Mie bread. That’s what we use for most of our sandwich and toast bread. Happy baking!
Hi marshnmusic, I tried bolting my freshly ground wheat berries, and didn’t notice any difference in the rise of my loaves. What made the difference for me was a higher hydration: whole grain wheat flour needs more water than white flour or even “whole wheat flour,” which is flour reconstituted from whiter flour and bran, but no germ (which is packed with nutrients, maybe for the yeast and bacteria in my starter culture as well as for us). Also, according to Josey Baker, whole ground wheat flour at a higher hydration ferments and proofs faster, and that seems to be true for me.
I’ve thought about trying mashes to bake bread, but I’m afraid I’m lazy, and like the ease of using flour. I have a rice cooker, which I use for cooking whole grains and beans as well as rice; I wonder if it would cook up a mash on the “porridge” setting? I look forward to finding out if you try it, and if so, what your results are.
This is more of a general question,But isn’t boiling and sifting/bolt of the four
To remove the bran or alter it. Defeating the purpose of the bran?
I had always heard bran, like a bran muffin was good for you.
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Well, I like to keep the bran and germ with the flour. And I tried bolting my home ground whole grain flour, and didn’t see any change in the rise. What did make the difference was hydration: now I’m making whole grain dough with much higher hydration levels (85% - 90%) which results in a higher rise. Much easier than bolting the flour.
Wow thank you Jaen!
I’ve been making SD Spelt bread with great flavor
And very little rise, I never thought to try to hydrate
The dough.
Does the same amount of Starter work as well or has
That been increased also?
Actually, for whole grain spelt flour, the hydration level might be a bit lower; I’ve read 65-67% hydration on this forum, and 77.9 % (“Josey Baker Bread”) which I think is better. I make a levain or pre-ferment: I feed my starter culture then leave it out overnight; in the morning, I use 2.5 oz (1/4 cup starter culture) to add to 3.75 oz (3/4 cup) flour and 3.75 oz water, and let that ferment for about 4-5 hours. Then I add the remaining water to the levain, stir it all up, and add that mixture to the remaining flour for the bread dough. I’ve also read that spelt flour should be under proofed, to about 50-75% rise, and that it ferments quickly. It also has very little gluten, so limit stretch and folds. And finally, there is variable quality in flour from different suppliers. I use the spelt berries I buy from Breadtopia and grind it in the Komos Classic mill I also bought from Breadtopia. btw, I’m no expert; I’m self-taught, and have been baking bread, about one loaf every 5-7 days for the past 3 and 1/2 years, and learning as I go.
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Eric – Precooking or boiling a portion of the flour has long been a technique uses in Japan. It seems to retain moisture and retard staling even in white breads. I generally use a simpler technique with whole grain/bran or unmilled cereals like oats which is to add boiling water of equal weight and let steep and cool.
Could you expand on the difference between Red Fife and Turkey Red as to their taste?
I am curious about the specialty grains.
Thanks
Doug
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I wish I knew how to describe subtle taste variations in wheat that would be helpful. I don’t think the differences are dramatic. There’s probably more in the baking techniques that determine flavor profiles. I need to work on my bread snobbery if I’m going to get anywhere.
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