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A sourdough bread making guide by Jeremy Zietz
Citation preview
the
NINE TO FIVERsourdough recipe
fits artisan wildyeast around themodern work week
jeremy zietz
The aim of this booklet is to guide one through
a home bread making program in order to make
the finest bread one can make in the home with a
conventional oven. If achieved, it will be nearly
impossible to find better bread in a nearby bakery.
Breads made from wild yeast have been hard to
find in home baking practises as they require
more patience, attendance, and care. Working
with these age-old practises produces a loaf with
astounding complexity and depth while delivering
immeasurable digestive enzymes and helpful
bacterium to one’s belly. With the market now full
of gluten free products - we can call again on the
power of these tiny creatures to help break down
these proteins to deliver their benefits to us.
For these reasons and many more, let’s bake bread
in the most time-tested manor. I’ll not deliver a
formula, but initiate a process and relationship.
This relationship with this living process will
bring trials and errors, but will result in a truly
unique product. Therefore, the information in this
booklet will be kept simple with much room left
for experimentation. Bread making is a craft, and
crafts are learned by practise - not by study.
i. tips
ii. equipment list
iii. feeding your levain
iv. country wheat breada.fermentation
b. dough
c. folding
d. shape
e. proof
f. bake
i. tips
Do not Stare
It is well understood that a watched loaf does not
rise, as a watched kettle never boils and a watched
finish will never dry. It’s not as understood
why this is, but many believe these wild yeast
creatures are quite bashful as they have not
been domesticated as a commercial yeast has. It
is therefore apt to cover your burping mixtures,
proofing loaves, etc. with a cloth or lid. This is
especially important during the baking phase - no
oven lights. This is “bad luck”.
Do not Rush
Time and temperature, as ingredients, are equally
as important as the flour, water, salt, and
yeast themselves. Time and temperature are the
ingredients which add the complexity that take
these simple 4 ingredients and make them deep
and rich. Wild yeast, (Saccharomyces Exiguus)
consumes starches slowly compared to commercial
yeast (Sacchaaromyces cerevisiae) used in beer,
and can also thrive in such an acidic environment
as fermented dough. This process should not
be rushed. This is in fact the key lesson of this
process. Surely, a life paced with wild yeast is
more manageable and less stressful. As the yeast
and bacteria are at their work and consuming
the flour’s starch they are slowly fermenting -
producing alcohol and releasing CO2. In beer, this
alcohol and CO2 are trapped in the brew. As yeast
is more active in warm temperatures and slower in
cool environments, temperature is used to tune
this fermentation process. Carefully drawing out
this process to enrich the flavor without letting
the loaf rise too long or become too sour is the
art of this process. Temperature is then a great
tool throughout the entire process. Cooling
the levain will slow or “retard” its activity,
while a warmer temperature will excite the rising
(proofing) process. Wild yeast generally can
survive even in freezing temperatures, up to about
105 degrees. Though, generally the fermentation
process operates between 40-78 degrees.
Be Gentle
In addition to being shy, this bread dough does not
tolerate being handled roughly. Some bakers may
toss and throw their dough about and rely on their
ferocious conventional yeast to inflate their loaf
again. Wild yeasts are sensitive, and if jossled roughly
take time to stretch their gluten bonds again if they
become torn. If such anger or aggression is released
during this process - you may deflate a perfectly
primed batch headed for an airy crumb.
Keep Them Hydrated
Yeast creatures love moisture - a chapped yeast will
result in a closed and dry crumb. A dough that has
been well hydrated (over 70% water mixture) produces
a distinctly flavorful loaf with an airy crumb. This
adds weight, producing a greater challenge for
the wild yeasts to inflate the loaf. Therefore, a
gentle folding technique is required which aims at
maintaining the air in the dough while keeping the
yeast within reach of their starchy food.
ii. equipment list
Having the right tools makes for an effective and
more enjoyable process. Here is a recommended list.
Must-have Items:
1-2 cast iron dutch ovens - to bake the loaves
narrow wooden spoon - for easy mixing
2 six qt. containers - for mixing / fermenting
2-3 one qt. containers - a home for the starter
1 large mixing bowl - perfect for mixing a wet dough
oven thermometer - never trust the dial
cloth towels - for covering and general use
collander /gutter - make-shift proofing basket
flexible metal spatula - make-shift dough scraper
Nice-to-have Items:
baker’s scale - rightfully could move to the above
list. they are well worth their cost, ~$25
dough scraper - becomes an extention of the baker’s
hand, used for shaping and is magic for clean up
cane proofing baskets - allows for optimal air to
reach the rising loaf
digital thermometer - to test water temperature
water spray bottle - to experiment with added steam
dutch oven
6 qt. container
cane proofing basket
baker’s scale
digital thermometer
dough scraper
iii. feeding your levain
The term “sourdough” is a more recent American
term used for this wild yeast bread, as it can
produce a sour tang. Many terms have been
assigned to methods of making this bread, and
its accompanying burping colony which a baker
keeps. Levain is a traditional french term for this
maintained culture, and many bakers refer to the
portion taken out of this for the next bread batch
as a “starter”.
Maintaining a healthy population of this culture
of yeast creatures is essential when calling on
them to produce a great loaf. Much like humans,
yeast appreciates regimen. It is best to think of
this culture as a pet which needs to be fed on a
regular basis. This feeding regimen should be
adjusted to how often you plan to bake. Keeping
a more regularly fed levain will result in a more
ready and strong culture as opposed to a slow
and lazy culture which cannot lift the loaf. It is
advised to feed your starter at least once a week.
As previously stated, the levain can be calmed and
kept longer by cooling. Therefore, it is best to store
in the refrigerator when not being used. Though, it
is key to bring the levain to room temperature for
at least one hour before and after feeding. You may
use the following quantitites to feed your starter at
least once a week.
~ LET LEVAIN REST AT ROOM TEMP. FOR 1 HOUR, PLUS
~ MIX UNTIL INCORPORATED:
50 GRAMS (~3 TBSP) LEVAIN FROM PREVIOUS WEEK, (DISCARD REMAINDER DOWN DRAIN, MAY BE HEART BREAKING AT FIRST)
50 GRAMS (~1/3 C + 1 TBSP) WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
200 GRAMS (~1 1/2 C + 1 TBSP) WHITE FLOUR
200 GRAMS (~7/8 C) WARM WATER, 85-90 DEG
~ COVER AND LET REST FOR 8 HOURS
~ USE PORTION FOR BAKING OR STORE IN FRIDGE AGAIN
If this pattern is interrupted by taking a holiday,
continue with this schedule a few times until levain
is able to double in volume easily in 6 hours at 65
degrees. This prooves it is ready to use for baking.
Levain can be frozen for a month or two and survive,
but is to be avoided as your pet may resent this.
iv. country wheat bread makes two loaves
This recipe is a foundational recipe which is to
be experimented from. If done well, it achieves a
balance of the sour tang of the developed acedic
acid - and the butteryness of lactic acid. It is
modified for a 9 to 5 schedule, but based from an
artisan bread recipe from Ken Forkish (see back).
The flour ratio is enough to keep a robust wheaty
flavor supported by the rye, with enough white
flour to give it plenty of volume for that beautiful
oven spring. Here goes:
1. DAY ONE - FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
Feed Levain
Take out and feed the levain as usual and let
levain expand and ferment for 24 hours at room
temperature. If you have a very active levain, you
may get away with skipping this step.
2. DAY TWO - FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
Expand Starter
Easy, barely a step. Do the same as above, except
this time you’ll use some of this for bread making.
expand and double for about 8 hours while
you’re out.
3. DAY TWO - EARLY EVENING
440 GRAMS (2 3/4 C HEAVY) WHITE FLOUR
410 GRAMS (3 C SCANT) WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
30 GRAMS (1/4 C SCANT) RYE FLOUR
680 GRAMS (3 C SCANT) WARM WATER, 90-95 DEG
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
22 GRAMS (1 TBSP, 1 TSPN) SALT
216 GRAMS (3/4 C, 1 TBSP) STARTER
A BIT OF OLIVE OIL
Autolyse
Mix all flour and water (above) in large mixing
bowl until lumps are gone and it is fully
incorporated, let sit for 20 minutes. This is the
base of dough. This ‘autolyse’ reduces mixing
time and prevents over-working. Afterwards,
add salt and fold briefly into dough. Add
starter in seperated chunks.
Mix by Folding
As this is a wet dough, kneading becomes
impractical. Keeping the dough in a large mixing
container and folding allows you to work the
dough without adding more flour. Folding
is done in stages, a few minutes at a time. It is
done by grabbing a handful of the dough blob
with slightly wet hands to keep from sticking,
stretching it outward until it resists (being
careful not to rip), and then pulling it back over
on itself and pushing into the rest of the dough
mass. You can repeat this process throughout the
dough. This excersizes and develops the gluten
network. After a series of folds, it may rest for
30 minutes or more. Two or three series of folds
is recommended to strengthen and mix the dough
fully. You’ll slowly notice the dough developing
more structure, and therefore able to better
maintain its shape. Once finished folding, apply a
very light coat of olive oil to the inside of your 6
quart container (or larger if you’ve doubled the
recipe), add the dough and cover with a lid. this
oil will help you later when gently pulling out
the dough. let the dough rest through the night
at room temperature. It should double in this
container, or more - so leave room!
4. DAY THREE - FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
Shape the Loaves
Ready your proofing basket by dusting it with
white flour, and then semolina flour. Dust
liberally, as the wet dough will absorb much
of it. If using a collander, liberally apply and
work flours into a cloth instead, and line the
collander with it.
Ease the dough onto a floured surface, divide
in two with dough scraper, and shape. Shaping
requires practise, but don’t be fussy. Gently
stretch the dough outward as before, fold in
on itself, and draw the sides up to one point
shaping into a ball form. Put the gathered end
onto the floured surface and tuck the sides
underneath, further stretching its “skin”. Check
some YouTube media here. This will produce a
circular boule shape. Once the surface has a good
tension, gently lay the loaf into the basket with
its stretched side facing up. Repeat with second
loaf and let rest for one hour before heading
out. Then, cover with a cloth or seran wrap and
refrigerate. This will “retard” the loaf, and
further develop its flavors.
5. DAY THREE - EARLY EVENING
Pull out the loaves from the fridge and let
rest for one hour. Meanwhile, you may prehead
the oven with dutch oven and lid inside to 475
degrees.
You may push your finger slighly into the loaf
with a floured fingertip. If it slowly springs back
but not fully, it is ready to bake.
Bake
Make sure you give it an extra 20 minutes to
preheat to ensure the dutch oven is at full
temperature, double checking your oven
thermometer reads 475 as well. Baking with a
dutch oven, (or 2 if you want to bake 2 at a time)
offers you 2 advantages. It creates a very even and
stable heat, and also contains the moisture from
the loaf itself. This produces steam, and therefore
encourages the loaf to rise in the oven. These are
key elements to artisanal hearth baking.
When ready and with long oven mits, quickly
take dutch oven out and close door. Lift lid and
sprinkle corn meal to prevent sticking. Gently
invert proofing basket so that loaf falls out into
other hand or onto floured surface. If desired,
you may score/slash the loaf with a razor blade
or sharp knife - traditionally done at an angle.
Insert the loaf gently into center of dutch oven
and quickly close lid and put back into oven.
You may experiment by spritzing extra water on
the bottom of the lid for extra steam. This step
is dangerously hot, but to be done quickly to
not let heat escape oven, and to not let moisture
escape from the dutch oven after loaf has been
put inside, key.
Bake for 20-25 minutes with lid on, then take
lid off and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Make sure loaf is baked until dark brown, as this
will ensure a crisp crust full of flavor. Baking
times will vary, be sure to check the oven in the
final minutes. However, do not uncover the lid
ESPECIALLY in the first 10 minutes. This is when
it is expanding, and needs to maintain all the
moisture and heat as possible to spring.
When finished baking, pull loaf out carefully and
let cool for 30 minutes.
Listen to its crust crackle and cool, smell its
caramel, and feel its warmth. Have a soft pad
of butter waiting, but be sure to assess the loaf
with nothing else at first. Figure what can be
changed, which element to isolate and adjust.
Dream about what is next to come!
For Reference:
Ken Forkish - Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast
Peter Reinhart - Crust & Crumb
Rose Levy Beranbaum - The Bread Bible
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