Country Loaf
June 6, 2011
[250W - 250WM - 180ST - 300WA] autolyse 25 min (0900-0930)
[50WA - 10SA] bulk ferment, 2 hours, fold every half (0930-1130)
Bench rested for 30 min, left to retard (1200)
Dough was not as loose or wet due to the lower water content relative to my usual doughs. It did stretch and fold relatively well, but did not expand very much during the short bulk fermentation. The dough showed good tension with almost no droop during the bench rest, and I folded it into a round once more before placing it in the mixing bowl to retard. Left to retard for 8 hours and cooked in a pre-heated and well floured dutch oven - removed the lid after 20 minutes (sprayed with water after removing lid), total cooking time 1:15.
The crust was crispy and light, with the dough crackling as it cooled. The crumb structure had lots of small bubbles roughly consistent in size with a few odd larger bubbles. The crumb was bouncy and dense, making it a good option for toast or sandwiches. The crust was not thick enough to be difficult to bite into from the sides or to worry about cutting the inside of my mouth. The taste of the crumb was maybe teetering on the edge of burnt, while the crumb tasted slightly sour and generally quite neutral. Dove's flour doesn't produce a strong flavor (compared to shipton mill) but I think lighter and in texture than my loaves generally turn out with Shipton Mill. Definitely less waxy for a 50-50 mix like this loaf.
Loved the look and feel of the crust. Surprised that such a low hydration dough produced a good result. Haven't made anything lower than 80% hydration for a while and this one turned out quite nicely. It was easy to shape and form so I may try a free form loaf with lower hydration next time around.
Ate this with a really nice pesto Edam <?> that my friend J brought over from Holland as gift. :) pictured below.
I love that dark crust!
ReplyDeletethank you, Susan! And thanks for your site, of course!
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