Baking Bread with Pre-Ferments and Sourdough Starters

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Henry Collins
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Baking Bread with Pre-Ferments and Sourdough Starters Quality ingredients and critical know-how are the keys to making great homemade bread Why use pre-ferments and sourdough starters?

1 Baking Bread with Pre-Ferments and Sourdough Starters Quality ingredients and critical know-how are the keys to making great homemade bread Why use pre-ferments and sourdough starters? The advantages are numerous! The enzyme action in pre-ferments and sourdough starters begins the processing of starch particles and renders it more digest-able to us. yeast readily reproduces flavor and texture are improved gluten is developed (structure) nutrition is improved...with a pre-ferment or sourdough starter there is more time for the enzymes to break down the starches. The enzyme activity of digesting the grain increases mineral availability by reducing the phytic acid. Iron, calcium, zinc and magnesium are better absorbed by the body. What are pre-ferments? Pre-ferments are a mixture of flour, water and a small amount of yeast (and sometimes salt). Mixed the day before baking, the pre-ferment jump-starts the fermentation. Other names for pre-ferments pâte fermentée, poolish, biga, sponge, preliminary dough The recipes are similar but the proportions might differ slightly What are sourdough starters? Simply stated, a sourdough starter is a mixture of un-bleached flour and water that is cultured. Wild-yeasts are readily available on the grains of flour (and in the air). It is a slow process of feeding flour and water to the mixture daily, keeping the mixture around 75 degrees and monitoring its progress for about a week. The wild yeasts feed on the flour starches, multiplying and giving off alcohol and gas as it grows (the bubbles). Once the starter is mature it is retarded in the refrigerator. Cooling below 40 degrees slows down the growth of yeast. The culture is fed weekly with equal parts of flour and water. A day or two before you are ready to bake you build your starter by feeding it. You are doubling its weight each time you feed it. Montford Walk-In Bakery, jen@montfordwibakery.com, Page 1

2 Rye flour is sometimes used to begin and maintain a starter because it is high in easily ferment-able starches. Due to its low gluten content it is not necessarily used in the final dough unless specifically desired. Other names for sourdough starters barm, levain Sourdough starters and pre-ferments improve the keeping quality Bread baking traditions in many cultures have used pre-ferments and sourdough starters for centuries. Not having access to commercial yeast (until the last 100 years) they perpetuated their yeast in crocks at room temperature and baked often. Many times they just pinched off dough from a last batch and they used it the next day in their dough. Soakers- hydrating your milled, cracked, flaked or whole grains When baking with whole grains it is important to pre-soak them so that they soften. Soaking the grain facilitates mixing the dough. Soaking begins the enzyme action to break down the starches...making vitamins and minerals more available and proteins more digestible. Soakers are used many times in combination to sourdough starters and pre-ferments. Control your temperature and timing...bake on your own schedule Planning = Good Bread. Make your pre-ferment or feed your starter the day before and leave out at room temperature (or refrigerate, as specified in your recipe). The next day mix up your dough with the starter and so on through the steps to bake your bread. You can even put the dough you mix back in the refrigerator to accommodate your work schedule. Retarding dough in the refrigerator further improves your bread. Take your dough out the next day at your convenience, divide, shape, proof and bake...you are in control! Bread baking equipment essentials scales for weighing ingredients stainless mixing bowls- small and large liquid measuring cup, measuring cups and spoons plastic bowl scraper and bench scraper thermometer large cotton dish towels and trash bag sheet pans, bread pans, baking stone (optional) sharp knife (for slashing dough)

3 Baking Bread with Pre-Ferments and Sourdough Starters oven: 500 degree oven preheated for 45 minutes (pre-heat your baking stone in the cold oven) cooling rack bread knife Good Ingredients available at the food co-op, health food stores and many grocery stores spring water or tap water (that has sat out overnight to get rid of chlorine gas) organic, unbleached and whole grains- wheat, rye and other hard red spring wheat flour is good for bread flour (12-14% protein) hard red winter wheat is considered an all-purpose (9-12% protein) instant yeast- just mix in with the dry ingredients (SAF brand) sea salt dried fruits, toasted nuts and seeds (you may want to soak your dried fruit) vegetable oil Get Ready to Bake Choose a recipe and plan a day ahead Assemble all of your ingredients, measure and set aside The day before baking make your pre-ferment or feed your sourdough starter Baking day: you are ready to assemble your ingredients and bake Suggested Resources The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart a wonderful bread baking manual that is a complete bread baking course...a user-friendly, good go-to book for everyone :// The Bread Baking Handbook by Jeffrey Hamelman a comprehensive baking guide :// Montford Walk-In Bakery, jen@montfordwibakery.com, Page 3

4 Bread Matters by Andrew Whitley this book outlines the issues (political and practical) of bread baking...see his Real Bread website for his campaign in the UK :// Aunt Barb's Bread Book by Barbara Swell Asheville's own historic cookbook author. This is her latest book which is full of great recipes and is user-friendly ://

5 Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread yield: 3 medium loaves Soaker (make hours before mixing) 1/3 cup whole-wheat bulgur 1/3 cup whole corn grits 1/2 cup millet ½ cup oatmeal 1 1/4 cup boiling water Pre-ferment (make at least hours before mixing) 2 ½ cups unbleached bread flour 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. instant yeast 1 cup water, room temperature Dough 4 cups whole-wheat flour 1 cup unbleached bread flour 1 Tbs. salt 1 ¼ tsp. instant yeast 2 Tbs. honey 1 ¼ cups water, warm (more, as needed) Soaker Pre-ferment Procedure 1. Soaker: Combine the grains in a medium bowl. Pour the boiling water over the mixture and mix well. Cover the bowl and set aside for 12 hours. 2. Pre-ferment: In a medium mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the water and mix to a fairly smooth consistency. Cover and store at room temperature for 12 hours. 3. Measure all of your remaining dough ingredients. 4. In a large mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients and mix together. Add the soaker, honey and water and mix to a shaggy mass. Add the pre-ferment in small pieces along with more water to make a smooth dough (this will take about 8-10 minutes). 5. Place in an oiled bowl to ferment in a warm place (high 70's). After 1 hour turn out, fold and return to ferment for another hour. It should almost double in size. 6. De-gas and rest a few minutes on a lightly floured surface. Montford Walk-In Bakery, jen@montfordwibakery.com, Page 1

6 7. Divide into three pieces, round and let rest for another few minutes. 8. Shape dough into loaves and place in oiled bread pans 9. Proof about an hour or so until the loaves have risen well above the top of the pan by about ½ an inch 10. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes 11. Score the top and bake in the oven (optional: spray the sides and doors with water to steam the bread...repeat the spraying 2 more times at 30 second intervals). 12. Turn the oven down to 450 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pans and turn the oven down to 435 if they are browning too quickly. Baking time will be approximately 40 minutes. 13. The bread is done when the internal temperature is 200 degrees 14. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a rack an hour before eating

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