Collaborative bread thread for whole wheat/multi-grain/whole grain breads

[subfuscpersona]

Two recipes for multi-grain bread from the archives of DC.

This is called "struan bread" and is presumably of Scottish origin.

A Recipe for Struan (from Beliefnet.com)

Struan Bannock

=== postscript on Jan 2008 ====
The links given above worked correctly when originally posted on Jul 2007.

Because discusscooking.com keeps changing how links to posts are constructed, the above links no longer work. This is too bad, as a great many posts over 3 years old can no longer be found.

[DinaFine]

"To level the initial playing field, I will ask posters to restrict themselves to bread made with commercial yeast (not home grown sourdough starters).

If you purchase whole grains and mill them at home using a manual or electric grain mill, *please DO contribute your expertise*."

Can we discuss sourdough that has commercial yeast added to it?

[subfuscpersona]

Originally Posted by DinaFine on Jul 29

Can we discuss sourdough that has commercial yeast added to it?

Heck, contribute whatever you want.

[DinaFine]

I used a vitamix machine to grind together whole wheat grain and barley with cumin. The crumb came out soft and even without being overly heavy. I started out with a sour starter and 24 hours fermation, then added a tablespoon of yeast before kneading.

[bethzaring]

yaknow, I am not a fan of sourdough bread, BUT, that sure sounds, and looks mighty good!

[subfuscpersona]

Originally Posted by DinaFine on 07-30-2007

I used a vitamix machine to grind together whole wheat grain and barley with cumin. The crumb came out soft and even without being overly heavy. I started out with a sour starter and 24 hours fermation, then added a tablespoon of yeast before kneading.

Some questions...
> on your sourdough starter, how much did you use, what was the hydration (? maybe 50% water and 50% flour) and are you feeding it with white flour (all-purpose or bread flour) or a whole grain flour?
> on your wheat grain, how much wheat and what kind (I assume "hard" wheat but is it -red or white? - winter or summer?)
> on your barley, how much barley and is it pearled, hulled or unhulled?
> on your yeast, are you using Active Dry yeast or Instant Dry yeast

Please share with us the recipe and procedure. Thanks so much!

[subfuscpersona]

Avid bakers have been eagerly awaiting Peter Reinhart's new bread book, Whole Grain Breads



The August 12th entry in the food blog 101 Cookbooks - Recipe Journal gives us a sneak preview with a "transitional version" of his recipe for challah that includes about 50% whole wheat flour. The full recipe and detailed instructions are given, as well as a beautiful photo of the finished loaf. Download and save it!

[DinaFine]

Originally Posted by subfuscpersona

Some questions...
> on your sourdough starter, how much did you use, what was the hydration (? maybe 50% water and 50% flour) and are you feeding it with white flour (all-purpose or bread flour) or a whole grain flour?
> on your wheat grain, how much wheat and what kind (I assume "hard" wheat but is it -red or white? - winter or summer?)
> on your barley, how much barley and is it pearled, hulled or unhulled?
> on your yeast, are you using Active Dry yeast or Instant Dry yeast

Please share with us the recipe and procedure. Thanks so much!

In answer to your questions:
1. I use 2 cups of sourdough starter. I start with one cup that has been refreshed for 12 hours with 2 cups water and two cups high gluten white bread flour. I guess that is 50% hydration, I am not really familiar with terms.

2. After removing one cup to refrigerate, I add 2 cups whole grain flour, 2 cups water, and all the rest of the ingredients except yeast. The wheat is fresh ground from hard red winter wheat.

3. The barley is unhulled organic red barley which has been ground along with the wheat at a proportion of 1 and 3/4 cup wheat to 1/4cup barley. I added a tablespoon of cumin seed in to the grind, but that is for flavor, and is optional or any other seed can be used.

4. I am using active dry yeast.

You know, I havnt been baking that long, and my results are a little uneven, but I will share with you this recipe which seems to give pretty good results most of the time, as long as I am able to keep to a schedule of how long to let it ferment and rise. Maybe you have some ideas for improvement. I'd love to have a give and take on bread making. I used to bake a good deal years ago before kids were born, and then stopped thinking I had the time. I recently got interested in sourdough, and now that's what I do.

3 Cup sourdough Starter - prepared previous
2 Cup Water
1 3/4 Cup hard red Winter Wheat and 1/4 Cup unhulled red barley freshly ground with 1 Tblsp. Cumin. (The taste of the cumin is strong and can be left out) The 2 cups of grain will yield about 3 or 3 1/2 cup flour ground.
4 Tblsp Olive Oil
3/4 C Brown Sugar. ( I have used honey to good effect)
1 Tblsp. Salt.
Approx. 3-5 cups high gluten white flour.
1 tblsp. active dry yeast


I start in the evening with one cup of sour starter and refresh it with 2 cups of water and 2 cups of high gluted white flour. This ferments overnight or 12 hours.

In the morning remove one cup to the starter to the refrigerator and to the remaining 2 cups of starter, add 2 cups of whole grain flour along with 2 cups of water and and all the rest of the ingredients except additional flour and yeast.

Let this sponge ferment for about 12 hours until evening. There should be a lot of bubbly action going on.

Proof yeast, Stir into sponge along with the rest of the whole grain flour, and continue to add white flour as much as necessary until dough can be kneaded in the bowl a bit and turned out onto a floured surface to knead for 10 minutes.

Put the kneaded dough into a greased bowl, grease a piece of wax paper, top with a clean towel and put it in the refrigerator until the morning.

Take out and let the dough warm up. It should have risen almost double in the refrigerator overnight. let it warm until an indentation does not fill in and then divide and shape into loaves. Let rise until almost double, Slash, brush with margarine or butter, bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Thats it.

I hope that If you make it, you will like it. the crumb is soft and even and I found that using this time frame it has a pleasant tang without being overly sour. Of course this isnt a 100% whole wheat, that would be denser. I have done it and found it good, but prefer a lighter bread.

[subfuscpersona]

Interesting article in Winter 07 newsletter from San Francisco Baking Institute on using whole grain flours in bread formulas. Discusses types of whole grain flours, effects on gluten development and suggests adjustments for water content and mixing times. The link is http://www.sfbi.com/pdfs/SFBINewsWI07.pdf

SF [515]

[DinaFine]

I made the Challah recipe from Peter Reinharts book, Not really happy with the results. The bread looked okay, just flat, and the crumb was dry. It expanded out but not up when baking. I did my best to follow the recipe. The difference was that I had some millet in the whole wheat flour that went into the soaker, and both the biga and the soaker were not dry enough to cut into pieces after their fermentation. I did allow them to ferment a bit longer than required as I was busy and didnt get to it right away. I followed his recipe amounts exactly, so I dont know why they seemed too wet. I just mixed them together and proceeded. I think the major thing is that i dont know how tacky the final dough is supposed to be. I dont like trying to knead dough that is really sticky, but was afraid to add much more flour. Maybe, there was already too much flour, hence the dry crumb. If you have any suggestions, I would appreciate it.

Dina