Mill Grain @100%

I love Mill Grain Bread. You can add any kind of grains or seeds you like. It smells and tastes so good! I know that many people if not most, keep their starters at 100% hydration. You might have noticed that the last several blog entries with recipes were also using the starter at 100% hydration.I have been keeping my starters at 100% hydration and creating new formulas or recipes using 100% hydration. So here you go:

Mill Grain Loaf using 100% Hydration: (I started this around 2:30 pm and had the dough shaped and into the refrigerator around 9:00 pm. You can get your grains ready even earlier to allow time for the mixture to cool.

First get your grains prepared:

Add together in a medium saucepan:

 

  • 9.5 oz/219g of assorted cracked grains and seeds

I used:
1.5 oz/42g flax seeds – coarsely ground
1.5 oz/42g  Sunflower seeds- raw but lightly toasted, no salt
2 oz/56g Millet seeds
3 oz/85g cracked grains (wheat, rye, etc)
1.5 oz/42g Sesame seeds

I then added :

  • 8 oz water
  • .2 oz/5g of salt

I then brought the grains/seeds and water/salt to a boil while stirring. Stir and take the pan off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool. The water should be almost completely absorbed. The flax seeds will make the mixture somewhat slimy/slippery.

Now get your dough going. In a large mixing bowl or mixer add together:

  • 16 oz/453g vigorous starter @ 100% hydration
  • 13 oz/368g water
  • 26 oz total amount of flour ( Reserve 5 oz/141g  of flour to be added after autolyse) You can use part of the 26 oz of flour as part whole wheat if you like, I used 3 oz of Whole Wheat flour as part of this amount.

Mix the ingredients together well (remember to reserve 5 oz of the flour to add later) and then let the dough autolyse (rest) for 20 minutes. Now add to the autolysed dough:

  • .6 oz/17g of salt
  • The reserved 5 oz/141g of flour.
  • Cooled grain/seed mixture (It can be lukewarm)

Without the grain mixture the dough is 61 % hydration and weighs 3 lbs 7.8 oz or 1581g

With the grain mixture added to the dough the hydration is 66% hydration and weighs: 4 lbs 9.3 oz or 2078 g

Let the dough mixture ferment in a covered container for four hours, turning the dough once each hour. Then refrigerate the dough for two hours (This is especially for warmer weather when the dough is very warm and you need to chill it down somewhat so that it doesn’t overproof in the refrigerator overnight). Take the dough out of the refrigerator and shape into loaves. Place the shaped loaves back into the refrigerator overnight, make sure to cover the loaves with a plastic bag.

Next morning take out your loaves one at a time, staggered 35 minutes apart and allow them to warm up and final proof. It took my loaves 3 hours with a microwave proofing box.

To use your microwave as a proofing box: I warm proofed the loaves by placing a thick microwave proof mug in the microwave filled with water and bringing it to a boil (about two minutes). I then left the mug in the corner of the microwave and placed my proofing dough into the microwave and shut the door.

Don’t turn the microwave on, just allow the hot mug of water to heat and humidify the interior of your microwave and use it as a proofing box for your dough. I placed the timer on for 30 minutes and every 30 minutes, I rotated the loaves (I had two loaves) into the microwave to warm up, I heated the cup of water each time I rotated the loaves. Be careful handling the cup of hot water and use a hot mitt when you do handle it.

When the dough was proofed, I baked the loaves in a 450 degree oven with the roasting lid method of steaming. The oven was preheated for one hour with a baking stone and a roasting lid (the lid is put in the oven about 5 minutes before you use it). The dough is slashed, put onto the hot stone, sprayed all over once and then the roasting lid is placed over the dough.

Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the roasting lid and place it on top of your oven until the next loaf is baked. Now bake the loaf for about 15 more minutes at 425-430 degrees or until the loaf is nicely browned and sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom of it. Or a bread thermometer reads 205-210 degrees F. when inserted into the center of the loaf.  I like to turn the loaf at least twice during the bake. Once after the first 20 minutes and then again during the last 15 minutes for even browning.

I baked up two large loaves with this formula. Just make sure you have enough to share… you will need it. Happy Baking everyone!

northwestsourdough

Teresa L Greenway - Sourdough bread baker, author, teacher, entrepreneur. Join my baking classes at: https://tinyurl.com/nbe3ejd

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