bake better bread

A key element of this recipe is scalding the flour before use. If you do not have barley flour, swap it with another flour such as buckwheat, oats, or rye. This recipe makes two large loaves. This recipe is for a sourdough loaf and assumes that your starter is ready to use. I feed mine with 100 gr flour and 100 ml water about 6 hours before I use it. If the temperature is over 25°C  (77°F), reduce the autolysing and first proving times to 2 hours. Weighing accurately will make all the difference!

Barley Sourdough Bread

white bread flour

barley flour (Or other flour mentioned above)

240 millilitres sourdough starter

water

salt

Boil water in a kettle and let it sit for 5 minutes. You&#39;ll be using 160 ml

Add the slightly cooled water to the barley flour and mix well

Set aside until cooled. Check temperature is less than 30°C (86°F) before using.

Scalding the flour

Add the white flour to a bowl. Add the scalded barley flour breaking up into small pieces. Add the starter and 480 ml water. This should be about 22°C (71°F). Mix together and leave for 3 hours at room temperature.

Autolysing the dough

Add the salt to the autolysed mixture and mix well. Using a stand mixer, knead until the dough reaches between 24° and 26°C (75° to 78°F). Start on a low speed for about 5 minutes, then increase speed to medium. The dough should come away from the sides cleanly. Check that the dough is elastic by pulling a lump gradually apart. Checking the dough temperature is very important. This will set you up for successful dough.

Alternatively, knead for 10 to 15 minutes until smooth and the dough is stretchy. The dough should ideally be between 24° and 26°C (75° to 78°F)

Mix and Knead the dough

Move the dough to a large plastic box and leave it to prove for 3 hours at room temperature.

First Proving at Room Temperature

During the first proving, fold the dough twice. Imagine that the dough in the bowl has four equal sides. Using our dough scraper, pull up each side in turn and fold towards the middle.

Fold the dough

After 3 hours place the dough in the fridge overnight.

Prove the dough in the fridge

Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape gently into a round. Leave 10 minutes. If you are only able to bake one loaf at a time, put one portion back into the box in the fridge. Then shape that one hour before your first loaf comes out of the oven.

Shaping the dough

Pre-heat your oven to 230°C (445°F) placing your cast iron pans in the oven. Do this at least 1/2 hour before you intend to bake. If you are using a Rofco oven, pre-heating will take 1.5 hours.

Pre heat your oven and pan

Shape your loaves a second time and either place them on a couche or in banettons for one hour. If your pan is circular, shape into rounds; if you pan is rectangular shape into oblongs

Shape and Second Prove

Cut two strips of parchment paper as wide as the loaf and twice as long. You will put your dough on the parchment and place in the cast iron pan.

Prepare parchment paper

After one hour, transfer the dough to the parchment paper. If you are using a banetton, place the parchment on top of the dough, then a cutting board and then invert it. If you are using a couche, use the pleat to tip your dough onto the cutting board then invert it onto the parchment.

Transfer your dough

Using a lame or sharp knife, score the loaf horizontally. with a shallow cut on one side half way between the top of the loaf and the bottom.

Score the loaf

Remove the pan from the oven and remove the lid. Put the loaf into the pan and close the lid immediately.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for a further 10 minutes. Finally, bake the loaf for 5 minutes out of the pan. Let it cool before eating.

Bake

The inspiration for this recipe comes from the wine growing area of South Africa where grape must (mos) was used to bake buns (bolletjies) without commercial yeast. Learn how to make a fermented water and make an unsweetened bread. The fermented raisin water can be used for other recipes that would usually use commercial yeast or dough.  The temperature of your location will impact on how long it takes the raisins to get going. This is my interpretation of Michelle&#039;s instructions.

Bread recipe using raisin water

raisins (sultanas work well. Try to use untreated fruit)

water (170 for initial fermentation)

Ferment

In your jar, add 57 grams of raisins and 170 ml water. Make sure the water is 5 cm above the raisins. Replace the lid, but do not seal. Leave for 4 days giving it a shake each day. For the first few days, very little will happen. By the 4th day, you should see plenty of bubbles and some of the raisins will float to the top.

Weigh

You will now use the water in the ferment in your dough. Set the raisins aside for another use. Top the water up to 280 ml.

Place your flour and salt in a bowl and add the 280 ml water. Mix well and knead until smooth. This will take about 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer.

Prove

Place in a container with a lid and leave out in the kitchen for 6-8 hours. The dough will be springy and have risen. You should see some bubbles

Shape

Shape the dough into a ball by pulling the dough and drawing in the sides. Turn the dough ball over and roll. At this stage you can place it in a 2lb baking tin or on a well-floured couche or linen tea towel

Heat

Preheat your oven to 200°C half an hour before needed

Final Prove

Prove for 6-8 hours before baking. It should be well risen and if prodded the dimple will fill very slowly

My 1947 South African Department of Agriculture cookbook says dedicate a calabash to fermenting raisins, and do not wash it out. The fermentation process is a lot faster and one gives it a wipe after use.

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Barley Sourdough Bread

Bread recipe using raisin water

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The most viewed bake better bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Barley Sourdough Bread

Bread recipe using raisin water

The most viewed bake better bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine