Peter Reinhart 39;s Whole Grain Breads New Techniques Extraordinary Flavor
Mandy Geise
The delayed fermentation method used in this book capitalizes on enzyme activity while also incorporating the parallel drama of the living microorganisms: yeast and bacteria. It uses a new approach to draw out the full flavor potential of the grain, delaying much of the fermentation until after the enzymes have done their work. (Conventionally, fermentation begins right away, so enzyme activity happens concurrently with fermentation.) This new approach addresses the whole grain baking puzzle by combining several distinct entities to create a dough that performs well and yields a loaf of bread with wonderful flavor. (46)
I decided to do a test. I made a basic bread dough (4 oz starter, 2 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp yeast, 7 3/4 oz water, 10 1/8 oz AP Flour, 2 1/8 oz WW flour) using my handy-dandy bread calculator at 68% hydration; my standard level of wetness: not overly dry but manageable. I kneaded the dough for ten minutes. I made my first batch of the dough at 5 PM on Saturday. I started an identical batch around noon on Sunday: at 12:15, the second batch was ready to go through its first rise and I took the refrigerated batch from the night before out of the refrigerator so it could begin its first rise. At this point, the doughs looked almost identical, although up-close the delayed-fermentation dough had a smoother surface, possibly from its night of rest.
Cosmetic differences aside, what about the taste? Expecting great things, Martha and I eagerly sat down with our two slices of bread. I took a bite from the delayed fermentation dough first. It was good! Next, I tried the fresh loaf. It was also good! The flavor differences, if they existed, must have been subtle, because to my coarse palate these breads tasted the same. Martha, who is much more taste-sensitive than I, agreed. There was also very little textural difference: I thought I could detect more crunchiness in the fresh crust and more chewiness in the delayed fermentation crust. The delayed-fermentation bread also felt slightly denser.
Opens texture slightly Chilling dough retards the action of yeast and influences texture, though much more subtly than breadmaking method. The air-bubble nuclei worked into the dough during mixing and kneading are enlarged by gases from the yeast. Initially these tiny bubbles contain air, which is mostly nitrogen (78 percent) and oxygen (21 percent). Immediately the yeast uses up the oxygen so you have mostly nitrogen in these tiny bubbles. The gases from yeast are essentially carbon dioxide, and they enlarge the same bubbles. The longer the dough rises, the more carbon dioxide there is in the enlarged bubbles.
After a long rise, the bubbles contain a very high percentage of carbon dioxide and a very low percentage of nitrogen. The longer the rise, or after multiple punch-downs, the higher the percentage of carbon dioxide. After a very long rise or two or three shorter rises, the bubbles contain essentially 100 percent carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide dissolves very well in cold water. So, if the dough is chilled, the carbon dioxide in a great number of bubbles will completely dissolve. The dough now has fewer bubbles for the gases from the yeast to enlarge. When the dough is warm again, the yeast puts much more gas into these fewer bubbles, creating bigger bubbles and a coarser bread. (29)
Tom,
I am printing this out for further study. The concern about competing for refrigerator space with a superb cook has always prevented me from giving the delayed process much thought. Your tests reassure me I may have made the correct choice.
Bread bakers are their own tribe - and while they might not have a secret handshake, I assure you they have a language all their own. Their idea of a window pane is not your idea of a window pane, and words like benching, barms, and bigas pepper their sentences. If you develop an interest in baking bread, chances are you'll encounter the work of bread baking ambassador and baker extraordinare, Peter Reinhart. I've eagerly awaited Peter's new book for months - primarily because of the prior success I've had with breads (and pizzas!) based on his writings and recipes. Look at the challah bread in the photograph up above - how beautiful is that? I take minimal credit. When I follow Peter's lead in the land of crust and crumb, I regularly meet with this type of success. This challah bread recipe is from his new release, Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor. Many of you are familiar with Peter's best-selling Bread Baker's Apprentice, it won both the IACP and James Beard book of the year awards in 2002.
One of the most significant aspects of this new book is Peter's introduction (and explanation) of a totally new way of making whole grain breads - he's nicknamed it "The Epoxy Method." I'm not going to get into the finer points of how it works in this post, but for the bread enthusiasts reading, this new technique will take your whole grain breads to new heights - literally. In addition to this new technique, there are other reasons I'm excited about the book...
Whole Grains:
You all know how much I like cooking and baking with whole grains, whole grain flours and the like. This book is full of recipes highlighting and utilizing this palette of ingredients.
100%.....or less:
Many of the breads featured in the book are highlighted a couple ways. Peter will include a 100% whole grain flour version of a bread, as well as alternate version that might have a blend of white and whole grain flour, say 50/50.
Beginners through breadheads:
It doesn't matter if you've never baked bread before in your life, the recipes and techniques are clearly explained and straight-forward. For more advanced bakers, you'll get the advanced, under-the-hood explanations you are looking for.
Photography:
The book has both instructional and and beauty shots. The instructional shots are helpful confidence boosters as you are moving through recipes and techniques and bread types.
I asked Peter if he had a favorite recipe from the book and he mentioned the spent grain bread he made recently for a Slow Food dinner (the recipe is included in Whole Grain Breads). It requires tracking down some spent grain from a local micro-brewery, but for you die-hards, it sounds worth the effort. He used spent grains from a batch of Irish Stout and noted the malty flavors were hard to beat. This spent grain bread is on my list to try, but I also have his potato rosemary bread, the Vollkornbrot, and the seeded crackers in my cross-hairs.
Peter's challah recipe creates a wonderful (and reasonably forgiving) dough that bakes into a tender, delicious version of the traditional Jewish celebration bread. Though I don't know much about the ritual and tradition surrounding challah bread, I've always been captivated by the intricate braiding. Going into this recipe I felt wildly ambitious and was determined to try a 6-strand braid.....let's just say I'll have to practice a few more times using something other than dough before I'm ready to graduate to anything more than a three strand braid.
This is the transitional version of the 100% whole wheat challah included in the Peter's Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads. It is a blend of whole wheat and white flours, and takes two days to make - not all active. There are three major components (soaker, biga, and final dough).
2. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. (If it will be more than 24 hours, place the soaker in the refrigerator; it will be good for up to 3 days. Remove it 2 hours before mixing the final dough to take off the chill.)
1. Mix all of the biga ingredients together in a bowl to form a ball of dough. Using wet hands, knead the dough in the bowl for 2 minutes to be sure all of the ingredients are evenly distributed and the flour is fully hydrated. The dough should feel very tacky. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead it again with wet hands for 1 minute. The dough will become smoother but still be tacky.
3. About 2 hours before mixing the final dough, remove the biga from the refrigerator to take off the chill. It will have risen slightly but need not have risen significantly in order to use it in the final dough.
2. If mixing by hand, combine the soaker and biga pieces in a bowl with the 7 tablespoons flour and the salt, yeast, honey, and vegetable oil. Stir vigorously with a mixing spoon or knead with wet hands for about 2 minutes, until all of the ingredients are evenly integrated and distributed into the dough. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky; if not, add more flour or water as needed. If using a stand mixer, put the pre-dough pieces in the bowl along with the 7 tablespoons of flour and the salt, yeast, honey, and vegetable oil. Mix on slow speed with the paddle attachment (preferable) or the dough hook for 1 minute to bring the ingredients together into a ball. Switch to the dough hook if need be and mix on medium-low speed, occasionally scraping down the bowl, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pre-dough becomes cohesive and assimilated into each other. Add more flour or water as needed until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.
3. Dust a work surface with flour, then roll the dough in the flour to coat. Knead the dough by hand for 3 to 4 minutes, incorporating only as much extra flour as needed, until the fought feels soft and tacky, but not sticky. Form the dough into a ball and let it rest on the work surface for 5 minutes while you prepare a clean, lightly oiled bowl.
4. Resume kneading the dough for 1 minute to strengthen the gluten and make any final flour or water adjustments. The dough should have strength and pass the windowpane test, yet still feel soft, supple, and very tacky. Form the dough into a ball and place it in the prepared bowl, rolling to coat with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, until it is about 1 1/2 times its original size.
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