Sunday Night Whole Wheat

Today I am making a whole wheat country loaf. I've modeled this recipe on a base bread recipe from Julia Child, with a few changes. I made a starter yesterday and let it ferment over night. I basically make the same starter for every bread, substituting the type of flour to reflect the bread i am making. While I don't have enough experience making bread to tell the difference, I am led to believe that a bread made with a "sponge" starter like this one makes for a better flavor.

Baking Tunes:
-Acid King, Busse Woods (1997)
-Blitzkrieg, A Time of Change (1985)

The recipe for the Starter:
-1 cup Unbleached White Bread Flour
-1 cup Tepid Water
-2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast
-1/4 tsp. sugar
-1 cup. Cold Milk (added 24 hours after)

Here is a picture of the pizza stone that I use when ever I baked anything. It's pretty dark because I have had it for about 4 years and use it a lot. It is very vital to use one of these to help bake your bread properly. Not only is it helpful in providing consistent heat from the bottom of the bread, it also gives the bread a smoky flavor you would normally only get from a wood burning oven. It will also help keep the heat near the bread more stable in cheaper, less reliable ovens like mine. Do not clean it or take it out of the oven while still warm because it may crack (let it cool down in the oven). You can find one of these at any kitchen supply store or order one online.

Ok so here's the recipe for the Whole Wheat Country Loaf:

-1 Starter (see above)
-21/2 cups Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour
-21/2 cups Unbleached White Bread Flour
-3/4 cup Rye Flour
-1/4 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
-4 tsp. Salt

Mix starter with flour and salt and form a rough dough. I do all my bread mixing and kneading by hand, you can use a mixer like a Kitchen Aid if you prefer. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow moisture to absorb. Knead dough till smooth or close to smooth. Place in a dry bowl, cover and let rise to double its size in a warm area free of drafts. Punch down dough and knead briefly to redistribute yeast. Rise again in bowl till doubled in size. Now I transfer the dough to a floured bamboo bowl and I proof the dough for an hour on it to give the surface a little textural character (jury is still out on whether its worth it or not). Flip the dough on to a floured baker's peel or whatever you are going to use to transfer the dough into the oven. Then I lightly flour the top of the dough and cut slashes in the surface to allow for expansion. Bake in a 450-500 F pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, then turn down the heat to 400 F for another 15-20 minutes till nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool before cutting.

Enjoy
-Mark