Mixed-Flour Miche with high extraction flour

A Mixed-Flour Miche is a huge country loaf made with a stiff-texture levain and high-extraction flour.  According to Jeffrey Hammelman, this bread is similar to the type of large, naturally fermented whole-grain loaves that were common on country tables for centuries throughout Europe. So when we eat this bread, we’re enjoying a bit of history.  I like that!

 

In case you’re wondering, high-extraction flour is whole-wheat flour that is sifted to a partial whole wheat, a 90 to 95% extraction rate. You can buy high-extraction flour, or you can sift medium-to-coarse whole-wheat flour to obtain high-extraction flour.  In this formula, Hammelman uses a flour that has an ash content of about .92 percent. The ash content is the amount of bran that remains when the wheat grains have been milled into flour.

I mill my own whole wheat flour so I decided to do an experiment to see if I could determine the percentage of extraction and get to 92% or something close.  Now let me just say that I’m not a mathematician but I figured I could do this.

I measured 3.2 ounces (3/4 cup) of medium-grind Hard Red Spring Whole Wheat Flour and sifted it to determine how much of the bran/germ was removed.  I ended up with 3.17 ounces of flour after sifting it once and 3.10 ounces after sifting it twice.  I performed this experiment a few times and each time I got the same result.  So I determined that if I use the same flour and sift it once, I end up with a .935% extraction and sifting it twice leaves a .914% extraction.  I decided to go with the .914% extraction for this bread.

 

You can do this experiment even if you don’t mill your own grains.  Just choose a hard red spring or winter wheat, or one with a bread flour gluten specification of 11.5 to 13 percent.  Use a medium-to-coarse grind because the fine grind will pass right through the sieve.  Run it through the sieve or sifter.  The smaller particles of bran and germ will sift through, but the larger pieces will remain in the sieve. Refer to the above photo.

Another method is to blend half whole-wheat flour and half bread flour or you can even use all whole wheat for this bread.

 

I used the Mixed-Flour Miche formula from the Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman

I didn’t change the formula so I’m not posting it, but you can find an adapted version here.

 

As I mentioned the loaf was huge. However, it fit perfectly in my La Cloche baker.

 

So I proofed it and baked it in the bell-shaped baker.

 

After the loaf has baked and cooled, you’re supposed to wrap it in baker’s linen and let it sit for at least 12 hours before slicing and eating.

I waited about 18 hours and then sliced it and tried it.  It was chewy and very tangy. It reminded me of a typical chewy sourdough rye bread.  Not exactly my cup of tea (or slice of bread rather), but I enjoyed making it. 

This bread has good keeping qualities and it tastes better (to me) after a couple of days.  It can keep for about a week at room temperature.

 

I had dinner with my friend from Eastern Europe the other night and I gave him a slice of this bread.  He took one bite and his eyes lit up.  He said, “Sourdough Rye. Oh!  This is so good!”  So I gave him the rest of the loaf.  He was only too happy to receive it. That made me very happy.  I knew there was a reason I made this bread.

 

Mellow Bakers was started by Paul at Yumarama. We’re baking breads from Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman.

 

Happy Baking!
Cathy

 

Resources for Home Milling

• Learn about home milling your own flour

• Grain Mills

• Grains for Milling

Roasted Onion & Asiago Miche: BBA

I finally reached the end of the BBA Challenge! The 43rd and final bread in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice is Roasted Onion and Asiago Miche.

Wow! What a way to end! The last bread in the Bread Baker's Apprentice is another extraordinary bread from Bennett Valley Bread and Pastry Bakery. This is a huge and very flavorful bread made with roasted onions, chives, scallions and cheese.  It has a thin and crispy crust on the outside and a soft and flavorful crumb on the inside.  Delish!

This bread usually takes 3 days to make; however, it took me a total of 5 days to make both loaves. I baked the first loaf on the 4th day and the 2nd loaf on the 5th day.  Originally, I was going to halve the recipe because the loaves are huge, but then I changed my mind.  I decided to give most of the 1st loaf to my main taste tester.  He didn’t get to try the Potato, Cheddar & Chive Torpedos so I thought it was only fair that he got his share of this one.  He really liked it!

To make this bread, you begin by making the sponge one day before making the dough and 2 days before baking the bread (or 3 days before making the bread in my case).

Making the Sponge

To make the sponge, mix together the starter, water, and flour in a bowl until the flour is completely hydrated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Ferment at room temperature for 8 hours, or until the sponge is very bubby.  If it is a cool day and the sponge is fermenting slowly, you can leave it out overnight (which is what I did).  Then put it in the refrigerator.

 

Remove the sponge from the refrigerator about 1 hour before making the dough to take off the chill. 

While the sponge is resting on the counter, roast or sauté the onion and set aside.  Or, you can do this the day before, which is what I did.

 

Making the Dough

To make the dough, stir together the flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and the sponge and stir until all the ingredients are evenly distributed and the dough forms a ball.

Let sit for 5 minutes. Then add the salt and olive oil and stir to distribute.  I did this by hand and it was pretty tricky getting the salt and the olive oil mixed it.  I literally used my hands.

Add half of the grated cheese (I used parmesan) and all of the chives and scallions.

Transfer the dough to a counter sprinkled with flour.

Knead the dough for about 4 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed, adding additional flour as needed to make a soft, tacky, but not sticky dough.

Fermenting the Dough

Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough nearly doubles in size.

Shaping the Dough

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, mist with spray oil, and dust with cornmeal.

Dust the counter with flour and transfer the dough from the bowl to the counter, taking care not to degas the dough. Divide the dough into two equal pieces.

Gently shape them into large boules. Place a round of dough on each pan.  Mist the dough with spray oil and cover with plastic wrap.  Place the pans in the refrigerator overnight.

Proofing the Loaves

Remove the pan from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to bake.  You can hold them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, baking each pan on a different day which is what I did.  Proof the dough for approximately 2 hours at room temperature.

 

Baking the Loaves

Prepare the oven for hearth baking by placing a baking stone on the middle rack and a steam pan underneath.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil.

Using your fingertips, make dimples all over the dough, pressing almost to the bottom of the loaf and creating a series of ridges and pockets all over the surface.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top of each loaf.

Divide the roasted onion pieces into 2 portions and evenly distribute them over the top of the cheese.  Let the dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the loaves to the baking stone.  Pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan and close the door.  After 30 seconds, open the door, spray the walls of the oven with water, and close the door.  Repeat twice more at 30-second intervals.  After the final spray, lower the oven setting to 450 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.

Rotate the bread 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes. 

The bread should be golden brown and the cheese melted and brown. 

The loaf should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.  If the cheese seems to brown, but you still need more baking time, cover the top with aluminum foil or a piece of baking parchment to protect the top.  I covered mine with aluminum foil but the onions still got a little charred. 

Transfer the finished bread to a rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving. 

Here it is!  A big, beautiful loaf of deliciousness!

This is the crumb from the first loaf.

Here is a close-up of the crumb from the 2nd loaf.  It was so good!  I really, really like this bread!

 

That’s it for this bread!   

Wow!  Is the BBA Challenge really over?  It’s been a great ride!

 

Which breads are my favorites from the book?  Let me see…

Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread hands down is my very favorite enriched bread.  It’s beautiful as a braided bread and it tastes great, freezes great, and is great toasted! A very versatile bread indeed!

I also like (in alphabetical order, couldn’t rank them if I tried):

• Light Wheat Bread 
• Multigrain Bread
• Marbled Rye Bread
• New York Deli Rye
• Pane Siciliano (loved the semolina in this bread)
• Pain Poilâne
• Pizza Napoletana (fabulous pizza)
• Potato Rosemary Bread  (loved the flavor combinations)
• Stollen
• Sunflower Seed Rye  (loved the seeds and rye flavor)
• Swedish Rye (Limpa)
• Tuscan Bread (I liked it even without the salt)
• Potato, Cheddar & Chive Torpedos  (Delicious! Absolutely delicious!)
• Roasted Onion & Asiago (Parmesan) Cheese Miche

 

I want to thank Nicole of Pinch my Salt for creating the BBA Challenge and for bringing all of the wonderful bread bakers together around the world.  It’s been a wonderful and rewarding experience.

To all my fellow BBA Bakers, I wish you well and hope to continue seeing all of the wonderful bread and other goodies you’ll be baking.

So what’s next…

I bid farewell to the BBA Challenge, but look forward to new experiences with the Mellow Bakers Group and continuing baking with the HBinFive Group and canning with the tigress can jam. 

I’ve also got a few other surprises that I look forward to sharing with you so please come back for a visit soon.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Pain Poilâne: BBA

We’re moving right along in the BBA Challenge. I finally made it to the bread on the cover of the Bread Baker’s Apprentice book: Poilâne-Style Miche (#33).  Poilâne Miche is a naturally fermented country bread created by Lionel Poilâne, a famous baker in Paris. He calls his bread a miche but it is referred to as Pain Poilâne by others. Poilane has a very unique (and interesting) system for making his bread and his apprentices are specially trained in the craft. 

My goal was to create a reasonable facsimile of this bread in my kitchen. I liked the way the bread looked on the cover but wasn’t sure how it would taste or if I could recreate it in a manner worthy of it’s fame; particularly given my not so pleasant results with the Sourdough Rye/Spelt Bread.  I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a beauty!  It is a somewhat dense and chewy bread, but the flavor is really good. 

Since I’m pleased with how my Poilâne-Style Miche turned out, I decided to submit it to YeastSpotting, a weekly bread roundup hosted by Susan of Wild Yeast.  Please visit Wild Yeast to view all of the lovely breads in the roundup.

 

 

 

Poilâne-Style Miche

I had fun making this bread. It is made with whole wheat flour that is sifted to a partial whole wheat, a 90 to 95 percent extraction rate (which, according to Peter Reinhart, means that much, but not all, of the bran is still in the flour).  I used freshly milled organic red winter wheat and was able to extract a good bit of the bran because home-milled flour is coarser than commercially-milled whole wheat flour and the bran separates more easily. 

Ingredients:

Firm Starter

• 7 oz (1 cup) sourdough starter
• 9 oz (2 cups) sifted medium-grind whole wheat flour
• 4 oz (about 1/2 cup) water, at room temperature

 

Final Dough:

• 32 oz (7 cups) sifted medium-grind whole wheat flour
• .81 oz (3 1/4 tsp) salt (or 2 T coarse sea salt or kosher salt)
• 18 to 22 oz (2 to 2 1/4 cups) water, lukewarm (90 degrees to 100 degrees F.)
• Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

 

This is the sifted home-milled flour.  See all the bran that’s left after the flour is sifted out. This process is way cool!

 

Directions:

The day before you want to make this bread, make a firm starter with a mixture of sifted medium-grind whole-wheat flour, water and barm (or mother starter) that has been fed.

 

Mix until it forms a ball, then transfer the dough to the counter and knead the mixture for about 3 minutes until all the flour is hydrated and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

 

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and roll it around in it to coat it with the oil.  Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, or until the dough doubles in size. Then refrigerate it overnight.

The next day, remove the starter from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough. 

 

Cut the starter into about 12 small pieces with a pastry scraper. Cover the dough pieces with plastic wrap and let them sit for 1 hour to take off the chill.

 

Stir together the sifted whole-wheat flour (all 7 cups of it), salt, and starter pieces.  A Danish dough whisk works really well for this part but you can also use a large metal spoon.

 

Add enough water to bring all of the ingredients into a soft ball.  Adjust the flour and water as necessary.

 

Next, sprinkle some flour on the counter and get ready to knead it and I mean knead it.  I hope you’ve been working out because this is the tough part.  The dough is way too heavy for most stand mixers so you have to do this by hand and it takes about 12-15 minutes. 

I put on some music and got a good workout with this one. I didn’t take pictures of that part. ;)

 

The dough should be supple and tacky but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, rolling it around to coat it with oil.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for approximately 4 hours, or until the dough nearly doubles in size.  I let it sit for about 5 hours I think.

 

Transfer the dough to the counter and form it into a boule.

 

Proof the dough in a banneton (if you have one) or do what I did and use a large bowl covered with a cloth that has been sprayed with spray oil and sprinkled generously with flour.  The bowl should be big enough to hold the dough when it rises to nearly double in size.  My bowl may have been a little bit too big but it worked just fine.

Place the dough seam side up, in the bowl and mist the top with spray oil.

 

Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap.  I opted for plastic wrap. Proof the boule at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough grows 1 1/2 times in size.

 

Prepare the oven for hearth baking.  For my oven, this means placing a baking stone on the middle rack and a steam pan on the bottom rack.  If I put the baking stone any lower, then the bread burns on the bottom. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Carefully remove the top layer of cloth or plastic wrap from the dough 10 minutes before baking.  Dust the back of a peel with semolina flour or cornmeal.  I used cornmeal.

Turn the dough out gently onto the peel and carefully remove the cloth liner from the dough.

S

core the dough with a large pound sign.

 

Slide the dough onto the baking stone.  Pour 2 cups of hot water into the steam pan and close the door.  Immediately lower the temperature to 450 degrees F.

After 25 minutes, rotate the loaf 180 degrees and lower the oven setting to 425 degrees F. And to think, the Poulane bakers have to do this by feel; they don’t have thermometers on their ovens. Continue to baking for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the bread is done.  It should be deeply browned. It’s a beautiful color!

 

Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 2 hours before slicing or serving.

 

This bread tastes great warm or toasted with butter. Store the bread in a brown paper bag.  It will keep for about 5 to 7 days.  I made it last Saturday and the bread still tastes pretty good (on Wednesday).  Just serve it warm with butter. I haven’t tried this yet, but I think it would also taste great with cheese and meat.

 

I didn’t get a shot of the crumb.  I was so proud of the shot of the loaf, I forgot to take a picture when we sliced it. Oops!

Thanks for joining us this week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge.

The next bread in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is Pumpernickel Bread. I liked that one too.  I’ll be posting about it soon.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy