Since I started on the home baking path I've been trying to achieve a good wholewheat bread. I wasn't getting much success with the recipes I came across. Since I had such good success with Rossnroller's version of Hamelman's Light Rye, I thought I'd try and tweak the basic recipe to achieve a wholewheat version.
The original recipe has 450g bread flour and 60g rye flour to 180g starter. I use 100% wholewheat starter. At first I tried just replacing the rye with wholemeal - great results. So I've been gradually increasing the proportion of wholemeal flour to see how it goes. Small water increases until dough feels right.
This one (baked about a fortnight ago - I'm a bit slow getting to the blog) is 40% wholewheat and I'm still delighted with the result. It was a present to a friend so I didn't get the crumb shots as I didn't take camera. I recreated this one for myself last weekend but forgot to take photos before it got polished off - the crumb was good though.
Replies
Your loaf looks terrific. I assume you are using a combination of white flour and whole wheat flour to which you add some rye flour. How much of each? Thanks..
Hi eyendall,
Thanks! The professional photography from a friend helps :)
This version I have no rye flour added. I used the following:
180g starter (100% wholewheat, 100% hydration)
310g water
400g white bread flour
110g wholewheat flour
10g salt
To be really precise, it's actually 39% wholewheat, not 40%! :)
Hope that helps
Bec
Fantastic-looking bread.
I also like to tweak the Hamelman recipe using wholegrain flour instead of rye, but I retain the rye element by using a starter comprising 30% rye.
Anyway, great stuff! Developing your own breads according to personal preferences is where home-baking really starts to get interesting, I reckon. I almost always tweak recipes when I'm cooking, but I'm confident about what works and what doesn't in the kitchen, cooking and traditional regional foods having been a serious interest for a lot of years. It took me a while to start making tweaks and developing my own breads - you're off to a flying start!
Best of baking to you!
Ross
I love the texture on the top crust! It's absolutely beautiful!
Ross - thanks for your encouragement and support. I've been cooking for years and I too am comfortable with tweaking/merging/refining recipes so it's only natural that I do it for bread too :) I can only hope that one day I achieve the giddy heights of home bread baking that the likes of yourself and others on this site are purveying the world from! I only wish I had more time to experiment.
Dorean - thanks! Pattern imprinted on the crust was from the floured tea-towel the dough proved in. Completely unplanned in this case, but I'll be certainly be doing it again.
Onward and upward!
Bec
Hey that floured tea towel makes a very nice looking pattern. I would have never guessed that is how you had done it.
I know, a nice little accident! I have sinced checked all my tea towels for different patterns, but none have the same 'depth' (if you know what I mean) to produce a deep enough imprint.
Seems we have the same taste in Tea Towels, I used one just like that when I first started. I think you are doing just fine, already inspiring the rest of us lot - with your lovely bread. So will a crumb shot be showing up soon?
Terri
No crumb shot for this one Terri as I gave it away! Will get one for the next one I produce.... Thanks for the encouragement :)
I modified your recipe using 1 cup of 100% rye sourdough starter, 20g sea salt, and 100% unbleached white bread flour. Good oven-spring, nice crumb and great tasting result.
great to hear eyendall - any pics?
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great to hear eyendall - any pics?
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Sorry no pics: ate it too quickly.
In truth though it was not an exceptional looking loaf. Nice enough but nothing special for this exalted company. Will keep working on it.