GF Sourdough #2; Focus on Crumb

I’d like to be less impatient, and not change multiple factors – do a solid design of experiment. But I am impatient, so I made more than one change. I added in a flax and chia slurry in place of the xanthan gum etc; I used more water; and I used a stand mixer to beat the wetter dough. Oh, and more butter.

Flour Mix:

  • 3x Buckwheat
  • 1x Soy
  • 2x White Rice
  • 1x Fine Cornmeal
  • 2x Coarse Cornmeal

Starter:

I used the same starter I had previously, now matured well and to the point where it will double after feeding in about 2 hours (at about 75 F)

Bread Ingredients:

  • 3 cups flour mix
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 5.5 oz starter
  • 2 oz butter
  • 1.5 cup water (85 F)
  • 15 g chia seeds, 15 g flax seeds, ground and mixed w/ 60 g boiling water and left to cool

Method:

Mix dry ingredients. Rub in butter. Add starter to 1 cup of water and stir to disperse. Add along with flax slurry to dry ingredients and mix for 2.5 minutes in a KitchenAid at second speed. Add enough additional water to make a stiff batter. Set aside to rise in a covered bowl – I used a plastic gastronorm this time in order to have more visibility to the dough during the rise, and placed an elastic band around in order to see the volume shift.

This rose spectacularly – close to doubled in 2-3 hours. However, I left it. After about 6 hours I divided it, managing it with a little flour, and let it rest, whereupon it continued to rise. I heated the dutch oven and carefully transferred the dough for 20 minutes w/ lid on and 20 w/ it off …

Results:

I made big bread-tasting biscuits / cookies! Pictures to follow, but in essence no outer crust formed, and no oven spring occurred. The texture was a loose sponge.

Plus side – flavour was solid, and the ‘crust’ had good colour and flavour. Flax slurry didn’t affect the good taste at all. Starter is mature.

Thoughts: too much water / fat in butter not helping / too long a bulk rise?

Actions: back to 1 cup & a splash, form loaves when at 160% (don’t wait for 200%), remove butter. Yes, multivariate adjustment.

  • Crumb: 1/10 (on cooling, more like a crumbly cake, quite moist, pleasant. Not bready.
  • Flavour: 9/10
  • Crust: 0/10 (no crust!!)

 

 

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