Bäcker Süpkes’ Joghurt Brötchen (Yogurt Bread)

A bread with many seeds is usually associated with a tight crumb in my mind. This bread is different. It features many seeds and grains (totally 6 kinds! Love it), yet has a soft, moist and open crumb. It’s a great choice for those who want a grainy but soft bread. Thanks Bäcker Süpke for the recipe!

Regarding the yogurt, I read on the internet that it acts like Vitamin C or absorbic acid, hastening fermentation and giving a boost to the dough. The milk in yogurt also extends shelf life. I’m going to find out more about it later.

For the recipe I followed it exactly, except kneading the dough using Dan Lepard’s method by hands. I don’t have a machine for mixing the dough, as I feel more “artisan” kneading by hands. I translated the recipe by Google and asking in Bäcker Süpke ’s blog  (the only German language I know is “brot” : P ), so let me know if anything with my interpretation of the recipe. : )

P.S. Not sure if it’s the yogurt or my baking temperature, the crust is harder this time. I will bake the bread in a batard or bigger ciabatta shape, and skip the bread crumb for a smaller crust to crumb ratio for my taste next time!

Bäcker Süpkes’ Joghurt Brötchen (Yogurt Bread)

Make 30 small rolls

Soaker:

*70 g cracked rye
* 145 g cracked spelt
* 36 g salt
* 215 ml very hot water

Pore water into the the salt and seeds. Mix, cover and wait for at least 4 hrs.

Sponge:
* 280 g wheat flour 550 (I used King Arthur All Purpose)
* 1 g fresh yeast (I used a pinch of instant yeast)
* 280 ml of cold water

Mix the ingredients. Cover and ferment at room temp. for 2 hrs. Put in fridge for at least 16 hrs.

Dough:
* 890 g flour 550 (I used King Arthur All Purpose)
* 70 g rye flour 997 (I used Dove Whole Grain Rye)
* 75 g sunflower seeds
* 140 g pumpkin seeds
* 75 g sesame seeds
* 75 g flaxseed
* 55 g fresh yeast
* 220 g yoghurt
* 400 ml water

Slightly toast the seeds (can use other kinds of seeds).

(Dan Lepard’s kneading method) Mix all the ingredients, cover and wait for 10 mins. On a slightly oiled surface, knead for 10 secs. Cover and wait for 10 mins. Knead for 10 secs again. Repeat the fermentation and kneading process for 2 more times. Then ferment for around 30 mins until the dough is about double in size.

Cut the dough into squares (about 95g each). Moist the surface with water and roll onto some bread crumbs.

Final fermenation for about 40 mins until almost double in size.

My baking temperature is 220c with steam for 30 mins.

WBD 09 – Vermont Sourdough with Increased Whole Grain

This recipe is from Jeffrey Hamelman’s “Bread”, a sourdough made of flour, salt and water only, without the use of commercial yeast. It’s the kind of pure yet delicious bread that I like the most.

There is another Vermont Sourdough recipe in Hamelman’s book using 10% rye and 15% starter, but this one are 15% and 20%. According to the book, the higher amount of rye provides more fermentable sugar and minerals to the yeasts in the levain. In addition to higher amount of levain, this bread is more acidic than the Vermont Sourdough. Acidity has tightening effect on gluten structure, hence the crumb of this bread is tighter, chewier, and more elastic.

In terms of taste, this version sweeter and slightly more tang to me. Definitely I prefer this one as I always like stronger taste from different grains in a bread.

I’m submitting this beloved bread to World Bread Day 09. Happy Anniversary! : )

Make 1 Loave

Ingredients:

Liquid-Levain Build

Bread flour 91g (I used King Arthur All Purpose)

Water 113g

Mature culture (liquid) 18g

Final Dough

Bread flour 295g

Whole-rye flour 68g (I used Bob’s Red Mill Dark Rye)

Water 181g

Liquid Levain 204g

Salt 8.5g

1. Mix ingredients for liquid levain build. Cover & let stand for 12-16 hours at 70F.

2. When the levain is done, mix all ingredients except the salt of the final dough to medium consistency. Cover and let stand for autolyse for 20-60mins.

3. Sprinkle in salt and mix for another 1 1/2 -2 mins.

4. Bulk fermentation for 2 1/2 hrs. Fold after 1 1/4 hrs.

5. Shape the dough. Final fermentation for 2 to 2 1/2 hrs (or retard for 8 hrs at 50F, or up to 18 hrs at 42F)

6. Bake at 460F for 40-45 mins with normal steam.

Roasted Hazelnut and Prune Bread

I didn’t bake bread for more than 2 months now. I’m happy to see that my natural yeast is still alive. I fed it three times before baking the bread (including preparing the stiff levain build) and on the second time it became several times bigger .. wow.. it must be starved : P

The recipe is from Jeffrey Hamelman’s “Bread”, my second time to bake the bread. It calls for both bread flour (I used King Arthur All Purpose Flour) and whole wheat flour. However I found out my whole wheat flour was expired just when I wanted to prepare the dough, hence I replaced it with Bob’s Red Mill’s Dark Rye (the other flour I only had).

The texture of the bread is tighter than using whole wheat. Also the taste of rye was not strong enough. Maybe I should use rye sourdough instead of white one if I have it? Or ferment the dough for longer time without the commercial yeast? Anyway the original version with whole wheat flour does taste very good, especially the roasted hazelnut and prune, the deep flavor is good to enjoy in autumn. There is also 5% butter in the bread, which makes it softer and more flavourful. My baked bread always have darker crust, but I like it this way. : )

BBD#21 – Genzano Potato Pizza

Happy 2nd anniversary to Bread Baking Day! I would love to celebrate the big day with this delicious Genzano Potato Pizza. When I looked for my cook books for some interesting pizzas, Daniel Leader’s book helped solved my thought with this. Though without the traditional tomato and cheese, this pizza is also perfect to eat and share in a party. Incredibly thin & crispy, in additional to the potato flavor, I think this pizza would go very well with iced cold beer, ale, lager, etc. If you have a chance to make this pizza, remember to use some good sea salt instead of table salt, which would definitely bring out the potato flavor without overpowering it! The pizza base also had stronger “bread” flavor as it’s made with natural yeast. My family doesn’t enjoy Western bread as much as I do, but they also enjoyed the pizza.

One thing is I used King Arthur All Purpose flour instead of high gluten, and the dough could not have full gluten development as it’s very wet. Also the recipe said the dough should be 1/2 inch thick in the sheet pan, however mine was only about 1/4 inch. The recipe should make one sheet pan pizza, but it didn’t mention the size. I looked on the web and found mine is a quarter size sheet pan (9-1/2 x 13 inch). So I made 1/4 of the recipe. I am not sure if anything was wrong with this. Anyway the pizza base was finally good as it’s crispy more than chewy. So the gluten development and sheet pan size didn’t quite affect the result (to me).

The recipe is adapted from Daniel Leader’s “Local Breads”. I found the blog “Hungrig in San Francisco” also posted the recipe, so I am not typing it again.

Now I’m submitting this to BBD#21. Enjoy & Cheers!

Orange and Mint Loaf

This is a delicious loaf from a recipe by Richard Bertinet. The crumb is very soft and moist, enriched, and has a hint of refreshing orange and mint flavor. Before making the bread I was afraid the mint flavor would be too strong for my taste. In fact the mint has merged with the orange nicely. You’ll not taste a distinctive flavor of it. I like this slight additional refreshing flavor. Suitable for summer.

Yea, summer has come. I will make more soft bread or breads with fruits in the coming days. Something more citrus, appetizing and colorful. : )

Love these little cuts on the crust.

Tender!

Recipe adapted the book “Dough” by Richard Bertinet. For steps please follow Gourmet.com .

Makes 1 loaf

Basic Sweet dough

125g full fat milk

7g commercial yeast

250g strong bread flour

30g unsalted butter at room temperature

20g caster sugar

5g salt

1 large egg

Addition

1/2 brunch of fresh mint (I used 3 sprigs)

Zest of 1 large orange

1/2 tablespoon Cointreau

1/2 egg beaten with a pinch of salt for an egg wash

Flour for dusting

A little butter for greasing