I dare you to say that 10x fast!
This one was made with fresh-milled Butler’s Gold and Spelt from Barton Springs Mill. The rest of the flour was King Arthur bread flour.
The caramelized onions were cooked in my mini-slow cooker overnight. I drained them in a strainer to remove as much of the excess liquid as I could and used the onion water as part of the water for the main dough.
I used a nice amount of cheese in this bake and combined shaved Parmesan and 10-year-aged Vermont Cheddar, which was cut into small pieces.
The whole house smelled like heaven when this one was baking with all that tasty cheese.
Even with me straining the onions, this was still a very wet dough, but it fermented nicely in about a 4-hour bulk with a 55% rise.
The taste was amazing on this bread, and it makes awesome toast or grilled bread. It’s perfect to mop up some pasta sauce as well.
I used my Ankarsrum to mix up the dough and open-baked it on a baking stone with steam.
Formula
Levain Directions
Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.
Let it sit at room temperature (I used my proofer set at 75°F) for around 5-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I like to use the starter as soon as it has peaked. You can refrigerate it and use it later or the next day, but it may lose some of its strenght if not used right away.
Tangzhong Directions
Add the water to the spelt flour in a small saucepan and cook on medium-low until the starches gelatinize and it starts to thicken. It should be like wall paste when done. Remove from the heat and cool until it’s about room temperature. You can put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
Main Dough Procedure
Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer, so my mixing order is slightly different from that of a KitchenAid or other mixer. Add all the water to your mixing bowl except for about 1/4 of the water. Add all the flour to the bowl and mix on low for 1 minute, until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 minutes. Next, add the levain, salt, Tangzhong, sour cream, and the remaining water (as needed), and mix on medium-low speed (about speed 4) for around 15-20 minutes, until you have a nicely developed, smooth dough. Don’t be afraid to mix longer. I have found that upfront gluten development is key if you want a nice open crumb. (You can also try saving some of the water and add again after the gluten is fully developed). Next, add the cheese and onions and mix for a minute until it’s incorporated. You can also laminate the cheese and onions by hand if desired. The dough will be sticky since it’s a pretty high hydration.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and do several stretch and folds. Make sure the dough is as flat as possible in your bowl/container, and measure the dough in millimeters and take the temperature of the dough. Based on the chart from http://www.thesourdoughjourney.com, determine what % rise you need and make a note. If you have a proofer, decide what temperature you want to set it at and what rise you are aiming for.
Do a set of stretch and folds after 30 minutes, and a second one 30 minutes later, and one additional one 30 minutes later. You can also do coil folds instead if you prefer. It’s important to build the layers of gases by doing the stretch and folds or coil folds.
Once the dough reaches the desired bulk rise, pre-shape and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Finish shaping and place the dough in your banneton, bowl, or on a sheet pan, then cover it to keep it airtight.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 500°F an hour beforehand and prepare for steam. Let your dough sit at room temperature while the oven is warming up. When ready to bake, score as desired. Prepare your oven for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone above the pan and one on the top shelf. I pour 1 cup of boiling water into the pan right after I place the dough in the oven. I then lower the oven temperature to 450°F and bake until they are nice and brown, and the internal temperature is at least 205 – 210°F.
Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a baker’s rack for as long as you can resist.
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