Bread Making in 2020: Pre-cooking Flour

Armed with 45 years of bread making, 15 years of whole grain legwork and an 18 month old wild yeast starter-you'd think I'd mastered the techniques of whole grain baking. My quest continues. My year has been full of failures. Thanks to the contributors in the Wild Sourdough for Science Facebook Group and the Oldways and Whole Grain Council educators, I've grasped a technique that works. 

Pre-cooking the flour to a temperature that gelatinizes the flour makes the bread softer and improves the shelf life. In the Tangzhong (Asian) Method, flour and water is cooked to 150 F. to make a sticky paste that breaks down small sugar chains out of the complex starch molecules while keeping flavorful enzymes intact. In Europe, Potato Water and Potatoes are used to tenderize breads in a similar manner. The Mash Technique combines flour and 165 F water to partially gelatinize the beta-amylase starch enzymes while keeping the alpha-amylase enzymes intact. This creates flavor and softens the texture.

Thanks to the guidance on The Perfect Loaf, here's my adaptation of the Sourdough Sandwich recipe.

Whole Grain Sourdough Sandwich Bread

(1 loaf-17 Slices)

Levain (Prepare the night before)

50 grams whole wheat flour

50 grams water

12 grams ripe sourdough starter (mine is whole rye)

Mix and ripen at room temperature overnight.

 

Pre-cooked Flour (Day two)

36 grams whole wheat flour

145 grams skim milk

Whisk together flour and milk in a saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and becomes a paste (5-8 minutes). Remove from heat and spread on a plate to cool for 1 hour.

 

Final Dough 

In bowl of mixer with dough hook in place, combine pre-cooked flour, additional flour, water, levain, honey, oil and salt. 

Pre-cooked flour

183 grams all-purpose flour

183 grams whole wheat flour 

3l grams olive oil

18 grams honey

190 grams water

8 grams salt

Levain

Mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and mix 8 minutes more until dough clumps around dough hook. Transfer to a covered bowl. Allow to rise 4 1/2 hours, stretching and folding 3 sets during the first rise. (Each set involves 4 stretches and folds).

 

Scrape dough onto a clean work surface. Form a round and allow to relax uncovered for 30 minutes.

 

Spray baking pan with olive oil. Shape dough and transfer seam side down into the pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Proof for about 2 hours until dough has risen about the top of the pan.

 

Bake at 385 F for 15 minutes, then cover with foil to bake for another 20 minutes.