SC - help - my own bread recipe!

[Decker, Terry D.]

As requested, Bear.

BTW, are you any relation to Mike Dunham, who was a DJ in Anchorage, AK?

Ravensgard slow-rise multi-grain bread

c. Chimene des CinqTours / Patricia R. Dunham, 1995, rev. January 1999

This recipe has its roots in the French Country Bread recipe in the 
Feb/March 1995 issue of Fine Cooking magazine. The following instructions 
assume some basic familiarity with bread making; this is probably not a 
recipe for an absolute beginner.

A. Make a sponge (damp yeast starter) of:

2/3 cup warm water (105-115 F)
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1/4 cup Stone-buhr 4-grain cereal (wheat/ rye/ barley/ oats) 
    OR 7-grain (cracked wheat/ oats/ bran/ rye/ corn meal/ flax seed/ 
hulled millet)
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole wheat flour

Mix ingredients thoroughly in a medium-size bowl; let proof for 4-16 
hours.  Cover the bowl while it's sitting and the yeast is working; keep 
it out of drafts and temperature changes as much as possible.  When 
finished it should look (like it has been) bubbly and should smell yeasty.

B. For the bread:

In a larger bowl, combine the sponge and:
 FOR 4-GRAIN:
3/4 cup water + 1/8 cup water
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar + 1 T. water (originally this was 1 T. Honey)
1 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1/4 cup cereal
3 cups unbleached bread flour (approximately)
********

   FOR 7-GRAIN:
3/4 cup water
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar + 1 T. water (originally this was 1 T. Honey)
1 teaspoon yeast
1/4 cup cereal
3 cups unbleached bread flour (approximately)
********

Knead about 5 minutes.   Keep your kneading surface floured with the 
minimum amount of flour to prevent the dough sticking to it, or to your 
hands.  This is a damp dough, but works nicely.  When finished kneading, 
the dough should spring back when pressed with a finger.

Let rise at room temperature 2-3 hours or up to 12 hours in the 
refrigerator in a lightly greased bowl.  If the dough has been 
refrigerated, let it come to room temperature (I do NOT know how long 
this "coming to room temp" should take, always seems like forever to me 
and I think I usually short it).  Shape loaf and set to rise on baking 
surface (whatever you're using), until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.   
(Additional rises are possible early in the process, if you wish, or if 
timing problems require.)

The baking surface(s) I use are Superstone ceramic cloches (WONDERFUL 
things; I have both the original round/beehive top and the baguette-loaf 
shapes). These easily simulate period bread baking conditions*.   I place 
the shaped loaf (previous step) on a sprinkle of flour in the base 
section for the rise (and put the lid on to prevent drafts).  When risen, 
I remove the cloche lid, slash the loaf, rinse the cloche lid interior 
with water and replace it. This produces an initial "steam" treatment for 
the crust.  Oven temperature of 375 for about 30-40 minutes.  Loaf should 
sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  If the bread has not browned by 
the time it should be done, remove the cloche lid for about 5 minutes, 
that should take care of it.

(The original recipe's baking instructions -- non-cloche -- indicate: 450 
for the first 15 minutes, and spritz the oven walls with water from a 
spray bottle every few minutes for the crust effect; then finish at 425 
for 30-35 minutes. The one time I tried these times and temperatures with 
a cloche, I got a blackened rock; hence the cooler and shorter figures 
for cloche baking.)

IMPORTANT!  Be sure to slash this loaf (sharp knife, razor, even snipping 
with scissors). There is (supposed to be) a sudden expansion of the loaf 
when the heat hits, and the crust will tear explosively and randomly if 
not given a route for rapid expansion via the slashes.  You need to slash 
deeply, about 1/2 inch (thanks, Bear),  and you may have to experiment to
find the tool that works for you.  You may have to encourage the slashes 
to open as you cut, by GENTLE finger-tip pressure on either side... at 
least this is the stage I'm currently at, 8-) -- the dough is moist 
enough that it just closes around the razor edge I'm using... maybe I'm 
pressing too hard or trying to go too fast?

This should produce a moist, chewy loaf with an interesting multi-grain 
content which is nice for a period feel (rougher flours with multiple 
ingredients).  To our taste, the 4-grain gives a somewhat milder -and- 
richer taste, and has fewer "period-questionable" components.  The 
4-grain version contains a bit more water and yeast, which I tried in 
response to the recent SCA-cooks thread on barley breads being very 
difficult to leaven.  The dough may be a bit wetter at the kneading 
stage, but comes out only a bit denser than the 7-grain one.  I have made 
the 7-grain with honey, but my husband doesn't like the taste, so...

The steps can be done at long or short times, and the possibility of 
extra rises makes this a recipe that can be very flexible -- or drive you 
crazy trying to figure out how to fit it into the work-a-day world... 8-)

* See Karen Hess' discussion of reproducing period baking conditions in 
modern applicances, esp. pp 19-20, Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery; 
contents ca. 1575-1625.


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