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Golden Three-Wheat Boule Recipe
The Folding Proofer provides the perfect environment for a long, overnight pre-ferment, creating great flavor and a soft crumb in this rustic bread. The long pre-ferment also takes the place of some of the process time on the day of baking, making the Proofer a time-saver.
A beautiful golden crumb, a sweet, complex aroma and rustic crust. Bread flour from hard red winter wheat forms the backbone of the bread, while durum and whole grain “white” wheat contribute wonderful flavor. This bread is equally at home with olive oil or butter and pairs wonderfully with soups or roasts. It’s also great with Manchego cheese or for making Panini.
Maintaining good texture with whole wheat and coarse semolina. Both durum wheat and whole wheat compromise the extensibility (ability to stretch) of bread dough, durum because of the hard nature of its protein, and whole wheat because the bran particles impede the bonding of gluten. To create a lighter, more open crumb while still enjoying all the lovely flavor from durum and whole wheat, we use an overnight poolish to maximize enzyme activity and soften the semolina. We also sift out the larger bran flakes from the whole wheat flour and use them to coat the outside of the boule for a rustic, nutritious crust.
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Yield: One boule.
Timing: The leaven needs to ferment for 12 hours (overnight) before mixing the dough.
Ingredients
| Leaven | Volume | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| Unbleached flour, about 12% protein* | 5/8 C, spooned | 79 |
| Semolina (coarse durum) flour | 1/4 C, spooned | 39 |
| Instant yeast | 1/16 tsp | 0.2 |
| Water, cool room temperature (68-70F / 20-21C) | 1/2 C | 118 |
*Such as King Arthur All-Purpose or Gold Medal Better for Bread.
Equipment
- Baking Scale
- Folding Proofer
- Fine strainer or sifter
- Mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
- 1/4 sheet pan (9.5 x 13 inches)
- Bench Knife
- Bread lame or sharp pairing knife
- Bread Steel
- Baking Shell
Mix and Ferment the Leaven. Set the Proofer to 72 °F / 22 °C and allow it to preheat. For the yeast, measure 1/8 tsp and pour it out onto a clean surface or plate, forming a little mound. With a table knife, divide the mound into two equal portions, and use one portion for the leaven.
Add all the leaven ingredients to a bowl and stir or whisk vigorously until smooth and lump free. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover, and ferment in the Proofer for 10-12 hours at 72 °F /22 °C. When the leaven is ripe, it will have doubled in size and the surface will be covered with bubbles.
| Main Dough | Volume | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| Poolish, all from above | ||
| Unbleached flour, about 12% protein | 1 C, spooned | 127 |
| White whole wheat flour (bran sifted out) | ¾C, spooned | 86 |
| Instant yeast | ¼ tsp | 0.8 |
| Water, lukewarm (80-85 °F /27-29 °C ) | scant ½ C | 113 |
| Salt | 1⅛ tsp | 6.4 |
Prepare the Whole Wheat Flour. Before measuring or weighing, remove the larger bran particles from the whole grain flour by tapping it through a fine strainer or sifter. You’ll create a mound of golden high-extraction wheat flour and have coarser bran left in the strainer. Reserve the bran for coating the outside of the boule.
Mix the Dough. Add the flours, yeast and water to the poolish and mix until all the flour is moistened. Cover and let rest (autolyse) for 20-30 minutes.
Add the salt and knead it into the dough until well combined, about 3-4 minutes.
Ferment and Fold the Dough. Transfer the dough to an oiled container with a capacity of about 6 cups / 1.5 quarts and turn to coat the dough with oil. Allow the dough to ferment in the Proofer for a total of 2 hours at 78°F (26°C). During the first hour, stretch and fold the dough two times. To stretch and fold, gently stretch one side of the dough, then fold it towards the center and repeat on the opposite side, creating a business letter fold. Repeat with the other two sides, forming a square package in which all four sides have been stretched and folded to the center. Then stretch and fold each of the four corners. After two folding sessions, leave the dough undisturbed for the remaining hour, until it doubles in size. The top of the mound of dough should reach about five cups volume.
Shape and Proof the Boule. Line a 1/4 sheet pan (or a large plate) with a piece of parchment paper and set aside. Spread the reserved wheat bran into a roughly 8 inch circle on the counter. Turn the dough out onto the bran, smooth top side down. Being careful to maintain as much air in the dough as possible, gently fold all four sides of the dough to the center, then pull the corners up and towards the center, to round the shape. Gently flip the boule over and set it on the lined 1/4 sheet pan or plate. Place in the Proofer and proof at 78°F (26°C) for 60 minutes.
Preheat the Oven. While the boule is proofing, place the Bread Steel in the lower ⅓ of your oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C). The steel heats quickly, and when the oven is ready, the Bread Steel will be too. There is no need to preheat the Baking Shell.
Bake.
Turn the loaf out onto a well-floured bread peel or a piece of parchment paper. Gently score the bread with a very sharp knife or lame.
Slide your loaf onto the hot steel and immediately cover it with the Baking Shell. Bake for 20 minutes with the shell on. Remove the shell, and continue baking for another 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven, and allow it to cool on a rack before slicing.
| Overall Bread Formula | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| Unbleached flour, 11.7% – 12.3% protein | 206 g | 7.3 oz |
| Whole grain white wheat flour (sifted to remove bran) | 86 g | 3.0 oz |
| Semolina flour | 39 g | 1.4 oz |
| Instant yeast | 1.0 g | 0.04 oz |
| Water | 236 g | 8.3 oz |
| Salt | 6.4 g | 0.23 oz |
| Total flour | 331g | 11.7 oz |
Proportion of total flour that is pre-fermented: 36%
