Just after Christmas two wiseguys bearing gifts arrived from the yeast. Jay brought a loaf of bread (much needed – bakers never have bread for themselves) and six litres of cider (also much needed because, as the bible says, man cannot live by bread alone). Rick brought me three bags of flour. Flour? What do I need with flour? I’ve got sacks of the bloody stuff. (“Now, Michael, you run along and play with your flour while the grown-ups talk.”)
But, of course, this wasn’t just any old flour. It was magic flour; organic, stoneground flour from Maud Foster’s windmill in Boston, Lincolnshire. Flour so good that Rick drives all the way from South Wales every several weeks to pick up his supplies.
So I thought I would play with it starting with the wholemeal. I used to be scared of wet doughs but I’m a big boy now. Wholemeal Pain a l’ancienne!
About 1600g @ 80% hydration. I was going to let it ferment for two days in the fridge but it only got 24hrs (went out to lunch instead).
Was a little dissapointed at first but three days on it’s lovely and moist and the flavour’s really developed.
The PArtisan Baker 