I like a loaf that looks a bit of a ruffian. I get so tired of rows of perfect white batards that bakers seem to be aiming for these days. An ear and an edge of feathery foliage delicately cut along its length. Yuck! lets have a bit of aggression. It’s bread we’re talking about not cake.
These are sneaky boys though. They look ragged and rowdy but, when you get down to it, they are soft-centred with a gentle biscuity crust. The 75% wholemeal wheat (home milled) is softened by buttermilk (or in this particular case a mixture of yoghurt and milk), honey and butter. So the darkness of the crust is more the dairy and sugar content than oven heat – although I did stick to my usual 250C top, 220C bottom in the Pico.
Wholemeal/Honey/Buttermilk – recipe in the Bread Formulas menu.
The PArtisan Baker 