2022-01-21-khorasan-50-redemption.md

[bthomas2622]

---

layout: post
title: "Khorasan 50%: Redemption"
date: 2022-01-21 12:28:00 -0800
categories: [Bake, Ancient-Grain]

REDEMPTION. I tried the last tool I could think of to build strength in my Khorasan 50% loaf (see previous attempt). That tool was slap and fold and it produced a sweet, tender, and crunchy crusted ancient loaf.

Recipe

This recipe is a modified version of the Kamut 60% loaf from Tartine Book No. 3. I reduced the Khorasan/Kamut percentage and added Bread Flour to improve dough strength.

| Ingredients | Grams |
|:--|
| Whole-grain Khorasan flour (Central Milling) | 250 |
| Medium-strong wheat flour, sifted (King Arthur Bread Flour) | 125 |
| High-extraction wheat flour (50/50 Whole Wheat/All-Purpose) | 125 |
| Water | 425 |
| Leaven | 75 |
| Fine sea salt | 13 |

Number of Loaves: 1

Hydration Percentage: 86%

Slap and Fold (Yes - Time/No): YES - 5 min

Autolyse (Time/No): 1 hours
Extra Notes: Forgot wheat germ. Double pre-shaped.

Hot Takes + Notes

It's incredible how changing almost nothing about the recipe except 5 min of kneading via slap and fold completely changed the outcome. This is the exact same recipe as my attempt last week where I achieved the rise of a pizza in an oven.

I am really learning a lot about dough elasticity vs. extensibility and how important that is for the final result.

via Bakerpedia:

Elasticity: Ability of the dough to regain its original shape after a deforming force has been applied and removed. Simply put, it is the ability of a dough to spring back when it is stretched.

Extensibility: Ability of the dough to be stretched, extended or elongated when forces, stress and pressures are applied to it. A certain amount of extensibility is necessary for a dough to be moulded into different shapes. An extensible dough has the ability to stretch (expand) as the gas pressure from yeast fermentation builds up.

Essentially you need to balance these two characteristics in your sourdough. Too much elasticity and the loaf will not be able to rise in the oven due to its resistance to stretching. Too much extensibility and it will just collapse like a wet noodle.

Sourdough circles often combine these properties into the idea of dough strength.

From The Perfect Loaf:

Having sufficient but not excessive dough strength is extremely important when baking sourdough bread. We want our dough to be strong enough to hold on to the gaseous byproducts of fermentation but not so strong it's not able to expand and relax outward and upward in the oven. This guide on how to stretch and fold sourdough focuses on dough strengthening during bulk fermentation to get the dough just strong enough—but not too strong. This just enough is the dough's strength sweet spot, the point which eventually yields a loaf with a tall rise and a beautiful internal structure.

This was my first time more or less working with a proper ancient grain when baking sourdough. Ancient grain's pose a different challenge than traditional bread flours because they typically possess lower quantities of gluten. The gluten protein excels at giving dough strength which is why gluten comprises 75-85% of the total protein in bread wheat.

The turn and folds during bulk fermentation outlined by the recipe I was following were not enough. I am proud that I was able to adapt and prescribe what was needed to get the Khorasan to a tasty place.

Taste

My Khorasan 50% tasted very similar to your traditional whole wheat sourdough round. A hearty bread that was lifted by a nice sweetness that lingered. I also found the crust crisped up nicely in a fashion I am only able to achieve when adding rye to a whole wheat loaf. I'd like to try and achieve even more lift in the loaf next time. The nutty, earthy, complexity of a high protein flour combined with the airiness and aroma of a voluminous fluffy white loaf is the dream.

Crouton Rating

My partner and I make kale caesar salad almost weekly so every sourdough is subjected to the crouton test!

Meh	Snackable	Yum	Salad Elevator	Divine	Forgot to add the lettuce

I would say this loaf had average crouton potential. The individual croutons were divine as crispy garlic bread, but the sweetness of the Khorasan did not cut through our rich caesar dressing like I like a crouton to do. I also feel the freshly baked, abundantly flavorful loaf is a bit chaotic as a crouton in a salad.

Pictures

Fresh out of the oven

Khorasan 50% Loaf

Khorasan 50% Loaf - Cross Section