07/04/07

Jeffrey Hamelman Sourdough Walnut Raisin Bread

I continued my rye baking with another of Hamelman's rye bread. After eating his 70% rye made with the Detmolder 3 stage method, I was very encouraged by the results. The flavor of rye bread was really awesome. I must admit that I was a little apprehensive when I shaped the bread. It looked and felt like a brick and in my heart, I thought that it was going to turn out like a brick. Fortunately, it turned out nicely.

His walnut raisin does not use the Detmolder method. Instead, it uses a rather stiff sourdough starter fermented for up to 16 hours. The rye was 35% and hydration was 68%.