Miche made with high-extraction flour
I haven't made a miche in a very long time. Last week, I got a bag of high extraction ("Type 80") flour from Central Milling and remembered that I had previously (like 11 years ago!) used this kind of flour for a miche based on the San Francisco Baking Institute formula that I liked a lot. We had made this bread for the Artisan II (Sourdough) workshop. Although we used white flour, our instructor told us that, ideally, it would be made with a high-extraction flour. My experience indicates this formula makes delicious bead either way. The main difference, besides flavor, is that using a high extraction flour results in significantly faster fermentation.
Miche from SFBI Artisan II
David Snyder
Total Dough | Bakers % | Weight (g) |
High extraction Flour | 96.67 | 1087 |
WW Flour | 3.33 | 38 |
Water | 73.33 | 824 |
Salt | 2 | 23 |
Wheat germ toasted | 2.5 | 28 |
Total | 177.83 | 2000 |
Pre-ferment | Bakers % | Weight (g) |
High extraction Flour | 75 | 112 |
WW Flour | 25 | 38 |
Water | 100 | 150 |
Salt | 0 | 0 |
Liquid starter | 50 | 75 |
Total | 250 | 375 |
1. Dissolve the starter in the water and mix in the flour. Desired Dough Temperature: 78ºF.
2. Ferment for 8-12 hours.
Final Dough | Weight (g) |
High extraction flour | 975 |
Water | 675 |
Salt | 23 |
Wheat germ toasted | 28 |
Levain | 299 |
Total | 2000 |
Procedure
- Dissolve the levain in the water. Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly by hand. DDT: 75-78ºF.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl.
- Ferment for 3-4 hours with 4 folds at 50 minute intervals. (I did this by the “stretch and fold in the bowl” technique.)
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board. Pre-shape as a tight boule.
- Cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Shape as a tight boule and place, seam side up, in a floured banneton.
- Cover and retard overnight in refrigerator.
- Remove the boule from the refrigerator and allow to warm and complete proofing for 1-3 hours. (Watch the dough, not the clock!)
- 45-60 minutes before baking, pre-heat the over to 500ºF with baking stone and steaming apparatus in place.
- When the loaf is proofed, transfer the boule to a peel. Slash the boule as desired, and transfer it to the baking stone. Steam the oven and reduce the temperature to 450ºF.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove your steaming apparatus.
- Turn the oven down to 425ºF.
- Continue baking for another 40-50 minutes.
- Remove the boule to a cooling rack, and cool thoroughly before slicing.
This bake (in my relatively new oven) was less bold than expected. I will finish the bake at a higher temperature next time.
The crust was mostly chewy. The crumb was moist and tender. The flavor was mildly sweet and wheaty. My recollection is that the flavor of these large loaves improves significantly over the first 2 days.
I enjoyed a couple still-warm slices with a little sweet butter with dinner.
Enjoy!
David