I was not looking forward to this bread. I could find no reason too, it has been met with lukewarm reviews. Oggi thinks that this is her least favorite bread of the challenge. SallyBR found the dough unpleasant to work with, and made it into croutons. Phyl gave it a meh, not a positive endorsement.
First thing, I cut the recipe in half. Then for the soaker, I used coarsely ground oats and whole oats in water. I think that buttermilk would have been a better choice for liquids. For the whole wheat poolish, I left it out on the counter overnight, thinking it might add a depth of flavor, or kill us, who knows. Just kidding, one of my new favorite breads, the Mediteranean Country Bread spends three days fermenting on the counter.
Then I followed the recipe. It is an average loaf of bread. It lacks a strong flavor, perhaps one could call it bland. I won't be making it again, but we will eat it for sandwiches.
That's too bad that you didn't like this bread. I'm looking forward to trying it. I plan to use freshly milled whole wheat to see if that makes any difference. We'll see. I have a few more breads to go before I reach this one. Great job in the challenge. You're almost done!
ReplyDeleteMost of the recipes in this book have been delicious. I wonder if buttermilk would have added more flavor. I'm at the point where I can't skip a recipe, crazy challenge.
ReplyDeleteCathy, where do you get your flour?
At least your bread is edible and looks really great.:)
ReplyDelete