Wholemeal bread ( Enjoying it with Pepe Saya cultured butter )

This is a loaf made specially to go with a special gift from my favorite niece. OK, I lied. When it comes to nieces, they are all my favorites.

I have not heard of this particular brand of butter until C hauled a bag of these from Melbourne. It was challenging to carry back 1 kg of butter but the sweet kid who thinks of her aunties and uncles even while on holiday did not consider it trouble at all.

For a handcrafted artisanal butter, it is only justifiable to pair it with freshly handcrafted bread.  The butter has gone places and I shall savor every bit of it with this bread.

Makes 1 loaf.

Ingredients :

Wet –

Cool boiled water       286g

Bananas, mashed      38g

Honey                         1 tsp

Dry-

Bread flour                 285g

Wholemeal flour         156g

Instant yeast              3g

Fine sea salt               4g

Optional :

Sesame seeds or small seeds

Method :

Preparation :

In a mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients.

In another bowl, mix dry ingredients then combine with the wet ingredients.

Mix until everything comes into a sticky mass.

Transfer to a bread kneader to knead.

Leave to ferment, 1 hour.

Shaping :

I did not punch down the dough. Nor did I proof the dough again. The final dough is slaggy and I handled it mainly using  silicon sheets.

Remove fermented loaf.

Gently roll the loaf onto a silicon sheet and coat it with (uncooked) seeds.

Transfer the shaped loaf to a lined baking tray ( I use silicon sheet )

Bake :

Preheat the oven to 230C, with a glass with about ¼ cup of water for steam.

Mist spray the bread when oven is preheating.

Slash patterns on the loaf with a very sharp blade.

Bake at 230C for 12 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 220C.

Bake at 220C for 15-18 minutes.

Leave the oven door ajar for 10 minutes.

Bread is ready with the surface does not yield and sounds hollow when tapped.

Cool completely.

Enjoy with Pepe Saya butter.

The bread has a close crumb and a medium crust, very suitabke ti be eaten as it is.

Credits : Artisan Breads, Eric W Kastel