Pain de Bretonne

Before I start on the recipes using Ruch flour, I want to include one more buckwheat recipe on the blog. I have already noticed that dough made with buckwheat does not require intensive kneading. In this recipe, the dough is only mixed slowly for 3 minutes following the autolyze. Mixing for any longer or adding a kneading step would destroy the dough structure and only make further work more difficult. 

Similar to the previous buckwheat recipe, I wouldn’t give this dough a long cold proof. I find that buckwheat dough doesn’t hold up well over longer timings and simply breaks down too much with that method. 

It is better to let the shaped dough proof at room temperature and then to stick in the oven once it has proofed accordingly. 

Recipe

For 1 Breton loaf / dough weight: 1427g

Sourdough:

  • 130g French flour type 80
  •   65g water
  •   65g starter

DT: 26-28°C RT: 12-15 hours    TA: 160

Main dough:

  • 260g mature sourdough
  • 500g French flour type 65
  • 165g Buckwheat flour
  • 480g Water

Briefly mix sourdough, water and flour and let sit for 20 minutes to autolyze. 

  • 20g salt
  •    2g yeast

Mix in the salt and yeast and mix slowly for another 3-4 minutes.

Instructions:

  • After the dough has been made, let it rise in an oiled tub for 90 minutes, folding twice over this time. 
  • Then divide the dough into one piece of 300g and eight pieces of 140g and loosely form into rounds. 
  • After resting for 20 minutes, roll the 300g piece out into a flat round (diameter 25cm) and lay it in a couronne proofing basket. Place the 8 pieces of 140g each on top of the flat dough round (the pieces must be seamside-UP!!)
  • Once the dough pieces are on the flat round, cut the part of the round that is still visible (at the center of the proofing basket) into a star-like shape and fold this down so that it rests on top of the 8 dough pieces. 
  • Let proof at 18-22°C.
  • When the dough is 2/3 proofed, place into the oven at 250°C with steam.  After 15 minutes lower the temperature to 210°C. 
  • Total baking time should not exceed 50 minutes. To further the crust formation, the steam can be released at the end of the baking time.