redzuurdesem/content/post/2012-07-26-miche-epeautre.md

---
title: miche à l’épeautre
author: Wouter
type: post
date: 2012-07-26T19:45:11+00:00
url: /miche-epeautre/
featured_image: /wp-content/uploads/2012/07/MG_6626.jpg
tags:
  - miche
  - spelt
---
This must be my most successful [miche][1] to date. There are so many recipes inspired by a _pain poilâne_ it&#8217;s hard to keep track of. Jeffrey Hamelman has one in his book BREAD, Peter Reinhart has one in his book Bread Baker&#8217;s Apprentice and in my most recent book I&#8217;ve seen a version from Daniel Leader in &#8220;[local breads][2]&#8220;. I wasn&#8217;t really looking for another miche style French _levain_ bread but wanted to try out different techniques I&#8217;ve found at The Fresh Loaf on **how to get moure sour** out of your sourdough.<figure id="attachment_345" style="width: 500px" class="wp-caption alignleft">

[<img class=" wp-image-345 " title="A slice of miche, smells unbelievably good!" src="https://redzuurdesem.be/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/MG_6626-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="300" />][3]<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A slice of miche, smells unbelievably good!</figcaption></figure>

So while I was at it, why not try something new? This is an _adapted_ version from Leader&#8217;s _pain au levain_ complet. I noticed I still had a bag of spelt flour unopened I wanted to try. (_épautre_ is French for spelt).

**I&#8217;ve learned the following things **on how to &#8220;improve&#8221; the sourness level of your sourdough bread:

  * Use a **stiff levain** &#8211; it builds up slower and develops more acids that way.
  * **Ferment longer** &#8211; quite obvious, right? I never fermented longer than 2 hours (bulk), so this was relatively new for me
  * Use a levain with **wholegrain** &#8211; it has a higher ash content and will act as a buffer for the lactic acids before they break down the yeast or gluten.
  * **Retard** your dough in the fridge for 12 to up to 24 hours.

# The Recipe

**Preferment**

  * 50gr starter, I used my &#8220;loose&#8221; rye starter (60-70% hydration, not sure but does not matter)
  * 50gr stone-ground organic wholewheat flour
  * 50gr spelt flour (this is not wholegrain)
  * 75gr water

<div>
  I&#8217;ve let it ferment for 12 hours.
</div>

<div>
</div><figure style="width: 150px" class="wp-caption alignleft">

<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-arvEocdkjhI/UBGX2W_yMjI/AAAAAAAAGaY/oHYs069juVE/s1024/_MG_6629.JPG"><img title="_MG_6629.JPG" src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/-arvEocdkjhI/UBGX2W_yMjI/AAAAAAAAGaY/oHYs069juVE/s150-c/_MG_6629.JPG" alt="_MG_6629.JPG" width="150" height="150" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Stretch & folding helps to build structure</figcaption></figure> <figure style="width: 150px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uq4ZJEu32sw/UBGX0TGYbHI/AAAAAAAAGaI/P0RP-DkOI8E/s1024/_MG_6614.JPG"><img title="_MG_6614.JPG" src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/-uq4ZJEu32sw/UBGX0TGYbHI/AAAAAAAAGaI/P0RP-DkOI8E/s150-c/_MG_6614.JPG" alt="_MG_6614.JPG" width="150" height="150" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">The stiff starter looks a bit more wet now</figcaption></figure> <figure style="width: 150px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TV-7M5uiExI/UBGX3bxs3kI/AAAAAAAAGag/XYKP81A8H38/s1024/_MG_6662.JPG"><img title="_MG_6662.JPG" src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/-TV-7M5uiExI/UBGX3bxs3kI/AAAAAAAAGag/XYKP81A8H38/s150-c/_MG_6662.JPG" alt="_MG_6662.JPG" width="150" height="150" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">After Folding the dough</figcaption></figure>

<div style="clear: both;">
  <strong>Final dough</strong>
</div>

<div style="clear: both;">
</div>

<div style="clear: both;">
  <ul>
    <li>
      400gr organic stone-ground wholewheat flour
    </li>
    <li>
      100gr spelt flour
    </li>
    <li>
      your starter (125gr total, I think)
    </li>
    <li>
      375gr water
    </li>
  </ul>

  <p>
    Time table:
  </p>

  <ol>
    <li>
      autolyse 30 minutes
    </li>
    <li>
      kneading using the french fold technique for about 15 minutes (a <strong>little longer</strong> than usual! This makes sure we get evenly distributed holes)
    </li>
    <li>
      Bulk fermenting for 4 hours with <strong>3 stretch & folds</strong>, more could be needed for your flour, that&#8217;s OK. It was at room temp, at that time 23°C.
    </li>
    <li>
      Retard for <strong>12 hours</strong> in the fridge at 5°C.
    </li>
  </ol>

  <p>
    I baked it straight from the fridge, called a &#8220;cold bake&#8221;, with some steam injected into the oven. It is actually not really needed to slash this boule, as wholewheat does not get a huge oven spring anyway and you might want to <strong>decorate</strong> your loaf with some flour.
  </p><figure style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">

  <a title="_MG_6681.JPG" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-F91qjp0eWL4/UBGX46-PSTI/AAAAAAAAGao/FGtZHv6fREM/s1024/_MG_6681.JPG"><img title="_MG_6681.JPG" src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/-F91qjp0eWL4/UBGX46-PSTI/AAAAAAAAGao/FGtZHv6fREM/s300-c/_MG_6681.JPG" alt="_MG_6681.JPG" width="300" height="300" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">This is the wholewheat flour I&#8217;ve used</figcaption></figure>

  <p>
    &nbsp;
  </p>

  <div style="clear: both;">
    <figure id="attachment_352" style="width: 500px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://redzuurdesem.be/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/MG_6624.jpg"><img class="wp-image-352 " style="border-width: 0px; border-style: none; padding: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; max-width: 98%; display: block; background-color: #ffffff;" title="_MG_6624" src="https://redzuurdesem.be/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/MG_6624-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="300" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A closer look at the interior, look how dark and holey it is!</figcaption></figure>

    <p>
      <span style="font-style: normal;">A closer look at the interior, look how dark and holey it is!</span>The flour is locally milled and simply <strong>amazing</strong> &#8211; you can stretch it a lot without tearing (see the pictures!), it&#8217;s very very finely ground, it&#8217;s local and it&#8217;s cheap (and of course stone-ground, meaning no single bran left out and I did not sift anything). I did not want to use another &#8220;T85&#8221; kind of flour (85% extraction, meaning 15% bran sifted out). I simply love it this way.
    </p>
  </div>

  <div style="clear: both;">
    Let&#8217;s see, what&#8217;s great about this bread?
  </div>
</div>

<div style="clear: both;">
</div>

<div style="clear: both;">
  <ol>
    <li>
      It&#8217;s healthy: wholegrains > white bread!
    </li>
    <li>
      It&#8217;s extremely tasty, with just the right amount of sourness. It may be a bit too much for some, but I like it that way. As you may now, I&#8217;ve been searching on how to get more sour for <a title="Baking your daily bread" href="https://redzuurdesem.be/baking-your-daily-bread/">my daily recipe</a> &#8211; I might have found an improved version!
    </li>
    <li>
      The &#8220;holes&#8221; in the bread are more dense but that&#8217;s exactly what we want here, no jam falling out!
    </li>
  </ol>

  <p>
    I&#8217;ve learned a lot baking this bread and it&#8217;s simply delicious. I&#8217;m baking this thing again, that&#8217;s for sure!
  </p>
</div>

 [1]: https://redzuurdesem.be/baking-a-miche/ "baking a miche"
 [2]: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Local-Breads-Sourdough-Recipes-Europes/dp/0393050556/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343330492&sr=8-1
 [3]: https://redzuurdesem.be/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/MG_6626.jpg
 [4]: http://lh5.ggpht.com/-arvEocdkjhI/UBGX2W_yMjI/AAAAAAAAGaY/oHYs069juVE/s1024/_MG_6629.JPG "_MG_6629.JPG"
 [5]: http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uq4ZJEu32sw/UBGX0TGYbHI/AAAAAAAAGaI/P0RP-DkOI8E/s1024/_MG_6614.JPG "_MG_6614.JPG"
 [6]: http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TV-7M5uiExI/UBGX3bxs3kI/AAAAAAAAGag/XYKP81A8H38/s1024/_MG_6662.JPG "_MG_6662.JPG"