As we dive into our daily loaf we are keeping everything constant and changing only one variable, the flour blend. In our first loaf we used 100% all purpose flour. In today's loaf we used 30% sprouted whole wheat. Past experiences would have had us adjusting the water to compensate for the usage of the sprouted grain. But that would have not allowed us to see what the results of incorporating the grain into our loaf would do on their own. Too often we make secondary and tertiary adjustments based on knowledge, perceived knowledge, and gut. While these modifications may produce delicious and, at times, unplanned positive results, they don't always properly assist us in identifying the benefiting factors.
Controlling our instincts to make more than one modification and then patiently explore the controlled results allows us to clearly identify the ramifications of each change on the original recipe. From there we can stack adjustments and see how multiple alterations benefit, degrade, or wash out in the process. In today's loaf the substitution of flour produced an equally delicious loaf to the original. It challenges the idea that additional water is needed in the formulation of our no-knead bread when using a percentage of alternative flours in the (formulation) recipe.
Years Past
January 23, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
