
A birthday loaf for a family member from New Zealand
Wild in more ways than one this intriguing loaf includes the fabulous Bath Ales' "Wild Hare".
This recipe is a slow fermentation loaf for committed home bread makers looking to advance their bread-making skills and knowledge. It takes commitment to produce beautiful loaves like this!
Inspired by local award-winning brewers Bath Ales, this loaf is wild in more ways than one. A sourdough recipe fermented with wild yeasts it also contains Wild Hare Ale.
Whilst this particular loaf is leavened with wild yeasts, the connection between baking and brewing is an ancient tradition. Traditional British bread is characterised by two things: largely it is/was raised or leavened with the top of brewers' yeast, known as "barm" and employed an overnight, long fermentation. The making of barm is one of the most difficult of the culinary arts, particularly making it with a consistency that was reliable. The master bakers of the past were also master brewers, many of them brewed their own barm and the best bakers were the also the best brewers of barm. The brewing process for beer differed in that bakers only wanted the top yeasts off the ale brew.
Bath Ales say "With its fresh citrus, hoppy aroma and a dry, bitter finish, we've crafted Wild Hare into a wonderful, wholesome, golden, organic ale. A tastefully dry, crisp and full-flavoured ale, brewed with skill and passion using the finest organically grown Pale Ale malt and organically farmed English hops. Wild Hare contains wheat and barley malt."
Julio says of this loaf "If you think that bread is so plain then you need to try this one! You can taste the ale.......the taste is slightly bitter but it's awesome with cheese and quince jelly!"
For those ale lovers amongst you, try substituting any other Bath Ale or Cider for sensational variations in taste and flavour.
Let's get baking!
You will need a mature sourdough starter for this recipe. Julio uses an active rye/spelt sourdough starter which has been allowed to develop for at least 5-6 days to begin.
How to Make a Wheat/Spelt Starter
Or use any sourdough starter recipe from a good baking book, for those of you who have a copy of “Crust” by Richard Bertinet, he has a recipe on p47.
Early in the day or the day before, we need to prepare the pre-ferment or the levain. Mix the ingredients below and leave them mixed in a bowl cover with a clean film at room temperature for at least 7 hours.
60 gr. organic dark rye flour
50 gr. H2O
30 gr. Starter (rye/spelt)
The preferment should be ready in about 6 - 8 hours. It depends on the room temperature, where the preferment is located.
450 gr. organic white strong flour*
50 gr. organic dark rye flour
340 gr. Bath Ales Wild Hare (widely available).
140 gr. levain (86% hydration) --> 28% of the total amount of flour.
10 gr. sea salt
20 gr. honey
*Shipton Mill recommends either Finest Bakers White Bread Flour No.1 or Untreated Organic White No.4
Enjoy!
Added by: Julio Hevia
If you add a recipe with a photo to the Shipton Mill website, we will send you a voucher for 15% off your next order from the Flour Direct shop.
It's very easy, just click here to visit your "My Shipton Mill" page to get started.
Dear Customers,
Due to a temporary suspension of some services by couriers, we are currently unable to offer delivery to the Republic of Ireland, or overseas. This is being looked into urgently, and as soon as services resume we’ll update you here. Deliveries to Northern Ireland can now begin again.
If you live in the Republic of Ireland, please don’t order for the moment, as we are unable to get the order to you.
Keep safe and well
The Shipton Millers
Does anyone read these recipes before publishing them? I drink Wild Hare, so I thought this would be an interesting loaf to make. Having waxed lyrical, at some length about the beer and brewing, the recipe submitter totally failed to say when to incorporate it. Also nobody puts H2o as an ingredient, it's water, H2o is not funny or clever. The abbreviation for grams is g not gr, ok I know that's nitpicking. Also, what on earth does this mean? 140 gr. levain (86% hydration) --> 28% of the total amount of flour. I know what levain and hydration mean but listing a formula as part of the ingredients doesn't make any sense, especially as the levain was covered previously. If you don't want a recipe to be popular, don't publish it. If you do want it to be popular, use the KISS principal. Get someone to read through it and if doesn't scan right then there is a problem that can be fixed before it is published. I didn't mean to be too critical but having peaked my interest, the recipe as it stands fails to be user friendly. I would be very interested in a revised version of this recipe if the submitter is willing.
Beorn 25 August 2014
ReplyHi Beorn, I just loved your message....the fact of the H2O, the "gr" and not the "g" and the "mixed" message of the formula. Look BEORN, this recipe was followed by hundreds of people, and no one complained - AND I do not mind if someone criticise and have a point...but that was not the case. Your message and nickname says a lot about you... But thanks very much for your comments, are really appreciated. BTW: It is not KISS principal, it is KISS <>, MR. TOO CRITICAL. :-)
Julio Hevia 25 August 2014