Rosemary Spelt Semolina Pain au Levain

This Rosemary Spelt Semolina Pain Au Levain was my bread-baking project for the past several weeks.

My first goal with this bread was to test my new oblong banneton basket. I needed a bread that used a lot of dough to be able to fill this 13.5-inch basket.  The Pain au Levain dough was close to 3 pounds of dough so it fit the bill.

13.5-inch Oblong Banneton Proofing Basket

My second goal for this loaf was to bring an edible bread to a luncheon. I met both goals the first weekend I made this bread; however, the process I used was less than optimal. Basically, I fought with the dough. This is never a good idea because the dough always wins.

I tried to rush the process so the bread would be ready the day before the luncheon and I wouldn’t have to rush around the next morning. However, the dough just wouldn’t listen.  No matter how much I fussed at it, it wouldn’t hurry. I ended up retarding it in the refrigerator several times trying to get it to do what I wanted it to do.

 

It is a high hydration dough and although I knew that I should use a liner with the basket, I wanted the rings, doggoned so I dusted it heavily with flour and placed the dough in it.

Guess how well that worked out?  It didn’t! The dough stuck to the basket and deflated.  At this point, I threw up my hands and said, “fine, have it your way!” and I gave up trying to fight with it.  I didn’t know whether I could salvage the dough but I decided to go with it. I added a little flour because it was so sticky, formed it back into a ball and placed it the bowl.  I covered the bowl with plastic and placed it back in the refrigerator for several hours.

Later that night, I shaped it (cold) into a batard and placed it in a lined basket. I had learned my lesson on that one.  This was the compromise between me and the dough. I used the lined basket and it didn’t stick. It did what it was supposed to do after that.  Or, I guess I should say that I did what I was supposed to do and things worked much better.

The next day, I baked the loaf and it was fabulous!  I did have to rush a little, but it was worth it. And, I took back all of the whining and complaining that I had done the day before.  The luncheon participants enjoyed it so I knew I had a winner!

However, there was a problem.  The process!  What the heck did I do to get it to turn out so well!  After all of the in and out of the refrigerator and in and out of the proofing basket and shaping and reshaping, I was surprised it rose at all.  What a messy method!

I was very proud that this bread actually turned out as good as it did, but I knew I needed to make a few adjustments in order to simplify the process. So I made it a few more times to perfect the process and timing.  I used slightly different scoring each time so I could keep up with the different loaves (in my camera).

The first loaf – May 14