spent grain bread

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: spent grain bread

Hi Elizabeth:
Just wanted to wish you HAPPY BIRTHDAY today and this is the last thread you've started this year (and a really good one on bread) so I'm hoping this pops up in your UserCP and you see it.

I'm still enjoying you old posts and look forward to new ones,

Take care, Dino

[dwightr8]

Re: spent grain bread

So, I finally got around to brewing a couple of days ago (Scottish Wee Heavy, OG 1.080) mainly so I would have some spent grain (17 lbs) to play around with. I also saved a couple of quarts of sweet wort to use for liquid/sweetener. With the beer bubbling happily it was time to see what I could do with the sg. Since I bake mostly with sourdough anyway, I decided to forgo any extra yeast and just go natural - probably not the best decision since my starter has been kind of flakey lately. After going through a lot of recipes for spent grain bread and my own experience with other kinds of bread I came up with the following recipe:

100g Sourdough Starter (@ 100% Hydration)
190g Sweet Wort
80g Whole Wheat Flour
240g All Purpose Flour
160g Spent Grain (Damp)
8g Salt

I fed my starter early in the day and let it become active before I added it to the dough. I mixed all ingredients in the evening and let them sit at room temperature overnight. In the morning I folded the dough over in the bowl a few times over the course of 2-3 hrs. I then formed the loaves and let them rise until about doubled (This is the tricky part - deciding when they have risen enough but not too much. Better to error on not quite fully risen as opposed to overrisen.) They were then baked @ 400F until the interior temperature was ~210F.

The results:

My starter never really got very active but I pressed on anyway and the dough was very slow to rise in the bowl. Since we were having the (possibly future) inlaws over for dinner, I was pressed for time and had to bake before I would have liked. I actually sliced and served the bread while it was still a bit warm and before I had a chance to sample it. I have to say when I finally got a taste of it I was shocked. It was kind like the beer - a wee heavy - but flavor wise it was some of the best I have ever made. I think I favorly impressed the (possibly future) inlaws as well as my SWMBO.

Next time I make the bread I think I'll throw a little extra yeast in. The bread being quite heavy, I think it needs a bit of help rising. Other than that this stuff is a real keeper.

Cheers,

Dwight

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: spent grain bread

Chris,

No, I haven't. It's been a few years since I last brewed and at that time I bought all my supplies from an outfit called Brewers Resource. They had everything imaginable in huge quantities and really good prices, but alas, they disappeared. Thanks for the lead though. I will have to pay them a visit just because.

John

[SCChris]

Re: spent grain bread

Thanks Dwight and John. John I found that OShea's has DME and they're on my way home. John, have you ever dropped into BrewBakers in Huntington Beach? I understand that the cater to the brewer/baker group.


C

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: spent grain bread

These guys are selling 1lb bags of British DME for $3.99:

Dry Malt Extract- Wheat 1 LB | Home Brewing Supplies from Monster Brew

[SCChris]

Re: spent grain bread

I made another double batch of SG using honey this time and the result was better, although I'm still looking for more flavor complexity. I?ll try to locate dry malt extract and see where this takes things. I added a few shelled raw sunflower seeds to the top, a last moment addition and enjoyed the result. I?ll add some to the dough and see where it goes as well. I also wonder about adding tahini into the dough, similar to a vegetable oil addition, and then cover the top with sesame seeds before the bake. Anyway I?m looking for a bit different flavor profile with this bread.

Chris

[dwightr8]

Re: spent grain bread

Chris,

I have used DME(dry malt extract) in some of my breads in place of sugar or honey. I usually just add a tablespoon or 2 or close to the same as the sweetener I'm replacing. I like the results. It adds a bit more complex flavor. Give it a try! It's certainly not going to make it inedible and I think you'll like it.

Cheers,

Dwight

[SCChris]

Re: spent grain bread

Thanks John, for the offer of SG when you're brewing again. Dwight, I wonder about adding wort rather than water as well. I also wonder about adding malt to the whole mix but I'd have to think about how much malt equals how much Honey or Agave syrup.

Chris

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: spent grain bread

Chris,

FWIW, there is a huge malting company in Los Angeles (Great Western?) who sells, I would guess, to Anheuser Busch in the valley and other local breweries. I have talked to them in the past and they are willing to sell to the casual homebrewer as long as he buys a couple of trash can-sized loads. That would be me. Once the outdoor kitchen is completed and I can resume my brewing endeavors it would be easy to share some of this with you for your SG bread.

John

[dwightr8]

Re: spent grain bread

......I wonder if honey or molasses would work as a sweetener?

Chris

Chris,

You might want to try some of the sweet wort (the wort as it is drained off the mash before the addition of hops) if you can get some. It is very sweet and would probably add some interesting flavors.

Cheers,

Dwight

[SCChris]

Re: spent grain bread

The crumb compares most closely to a quick banana bread recipe. In the photo you can also see side of the bread knife and the dough along the edge.

The flavor is good and with toasting and a bit of jam and butter, tasty. I think orange marmalade with a bit of bitter and acid will complement this loaf. I wonder if honey or molasses would work as a sweetener?

Chris

[SCChris]

Re: spent grain bread

I made a double batch, Soaker and Biga, with King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour and let them sit 24 hours. The temp of the Biga and Spent Grain out of the fridge were 40F, the room temp was 70F and the Soaker and Agave syrup are 70F as well. I gave the cold ingredients 1.5 hours to come up closer to room temps before kneading together all of the ingredients. After combining and kneading, the mass was divided in two 954G loafs. These were placed in bowls and given 45 minutes before final shaping and dropping these into parchment lined loaf pans. These were covered with plastic and given an hour to rise and then these pans were placed into a 425F oven 1 cup of boiling water was placed into a cast iron fry pan for steam and the oven temp was reduced to 350F. The pans were turned at 20 minutes. One loaf was checked at 40 minutes, 50 min and both loafs were pulled at 55 minutes at 203F. I'll post a crumb shot and taste critique tomorrow..

Chris

[SCChris]

Re: spent grain bread

I'll get it righter.. Perfect, maybe not, but much righter!! I think there are some areas in the process that I can get a better handle on. One of these areas is proofing, dough temps room temps and times. Maybe it's time for a bit of journaling.. If it gives me a point of reference and a crutch what the heck.. To quote a certain ex govenor "I'll be back!!"

:-)

[texassourdough]

Re: spent grain bread

My spent grain loaves from PRs book on Whole Grain breads have come out much darker than yours, Chris. And really moist. Would be hard to overbake them severely I think. The lower baking temp is to accomodate the more delicate ingredients relative to straight dough boules. It is IMO generally preferable to bake a little early rather than a bit late. Note: a hard brick is too early! (not for you Chris but for those who go overboard!) The dough needs to have some soft airy quality if it is to be other than a brick!

Good Luck!
Jay

[SCChris]

Re: spent grain bread

Jay, I think you’re spot on with the over proofing, especially on the loafs that were proofed in the baskets. I read your info last night before I went to bed, awoke and replayed the baking session. These later loafs went into the oven an hour after the first loafs and show it. The stickage makes sense because the amount of gas in the dough created a situation where any stickage had more potential to really rip up the dough. I’ll make a 2X batch next time around, my reasoning being that I can bake 2 1KG loafs at one time in my kitchen oven. I don’t want to make too much change and not be able to learn from the changes, but I think I’ll lose the vegetable oil. The addition of the oil really made the dough feel foreign when kneading.



Chris

PS I just went through EricU's sourdough thread and want to thank Jay Splat and Eric for the detailed info.