Nothing particularly special about this bread. It is very similar to last week’s bread, except that I used the starter straight out of the fridge (my usual process) and now that the dried figs and apricots are gone, we opened up a giant bag of dried mangoes, to the great delight of our daughter!
400g flour
300g water
100g starter (the usual 50/50 mix)
10g salt
60g rehydrated mangos
40g chia seeds, soaked in 60g water
40g flaxseed meal, soaked in 80g water
Since the starter came out cold from the fridge, the proof started slow which was further retarded because the dough went into the fridge so we could attend Winnie the Pooh at the Rainbow Company Youth Theater. The show was was great fun even I don’t think our daughter quite follow the story.
On Monday evening, I put the dough in the oven’s proof function and it rose high enough to bake. Like the previous couple weeks, the dough was still cool to the touch when I shaped it, but for once it wasn’t overproofed. Per my new standard operating procedure, the oven temperature was held at 450f, and only the pot was preheated without the lid. I tried using silicone pot holders instead of oven mitts for the first time. It worked perfectly well and meant I didn’t have to fully dry off my hands after washing off any dough from the final shaping.
The bread came out nicely, with a lighter crumb than the last couple weeks. I am generally satisfied with the flavor my loaves, even if I don’t push the limits of proofing my bread. Ken Forkish recommends pushing the proof as long as possible, but given the downsides of overdoing it, I really need to get his voice out of my head. I’m certain he is giving good advice for competitive bakers, but it really isn’t the hassle for someone like me.
As for the mangoes, I can’t tell the difference between this and the previous loaves. Next week, I’ll just leave out the dried fruit and spare us the added sugar.
