Visiting that new artisanal spot in Portland, I'm not sold on their sourdough method

I stopped by that new bakery on 3rd Avenue last weekend and watched them mix their starter. They were adding a huge amount of whole wheat flour right at the beginning, claiming it gives a deeper flavor. I tried a loaf and found the crumb was way too dense, almost gummy. It felt like they were sacrificing texture for a trendy ingredient. Has anyone else tried a similar technique and gotten better results?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavin_kelly911d ago

Wasn't there a whole thing in a bread forum about whole wheat absorbing more water? I read that if you add it early, you need to adjust the hydration like crazy or you get that exact gummy texture. Maybe their recipe just isn't dialed in yet.

the_sandra1d ago

Tell me about it. Feels like every bread recipe online is just a guess at this point.