Whole Wheat Mochi Sourdough Shokupan

Given that 80% of the flour is stoneground whole wheat, the bread has a lovely soft texture. It may be a placebo effect, but I feel that the crumb has more spring to it than usual.

For 1 loaf in a 9x4x4” Pullman pan.

Fermented Tangzhong

In a sauce pan set on medium heat, stir the milk and mochi flour until blended. Then cook for several minutes until well thickened, stirring regularly with a spoon or heat-resistant spatula. Let cool in the pan or, for faster results, in a new bowl. Theoretically it should reach 65ºC (149ºF) but I don’t find I need to measure the temperature as the tangzhong gelatinizes at this temperature. Transfer to a jar and allow to cool. When ready to make the levain, add the starter and mix well. Ferment along with the levain at 76-78°F for 10-12 hours.

Levain

Mix the levain ingredients in a jar or pyrex container with space for at least 300% growth.

Press down with your knuckles or silicone spatula to create a uniform surface and to push out air.

At a temperature of 76-78ºF, it typically takes up to 10-12 hours for this sweet stiff levain to be at peak. For my starter I typically see 3-3.5 times increase in size at peak. The levain will smell sweet with only a mild tang.

Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk (consider holding back 10 g of milk and adding later if this is the first time you’re making this), egg, salt, sugar and levain. Mix and then break up the levain into many smaller pieces. Next add the flour. I like to use my spatula to mix until there aren’t many dry areas. Allow the flour to hydrate (fermentolyse) for 20-30 minutes. Mix on low speed and then medium speed until moderate gluten development this may take 5-10 mins. You may want to scrape the sides of the bowl during the first 5 minutes of mixing. Next, add prefermented tangzhong like you would bassinage water by adding it gradually and mix until well incorporated. Then add very soft room-temperature butter one pat at a time. The dough may come apart, be patient, continue to mix until it comes together before adding in more butter. You will want to check gluten development by windowpane during this time and stop mixing when you get a good windowpane. You should be able to pull a good windowpane, not quite as good as a white flour dough because the bran will interrupt the windowpane somewhat.

To develop by hand, melt the butter and add it with the wet ingredients.

On the counter, shape the dough into a tight ball, cover in the bowl and ferment for 4-6 hours at 82ºF ending bulk fermentation once the dough has risen 25-40%. During the first 1 hour after mixing, you can add coil folds if the dough was a bit looser/wetter to further strengthen and add structure to the dough.

You can next place the dough into the fridge to chill the dough for about 1.5 hours, this makes rolling the dough easier to shape. Remember, if you do so the final proof will take longer. Alternatively, you can do a cold retard in the fridge overnight, however, you may find that this increases the tang in your bread.

Prepare your pans by greasing them with butter or line with parchment paper.

Lightly oil the top of the dough. Scrape the dough out onto a clean counter top and shape into a batard.

Cover and let proof for 4-6 hours at a warm temperature. I proof at 82°F. You will need longer than 4-6 hours if you chilled your dough for shaping. I proof until the top of the dough comes to within 1 cm of the top edge of the pan. At this point the dough should have risen 130-140% in total from the start of bulk fermentation.

Preheat the oven to 350°F when the dough reaches about 100-110% rise. Brush the dough with the egg-milk wash. Just prior to baking brush with the egg-milk wash again.

Bake the loaves for 50 minutes or until the internal temperature is at least 190ºF, rotating as needed to get even browning. Shield your loaf if it gets brown early in the baking process. After 50 mins remove the bread from the pan and bake a further 10 mins by placing the loaf directly in the oven on the rack with the oven turned down to 325ºF. Cool on a rack before slicing. Enjoy.