Ten minutes of dry pan time changes this loaf more than any change of starter or schedule I have tried. Toasting 35% of the total flour — the whole wheat part — before it ever meets water drives off the raw, slightly grassy note and replaces it with something between toasted bread and coffee. The catch is that toasted flour absorbs more water and develops less gluten, so the recipe has to be adjusted in two places.
What toasting does to flour
Dry heat at 150-170 °C browns the bran and part of the starch through Maillard reactions and caramelisation. Two things follow: the flour smells of hazelnut, and about 8% of its weight in water is driven off, which means the effective hydration of the dough is higher than the number printed on the recipe. I add back 4% water to compensate.
| Ingredient | Weight | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour, untoasted | 390 g | 65% |
| Whole wheat, toasted and cooled | 210 g | 35% |
| Water | 474 g | 79% |
| Starter 1:5:5 | 132 g | 22% |
| Salt | 12.6 g | 2.1% |
Toasting without scorching
A dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat, flour stirred constantly with a wooden spoon. The first two minutes nothing happens, then it darkens quickly — from pale tan to dark brown is about 45 seconds. Pull the pan off the heat at the first smell of toast and keep stirring for another 30 seconds, because the pan stays hot. Cool completely before mixing; warm flour will kill the starter.
The schedule, adjusted for a weaker flour
Toasted flour has less gluten activity, so the bulk is shortened to 4 hours at 25 °C and the rise target is 50% rather than 55%. Four coil folds, 40 minutes apart. The cold retard stays at 13 hours. Bake at 240 °C with 20 minutes of steam and 44 minutes total: toasted flour browns faster than raw, and a 48-minute bake gives a shell that is one shade too dark.
- Crumb rating 4/5: warm brown, coffee-and-toast aroma.
- Pairs badly with sweet spreads and very well with cheese and salted butter.
- Toast the whole batch at once and store it sealed; the aroma fades after about a week.
If you toast more than you need, store it in the freezer, not the cupboard. Toasted flour goes stale noticeably faster than raw flour because the oils are already partly oxidised.