Below is a bread recipe that stemmed from one of my initial ideas for utilizing spent grain to feed people. My initial thought was simply adding the milled grain to a bread recipe; basic incorporation with little effort and a healthier loaf as a result. As I continued to make more bread I played with basic methods of pre-fermentation and finally settled upon feeding a portion of my thriving sourdough starter with spent grain. Once fed and ready to go, I put my spent grain starter to work and haven’t resorted to adding the grains dry unless I dust the loaves with it to add a different look and texture to the crust.
This is what the finished loaves look like.
Baking Bread Using Spent Grains
Author: David Peeler
Recipe type: Sourdough Bread
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
A recipe for basic sourdough bread using a starter fed with milled, spent grain from the brewing process.
Ingredients
- 2.25 lbs flour
- 12 oz starter
- 1 oz dry yeast
- .75 oz table salt (fine grain salt)
- 20 oz water (“room temp”)
- 4 oz wort (approximately)
- 8 oz – 1 lb pre-fermented dough (recommended for improved flavor)
Instructions
- Equip a stand mixer with a hook attachment.
- Add all of your ingredients, except for the salt, to the bowl and mix on low for 4-5 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove towel, add the salt and continue mixing on speed 2 until the dough forms a soft, elastic mass. About 2-3 minutes.
- Place your ball of dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl(pan spray works) and cover with a towel.
- Let the dough rise for 60 minutes at room temp.
- Gently punch down the dough, fold, and allow it to rise another 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven with a pizza stone to 400° F.
- Line a sheet pan or flat board with a flat piece of cloth or linen and apply a fine dusting of all purpose flour on top.
- Divide dough into 4 portions that are 1-1.25 lbs in weight, pre-shaping into a log/rectangle as you go. (This is when you want to set dough aside to use as “pate fermentee” or pre fermented dough)
- Starting with the first log and going in order, shape each portion into an short baguette shape by tucking the ends in and rolling the dough onto itself while pressing and sealing the seam that was created.
- Transfer the finished loaves to prepared cloth with the seam up and pull a flap of cloth up lengthwise to separate it from the next loaf. Cover once all have been shaped.
- Proofing will take 30 minutes or until the dough holds a slight impression when touched.
- Once fermentation is complete and the dough is ready, carefully place the shaped dough onto a pizza stone. Repeat until the stone is full. Depending on the size of your stone, you may only have space for 2 loaves.
- Score the loaves with desired design. These loaves typically get 3 or 4.
- Throw a cup of water onto the bottom of your stove then quickly close the door creating steam that will allow your loaves to expand during the baking process.
- After 30 minutes, turn stove down to 375° F. Bake bread for another 15 minutes.
- Finished loaves will have a crispy crust and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Pull your finished product from the oven and allow it to cool before ripping into your first loaf. Cooling allows the interior to set and prevents compression from slicing or tearing as well as “gummy” textures
Notes
The pizza stone isn’t necessary. You can use a loaf pan or baking sheet as well, however, your baking time and temp. will need to be altered.
Wow this is really cool and makes a lot of sense. I have used beer to make a great beer cheddar bread but never thought to try using wort.