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A Brewer's Bread for a Ploughman's Lunch

Brown bread with spent grains
Course Bread
Cuisine English
Keyword bread, spent grains
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 16 servings
Calories 350kcal

Ingredients

  • 200 g starter see notes below
  • 50 g rye flour
  • 100 g whole wheat flour
  • 200 g bread flour
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp yeast
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 260 g water
  • 150 g spent grains + more for topping
  • 1 egg white beaten with a bit of water

Instructions

  • Combine the starter, flours, honey, yeast, salt, and water in the mixer and mix on low with the paddle until the mixture comes together.
  • Switch to the bread hook and knead, adding more bread flour until the dough is workable. Knead for 5-8 minutes on medium.
  • Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, 2 or so hours.
  • Work on a floured surface with a bread knife, tucking under and shaping and adding flour until you get something resembling a ball.
  • Transfer to a very well-floured 9″ banneton, seam-side up, cover with the damp kitchen towel and allow to rise for another hour, until the dough has reached the top of the banneton.
  • Preheat oven to 450˚F with a baking stone on the middle rack and a cast iron pan on the lower rack during this time.
  • Remove the towel, cover with parchment paper to invert onto a baking peel. The dough will spread out a bit.
  • Brush with the egg white wash and sprinkle with the remaining spent grains, then use a lame to score an X shape in the top of the dough.
  • Carefully use the peel to transfer the dough, parchment paper and all, onto the baking stone, mist the sides of the oven with a few squirts of water, and throw a half cup of ice into the cast iron pan.
  • Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the bread feels hollow when rapping a knuckle on it.

Notes

  • Starter: 50/50 mix by volume of actively fermenting beer with all-purpose flour, left to ferment for a few days and fed once about a day before bake time.