Name: Buttermilk Bread
Ingredients: yeast; whole-wheat flour; salt; water; buttermilk; bread flour; pâte fermentée

Jeffrey Hamelman

Buttermilk Bread

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy
Dough Yield: About
24
loaves at 1.5 lb each

Appears in

Bread

By Jeffrey Hamelman

Published 2004

About

Buttermilk is a Flavorful Addition to Bread. It adds richness and just a hint of tanginess. It also contributes to an even-grained crumb. In the present formula, half the flour comes from whole grains, but that amount can be increased or decreased to suit the desires of the baker (remembering that dough hydration may need to be adjusted as the percentage of whole grains changes). While it can be difficult to source full-fat buttermilk, it’s worth looking for, as it makes a much tastier bread compared with its fat-free cousin. If time permits, reduce the dough temperature by 1 or 2 degrees and increase the bulk fermentation by up to 1 hour for even better flavor and slightly improved keeping quality.

Pre-Fermented Flour: 25%

Ingredients

Overall Formula

	U.S.	Metric	Home	Baker’s %
Bread Flour	10 lb	5 kg	1 lb	50 %
Whole-Wheat Flour	10 lb	5 kg	1 lb	50 %
Water	4 lb	2 kg	6.4 oz	20 %
Buttermilk	11.6 lb	5.8 kg	1 lb, 2.6 oz	58 %
Salt	.4 lb	.2 kg	.6 oz	2 %
Yeast	.25 lb, fresh	.125 kg, fresh	.13 oz, instant dry	1.25 %
Total Yield	36.25 lb	18.125 kg	3 lb, 9.7 oz	181.25 %

Pâte Fermentée

Bread Flour	5 lb	2.5 kg	8 oz (1¾ cups)	100 %
Water	3.25 lb	1.625 kg	5.2 oz (⅝ cup)	65 %
Salt	.1 lb	.05 kg	.2 oz (1 tsp)	2 %
Yeast	.01 lb, fresh	.005 kg, fresh	⅛ tsp, instant dry	.2%
Total	8.36 lb	4.18 kg	13.4 oz

Final Dough

Bread Flour	5 lb	2.5 kg	8 oz (1¾ cups)
Whole-Wheat Flour	10 lb	5 kg	1 lb, (3⅝ cups)
Water	.75 lb	.375 kg	1.2 oz (2½ T)
Buttermilk	11.6 lb	5.8 kg	1 lb, 2.6 oz (2⅝ cups)
Salt	.3 lb	.15 kg	.4 oz (2 tsp)
Yeast	.24 lb, fresh	.12 kg, fresh	.13 oz, instant dry (1¼ tsp)
*Pâte Fermentée*	8.36 lb	4.18 kg	13.4 oz (all of above)
Total	36.25 lb	18.125 kg	3 lb, 9.7 oz

Method

Pâte Fermentée: Disperse the yeast in the water, add the flour and salt, and mix until just smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic and let stand for 12 to 16 hours at about 70°F. Alternatively, remove a portion from a previous mix for use as pâte fermentée. In this case, refer to “Preparing the Pre-Ferment,”, for correct handling of the pre-ferment.
Mixing: Place all the ingredients except the pâte fermentée in a spiral mixer. Mix on first speed for 3 minutes in order to incorporate the ingredients. As the dough is coming together, add the pâte fermentée in chunks. Depending upon the absorption of the whole-wheat flour, you may need to correct the hydration by adding water or buttermilk. Finish mixing on second speed for 3 minutes. The dough should have good body and supple strength at this point. Mix 30 to 60 seconds longer if the dough seems to lack adequate strength. Desired dough temperature: 75°F.
Bulk Fermentation: 2 hours.
Folding: Fold the dough after 1 hour of bulk fermentation.
Dividing and Shaping: Divide the dough into 1.5-pound pieces (or larger, as desired). Preshape into rounds. When sufficiently relaxed, shape into round or oval loaves. Place them either into floured bannetons or between folds of floured baker’s linen, and cover with plastic. The bread can also be baked in loaf pans or shaped into rolls.
Final Fermentation: About 1 hour at 75°F.
Baking: Place the risen loaves on the loading conveyor or peel. Slash as desired. Presteam the oven, load the bread, and steam again. Bake in a 450°F oven, opening the vents once the bread shows color, in order to finish the bake in a drying oven. Round loaves scaled at 1.5 pounds will bake in approximately 38 minutes. The buttermilk contributes color to the bread, so if the loaves are darkening too quickly, lower the oven temperature by 10° or 20°F.