Free Shipping on retail orders over $100, use code FREESHIPPING100

(Excludes AK, HI, and Wholesale)

Cecilia's Two Black Emmer Loaves

Cecilia's Two Black Emmer Loaves

By: Jill Brockman-Cummings (Read Bio)

Cecilia's Two Black Emmer Loaves
Black Emmer, also known as Farro Nero, is the most beautiful old-fashioned bread flour imaginable. In fact I think it is my new favorite. It is truly ancient -- digestible and delicious. It will give you a darker richer loaf of super bread.
The two recipes below use yeast, but you may adapt and use your sourdough starter if you like. The first recipe is for a medium crumb loaf, and uses 50% Black Emmer with 50% of a higher-protein bread flour. I like the Italian Pizza Flour for the ‘bread flour’ portion because it is 70% extraction. It works nicely with the Black Emmer, which is 100% extraction with more obvious bran.
Country Loaf with 50% Black Emmer Flour and 50% Bread Flour

I know the above image is not a pretty picture but we can’t all be pretty and I do like to hydrate the yeast (even when it is instant) AND the salt.

Measure the flours into the bowl. Whisk them together. Make a well. Pour the water into the well and some around the edge of the bowl to create a moat. Add the yeast to the well and the salt to the moat. Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes, then stir it up.

Mix until fully incorporated (about one minute). Then do 3 sets of stretch-and-folds, one every twenty minutes.

Cover and let rise in the bowl until almost doubled and you see the beginnings of bubbles on the surface. In the winter this proofing time will be a bit longer. In high summer your proofing time will be shorter. So keep an eye on your dough.

When it is almost fully proofed turn it out onto the counter and prepare your boule in your favorite way. For this loaf I then rolled the top of my boule in flaked oats. Let the boule sit either on the counter or in your proofing basket for 10 - 15 minutes to puff up again.

Have a Dutch Oven heating in a 450F oven, (I use a three quart Dutch Oven when I am baking a single loaf), tighten and score your boule and drop it into the Dutch Oven (or Challenger Bread Pan with a little ice), bake twenty minutes with the lid on and 25 minutes with the lid off.

Now, how about a loaf made with 100% Black Emmer Flour? This hearty loaf will feel sticky and almost jelly-like during your folds so use wet hands, and watch the proofing time because even though Black Emmer only has an 11% protein level it can rise fast. On the day I baked the loaf below; after three folds (across one hour) the bread was ready to bake 40 minutes after that.

Hearty 100% Black Emmer Bread

Mix all ingredients until fully incorporated (about one minute) then stretch and fold three times every twenty minutes. Cover and rise for about an hour in the bowl until almost doubled and you see the beginnings of bubbles on the surface.

When it is almost fully proofed turn it out onto the counter and prepare your boule in your favorite way. Let the boule sit either on the counter or in your proofing basket for 10 - 15 minutes to puff up again.

Have a Dutch Oven heating in a 450F oven, (I use a three quart cast iron Dutch oven when I am baking a single loaf), tighten and score your boule and drop it into the Dutch Oven (or Challenger Bread Pan with a little ice) bake twenty minutes with the lid on and 25 with the lid off.

If you want to place either of these doughs in the refrigerator for an overnight ferment (which will further enhance the taste and digestibility) reduce the yeast to 2g.

More Information

Black Emmer is super-versatile-- it bakes into bread AND sweet goods. So as well as a wonderful loaf of bread, you can make great muffins, banana bread and cookies. Try baker Martin Sorge's recipe for Digestive Biscuits (also known as cookies) here: https://www.janiesmill.com/blogs/recipes/black-emmer-oat-digestive-biscuits-by-martin-sorge

 

Posted on October 18 2019