Dark Beer Bread

After massive amounts of seeds and grains in last week's bread, this week is back to the basics. Water, flour, salt and yeast. Well not totally basic, beer is replacing the water in the main dough. This time it's dark beer again, but, different from the dark beer rye sourdough I made before, this one is mainly made from wheat flour, except for the sourdough, which is whole grain rye. Because of the high amount of wheat flour there are several resting periods, making the process a little more envolved timewise, but it's actually pretty easy to make.

Sourdough

• 120g (4 1/4oz) whole grain rye flour
• 110ml (3 3/4oz) water
• 12g (3/8oz) rye sourdough starter

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 18-20 hours.

Poolish

• 110g whole grain wheat flour
• 110ml (3 3/4oz) water
• 0.1g fresh yeast

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 18-20 hours also.

Main Dough

• Sourdough
• Poolish
• 270g (9 1/2oz) bread flour or all purpose wheat flour
• 115g (4oz) dark beer (I used Guiness Draught)
• 6g fresh yeast, or 1 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 1/2 tsp of sugar and 26ml (7/8oz) of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes
• 6g (1 tsp) salt
• 1 tsp diastatic malt powder (optional, helps the yeast rise)
• 1 tsp roasted rye malt powder (optional, for coloring)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead with the dough hook on low speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed (I set my Kitchen Aid mixer to 3) and knead for another 5 minutes. Cover bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let rest for 2 hours. After one hour fold the dough on a floured surface. To do that form it first into a ball and press it flat, then fold the outer edges into the middle and press in. Go around the bough until it's round again; repeat once or twice then put back into the bowl and cover.

Quickly knead by hand to emit the gases and form into ball shape with a firm surface. Cover with a linen towel and let relax for 20 minutes.

Place dough ball in a floured banetton (I usually use rye flour) with the seam up. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 45-55 minutes at room temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 485°F (250°C).

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and turn dough over onto it, the seam is now down. Cut  3/4 inch deep into the dough (along the longer axis if you use an oval banetton, I used a round one so I cut a cross). Place on the middle rack in the oven and spray a lot of water in. 

After 10 minutes open the oven door to let the steam out and reduce temperature to 430°F (220°C). Bake with falling temperature for another 35 minutes. If you like a nice crust open the oven door a little bit for the last 5 minutes.

Let cool on a cooling rack.

Original recipe (German language) in "Das Brotbackbuch" by Lutz Geißler, published by Ulmer Eugen Verlag.