Beer Grain Baguette

Spent Grain Baguette

Posted by A Bite To Eat

About

Owner Brian Dennehy shared this recipe for using spent grains from local brewers to add a grain texture and a slightly nutty and malty flavor to the bread. Spent grains are the cracked, malted grains and husks leftover from the brewing process; they are often given back to farms for livestock feed.

Cook’s Note: Pate fermentee is the French term for a “pre-ferment” or starter dough that has been made a day ahead. Bakers that make quantities of bread use scraps of bread dough from the loaves they bake that day, refrigerating it overnight to ferment and develop flavors. This type of starter significantly boosts the flavor of the baked bread.

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You Will Need (14 things)

  • For the pate fermentee:

  • 1 1/8 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/8 cups Unbleached Bread Flour
  • ¾ tsp Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp Instant dry Yeast
  • ¾ cup Water

  • For the dough:

  • 3 cup Pate Fermentee
  • 1 ¼ cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
  • 1 ¼ cup Unbleached Bread Flour
  • ¾ tsp Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp Instant dry Yeast
  • ¾ cup Water
  • ½ cup Dried and coarsely ground spent Beer grains

Steps (5 steps, 45 minutes)

  1. 1

    To make the pate fermentee, combine the flours, salt, yeast, and water in a large mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low for 1 minute. Switch the attachment to the dough hook; mix 4 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the starter dough into a well-oiled 4-quart bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough stand in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours. Punch the dough down and knead lightly on a floured board to remove the gasses. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

  2. 2

    To make the bread, remove the pate fermentee from the refrigerator and cut into 3 equal pieces; let them rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

  3. 3

    Mix the flours and salt in a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment on low speed to blend. Add the three pieces of pate fermentee, water, and beer grains to the dry ingredients and mix 1 minute. Switch the attachment to the dough hook; mix on medium speed until dough is smooth, 6 minutes. Place in an oiled 4-quart bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

  4. 4

    Let the dough stand in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours. Shape the dough into baguettes on a floured board; cover loosely and let proof for at least 45 minutes.

  5. 5

    Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Gently lift the baguettes onto a pizza peel; place in the oven on the pizza stone. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

    Note: If you don’t have a pizza peel and stone, line a heavy, rimmed baking sheet with parchment.