A Stir The Pots Post

Teff Miche

by | Apr 10, 2012 | Bread, Miche, SFBI

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Teff. It's a tiny seed from the Horn of Africa, and makes for a tricky flour that is high in nutrients and protein. If not careful and properly used, Teff can stick in your banneton, an expensive proposition for such an expensive but delicious grain.

Recently I attempted a formula that comes from SFBI, who have been my latest portal to ancient grain baking. Since first tasting some of the ancient grain breads while attending classes there years ago,  I've attempted  baking this particular Miche variety, mostly because of its delicious flavor profile. So far, two attempts have been a dismal failure, due in part to bad editing of a publicized formula that had the percentages seriously compromised, as well as a bit of my own short-sightedness.

In any case, I queried folks on The Fresh Loaf for answers to my failures with this bread, getting great responses from a baker named Breadsong. According to Breadsong, one Teff-related challenge is that pre-gelatinization is a pre-requisite in stabilizing this almost-weeping grain. Because when added to doughs, it literally sweats, becoming difficult to handle. Once the pre-gelatinized flour is cooled, you add a white liquid levain. Then, it's a pretty straight forward formula, with bulk proof, and a 12 hour retarding and straight to the oven. The chocolaty flavor and crip crust are a winner.

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3 Comments

  1. breadsong

    Hello Jeremy,
    Lovely to see a shot of the whole, beautifully-burnished-and-baked loaf, and so happy you love how this bread tastes.
    I was delighted with this bread too, and am very grateful to Frank Sally of SFBI for his insight, and formula, for baking with Teff :^)
    Thanks so much for the mention in your post, I really appreciate it!
    I came across some information about Teff – here is a link, in case you find this site interesting:
    http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/teff-and-millet-november-grains-of-the-month
    Happy Baking! :^) from breadsong

    Reply
  2. MC

    What a gorgeous loaf! You nailed it this time, Jeremy! Many thanks to you and to breadsong for the teff tip. How clever! The crumb couldn’t be better and the crust is picture-perfect…

    Reply
  3. Jeremy

    Hey Breadsong, thanks to you and Frank for this formula..It took some effort by the last one was a charm!
    MC,
    Thanks for the comment, yes it is actually a nice loaf…or was! 🙂

    Reply

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