This week in the ledger · Log 033 · Whole wheat
At 50% whole wheat you need two things that the 30% loaf does not: a bran soaker and a scoring method that does not tear the surface. The soaker is simple — the bran sits in the full water amount for two hours before the flour is added — and the scoring is about depth and speed rather than pattern.
Read the log · 24 Oct 2026
Log 032 · 22 Oct 2026 · Discard and starter care
Waffle batter mixed at night and cooked in the morning is better than the same batter made fresh, and the reason is not superstition. Ten hours in the fridge lets the flour hydrate completely, lets the discard's acidity develop, and lets the gluten relax so the waffles spread evenly in the iron and come out with a crisp shell instead of a rubbery one.
Log 031 · 20 Oct 2026 · Bread flour
A four-hour autolyse at room temperature is the longest rest in this ledger and the closest thing to a free upgrade in it. Flour and water alone, no starter, no salt, four hours at 22 °C. The dough comes out of the rest already smooth and extensible: three folds instead of four, no slap-and-fold, and a crumb that is noticeably more open than the same recipe with a 40-minute rest.
Log 030 · 18 Oct 2026 · Ancient grains
At 40% emmer the bran stops being a decoration and starts being a problem. Emmer bran is thicker and sharper than wheat bran, and it cuts through the gluten network as the dough is folded. The fix is water: 84% hydration, which sounds extreme for a bread with this much whole grain but is what the bran needs to stop competing with the gluten for moisture.
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