Loaf #3 of 100 for 2007, Caterpillar bread

After some earlier success with pull-apart rolls, I wanted to try them on a French loaf pan. For this recipe I used teff flour and seeds along with the regular bread flour, high gluten preferment and whole wheat flour.

After making the dough I divided it in half, and each half into eight pieces and formed them into small rolls, which were placed side by side on the parchment covered French loaf pan. After proofing I applied a wash, scored the top and sprinkled on teff seed (which should have gone on after the wash and before the scoring, but I almost forgot).

The result was a tasty bread, and a nice tear apart function to the loaf. A friend dubbed it caterpillar bread, and that's what I'm going to call it (better than gator tale bread, my first thought). Basic bread recipe was used with teff and whole wheat flour.

Preferment
8 oz high gluten flour
15 oz water
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Mix together in a container that allows for expansion (I mix them together with a whisk), cap with a loose fitting lid or with plastic wrap and a few tiny holes poked through the plastic.

The Dough.
8 oz bread flour
2 oz teff flour
6 oz whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
preferment
egg for glaze
teff seed for sprinkling

When it's time to make the dough, put all of the flour into the bowl of your mixer. Add 1 teaspoon instant yeast, 2 teaspoons salt and the preferment. Put in your dough hook and mix until the dough just comes together, about 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rest 15 minutes to let the water saturate the dough, then turn on medium speed for 5-8 minutes to knead the dough.

While the dough is kneading, bring a teakettle full of water to a boil. Pour about 3-4 cups of hot water into a bowl in the oven and close the door. This creates a warm, moist enviornment that the yeast loves. When the dough is through kneading, transfer it to a greased bowl (I sprits a bowl with nonstick spray, then do a quick spray over the dough). Put the dough and bowl into the oven with the hot water and let proof (rise) for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, it's time to shape the dough. I will cover shaping techniques later, so I'll assume you can form a basic boule or put it in a loaf pan for now. Once the dough is shaped, refresh the hot water in the oven, and put the loaf back in for 1 hour. When the hour is up, remove the loaf and start preheating the oven (mine takes about 10 minutes to preheat). While the oven heats, scramble and egg and brush it over the surface, then use a serrated knife to make slashes on the top of the loaf. sprinkle with teff seed. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes for a whole loaf, 25 minutes for a French loaf.