Freshly milled sourdough ... why so dense?

Watch the video to meet this week’s Ancient Grain Challenge winners. Haven’t registered yet? Get your name in, then keep going. Watch your next lesson, take the quiz, and leave a comment on YouTube. Those points matter! And remember, on December 1, I’m giving away a Bosch Universal Plus stand mixer from NutriMill. Somebody’s getting a serious helping hand with their dough. It could be you. Register here: https://challenge.bakinggreatbread.com/ Come bake with us! https://youtube.com/shorts/u5Ts94H6Hh8?si=e8NQGC8-bBRU7QIq

This Khorasan and emmer experiment is looking like it might make it into the Recipe Pantry. The goal was a tall, well-developed loaf using ancient grain. I am also experimenting with oxidizing my fresh milled beans flour for 24 hours to see what it’s affect is on the loaf. So far, I like what I’m seeing, but we still need to taste it and cut it open. A few of you asked about the cocoa powder scoring. I started with a floured loaf and used a piece of baker’s twine to mark the X. Then I used a damp paper towel to mark the triangles where I wanted the cocoa. I dropped about half a teaspoon of cocoa powder at the top and spread it with my finger. I lightly scored the design before baking. Seven minutes into the bake, I went back in and deepened the main cuts. Here’s how it came out. Crumb and taste test next. Henry⭐️🔥

Today, October 24, inside Crust & Crumb Academy! We're baking something special this Saturday. Pan de Muerto, the traditional Mexican bread made for Día de los Muertos, a celebration of remembrance, family, and the people we love. And we're making it TWO ways! 🍞 Traditional Yeasted Pan de Muerto Soft, buttery, lightly sweet, with that beautiful orange aroma. A great choice if you want to mix your dough and bake today. 🥖 Sourdough Pan de Muerto We're using a stiff levain for this version. It takes a little more patience, but that's part of the journey. If you've already prepared your levain, you're ready to join us. We'll talk about the history behind this beautiful bread, shape the traditional bones that decorate the top, and bake it together. 📖 GET YOUR RECIPES: 🍞 Yeasted Version: https://recipepantry.app/recipes/pan-de-muerto 🥖 Sourdough Version: https://recipepantry.app/recipes/sourdough-pan-de-muerto Perfection isn't required. Progress is. Who's baking with me today, yeasted or sourdough? Henry⭐🔥

ANCIENT GRAIN CHALLENGE | OCTOBER 23, 2026 Four more bakers are getting some beautiful grain from our friends at Grand Teton Ancient Grains! Let's give a big round of applause to this week's winners! 👏👏👏 🏆 @Dennis Blevins . from California 🌾 5 lbs of Hard Red Spring Wheat 🏆 @Donna Angelo . from Ontario 🌾 5 lbs of Hard White Wheat 🏆 @Jill Hart from Idaho 🌾 5 lbs of Einkorn 🏆 @Dianne Givens . from Maryland 🌾 5 lbs of Khorasan Congratulations to all four of you! 🎊 📬 WINNERS, CHECK YOUR EMAIL! You've received a private prize claim link. Follow the instructions and submit your shipping information so we can get your grain headed your way. 🎁 DIDN'T WIN THIS WEEK? WE'RE NOT FINISHED! Our next drawing is Friday, October 30, and four more bakers will win 5-pound bags of ancient grains! Here's how you get in: ✅ Register for the Ancient Grain Challenge. It's FREE! ✅ Complete at least one of our seven lessons to qualify for the weekly grain drawings. ✅ Keep learning, taking quizzes, and earning points. Every verified point gives you another entry! Remember, you can only win one 5-pound bag, but you can still qualify for our other grand prizes. 🏆 AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE BOSCH! Thanks to NutriMill, we're also giving away a Bosch Universal Plus stand mixer on December 1! Just registering automatically enters you in the mixer drawing. No lessons required for that first entry, and every verified point gives you another chance. We're also giving away a 25-pound bag of ancient grain from Grand Teton Ancient Grains to one baker who completes all seven lessons! 🥖 WATCH THE LESSONS: https://challenge.bakinggreatbread.com/#lessons 🎯 CHECK YOUR ENTRY AND POINTS: https://challenge.bakinggreatbread.com/#me I love seeing our community learning about these grains, milling their own flour, and discovering what they can do with it.