Barm Bread

[bethesdabakers]

The Barm Bread recipe is high on my list of breads to try. I thought I knew a bit about beers but when I had to think of bottle conditioned beers the only one that sprang to mind was Worthington White Shield.

Anyone who needs any help should try the wonderful Oxford Bottled Beer Database http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/.

I still have the problem of finding a suitable bottle locally though.

Best wishes,

Mick

[peter]

Here are a couple of breweries that may be useful.

Plassey Brewery, nr wrexham. http://www.plasseybrewery.co.uk/

or Bragdy Ynys Mon, both of North Wales.
http://www.angleseyale.co.uk/Welcome.htm


I sampled Dan's Barm Bread the other day. Very tasty it was too.

[bethesdabakers]

Dear Peter,

Thanks for that but you shouldn't put temptation in my way - I'm very good at leading myself astray without outside help. The Anglesey brewery I am familiar with but I hadn't come across the Wrexham one.

I'm not sure that either make a bottle conditioned beer on the other hand so my search goes on - mail order may have to be the answer.

Dear Dan - can you explain the science in what is going on in the recipe? Why heat the beer and what is the effect of combining the yeast in the beer with the yeast in the starter? Do you maintain a barm in the same way as a starter or do you make up a new one each time?

Best wishes,

Mick

[Dan Lepard]

To start with, a little definition of a barm, from 'The Bakers ABC', by John Kirkland (Gresham Publishing, London, 1927)

Barm - An old word, the name for the thick froth produced in brewers' vats, and sold for breadmaking purposes, and for brewing of home-brewed ales, ginger beer, and treacle beers.

In the trial of the Earl of Somerset for high treason and for the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury, in the reign of James I, the arraigning counsel, Sir Francis Bacon, mentions barm, or yeast, as an agent for poisoning.

"As we may see in the example of Henry VIII, that where the purpose was to poison one man, there was poison put into barm or yeast; and with the barm, pottage or gruel was made, whereby sixteen of the Bishop of Rochester's servants were poisoned."

Thus the word barm, with a precise if sinister meaning and association, was in use over three hundred years ago. The term is still used in country districts as meaning brewer's yeast, and in some parts is even applied to pressed yeast.

But since bakers, or others for them, began to make a fermenting agent for themselves, about 1800, that has been described as barm, while the word yeast has been retained for the brewery product, as well as for the more modern article sold in solid form.

Barm contains yeast cells, generally of a variety of species, as well as some of the liquor in which the yeast has been grown. Barms are of many kinds, and of all degrees of "strength"; that is, a particular lot may contain few or many yeast cells, and much or little of the acids, peptones, alcohols, &c., which have resulted from previous fermentations.

Probably the earliest barm made, as distinguished from leavens, was that from malt and hops, as the baker in the first instance merely copied the brewer or the distiller. This barm was known as "compound", or "comp", or "patent". Some makers used a quantity of flour in the mixture, some did not.

In Scotland, where barms were first made, and where they still continue in favour, the compound barm was displaced by a kind made with scalded flour and malt. To this was given the name of " Parisian ", although there is no precise evidence to show that it was copied from the practice of Parisian bakers. Another sort which may contain a little malt, but may be all scalded and raw flour, is called " Virgin Barm ".

A kind much used in Australia, South Africa, &c., has boiled potatoes, sugar, baked flour, and bran as the constituents of the mash. This is called " spontaneous", or "spon", probably because, in the regions in which it is used, the liquid will start fermenting without a "stock" of old barm, and mature sufficiently to be used for breadmaking, by a straight dough process, under such conditions in about 30 hours.

Barms have, of course, to be used in comparatively large quantity. It is a strong barm that contains 12 oz. of yeast to the gallon, and the work is done by the yeast cells only. Barms have much influence on the nature of the bread. Flour barms produce a condition of crumb that might be described as raw: it seems moist and slightly clinging, but the bread is white and its skin smooth.

As a rule, except in the case of "spontaneous " referred to above, barms are used with a long process of fermentation, either in two or three stages, and the flavours attributed to the barm may be due really to the changes in material within the dough, resulting from the processes.

Why heat the beer?

To drive off the alcohol and to gelatinize the starch. For a little more detail about the changes that occur, here is a passage from William Jago's classic late 19th century treatise, 'The Science and Art of Breadmaking' (Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., London, 1895)

'The barm tub and contents are left in the brew-house uncovered for 21 hours or so. During that time the mixture, undergoes several changes. The scalding water bursts a proportion of the starch granules of the flour, converting them into starch paste: the diastase of the malt inverts or hydrates this paste into a sugar, maltose, and a brown, gummy body, dextrin. The mixture, after scalding, tastes very sweet; in half an hour after it is sweeter, and thinner, and browner. These changes continue for several hours, then a distinct acid taste is felt.'

What is the effect of combining the yeast in the beer with the yeast in the starter?

Simply to add complexity to the flavour of the barm.

Do you maintain a barm in the same way as a starter or do you make up a new one each time?

You would have made a new one at the end of the week, otherwise the ferment becomes sour. And sourness wasn't an intention of bakers, but rather something to avoid as it stopped bread selling - we didn't have a big tradition of sour flavours in the British diet, even our pickles are sweet.

But… now we do. However, if you were to simply refresh the barm with flour and water the result would eventually be no different to a leaven. So I would remake the barm from scratch in order to keep a hoppy taste to the loaf.

For a much sharper and brighter taste to the loaf, omit the water from the final dough and decrease the flour and salt accordingly (to your preference, and chosen crumb structure)

Regards
Dan

[bethesdabakers]

Dear Dan,

Thanks for an impressive and useful reply.

I am now armed with a bottle of Coniston Brewing Co's Bluebird Bitter from Safeway and ready to roll.

Best wishes,

Mick

[bethesdabakers]

Dear Dan,

Having a fascinating time with your barm bread – it’s very stange – don’t understand it at all. I’ve had two tries; both worked but I’m finding it very hard to assess what’s going on.

At the first attempt I think I was being very sloppy. I followed the book and made my barm overnight. Come the morning the liquid had separated and although there was some activity it wasn’t expanded or very bubbly like a starter. Decided to proceed anyway and doubled the recipe. When my mixer started throwing semi-dry dough around the kitchen I realised I might have doubled the flour but I certainly hadn’t doubled the water! Anyway I rescued it and it baked OK even if the crumb was a little dry because I hadn’t got the final hydration correct.

Second attempt I decided to be a bit more careful. I made the barm in the morning so I could see how it developed. By evening there was some activity but not much so I left it overnight. By morning it had about doubled but very unlike a conventional starter and no bubbles on the surface. Managed to measure the water correctly this time but had to go out so I was forced to form the loaves and place in bannetons after only three hours in bulk.

Eight hours later the dough had simply spread and didn’t seem very active. It did not look like it had risen and then collapsed. After a further hour and a half it didn’t look much better but I thought I’d cut my losses and bake it anyway before I went to bed.

To my amazement it rose beautifully in the oven. Says a lot about my judgement.



Also added 100g of rye grain simmered and the soaked in beer. It makes really nice bread. Just wish I understood it. Ah well, practice makes perfect.

Best wishes,

Mick

[Dan Lepard]

A beautiful loaf. Excellent
Dan

[TuscanRaisin]

Well I made this bread too, and I have to say it's nice how the matured taste of beer is incorporated into the bread. The ferment with the beer and flour with sourdough was like gel with small air bubbles after the overnight resting period. It tastes yummy, very good slightly warmed, although I don't know if it's supposed to be a light loaf or a little denser. Maybe mine came out a little too dense. Next time I will use stronger flour and maybe longer final fermentation (I gave it about 5 hours at 22°C).

The baked loaf:


A slice of my barm bread:



Nils

[ian]

duchy originals orgainc ale
samueul smiths organic bitter.

an abrupt post, but nothing more needs to be said. the only tricky part is getting the ale in the saucepan without your mouth getting in the way.

[Dan Lepard]

More barm stories, please. Maybe we should have a barm bread making competition in the UK this Autumn. I'm sure I could rustle up some prizes from good companies. I'm making some barm bread over this weekend out at a Slow Food event in Melbourne this weekend. I'll take pictures and post them here when I get back.

regards

Dan