Sponging, What is it?

Watch our quick video of a sponge rising and bubbling

When we speak sponging we are talking about taking the first few ingredients and allowing them to bubble and rise in your Bosch for 30 minutes or longer.  Usually this is the water, oil, honey, dough enhancer and yeast (no salt in the sponge) and your first 5 cups of flour.  In more difficult recipes, order matters and what to add to the sponge may include some of those special ingredients.  We have let ours rise in the bowl for up to 2 hours!  We have found our bread to come out without separating, lighter, and quicker to rise.

Try this wonderful recipe!

Hearty Bronze

Mill one hopper of Bronze Chief Berries.  Bronze Chief is a hard spring wheat, by Wheat Montana.

Heat together 1 cup of milk and 6 Tablespoons of butter (not margarine)
In your Bosch add:
4 cups water and the milk mixture
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup grapeseed or olive
2 1/2 Tablespoons Saf Yeast
5 cups flour

Sponge this mixture for as long as possible, at least 30 minutes.  I normally start my sponge while I'm getting the children's school ready.  Sometimes we will let it go for an hour or more.  Just remember to check it every 10 minutes or so and jog it down or you will have a mess!

Then add:
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Dutch Cocoa
2 Tablespoons Real Salt
Enough flour to partially start a clean on the bowl.  This can be tricky!  Add one cup of flour at a time, stopping in between.  It's very easy to over do the flour.  You are looking for a partial cleaning of the bowl, but you do not want the dough so tacky that it comes off when you touch it.  Amounts of flour vary with almost every bread baking because of humidity.  This recipe will take probably another 7-8 cups of flour.   With practice you will get it!
Knead for 5 minutes and check gluten development.  Here is a good gluten stretch!

Bake for 28 minutes or until hollow when tapped.  For variety brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with freshly ground oat groats!  This bread is delicious!  Bronze Chief is a hard red spring wheat.  If you like rye or pumpernickel you will love this bread. 
Enjoy!