Whole Wheat Paesano...great taste just like regular paesano!!

With soaking techniques: This paesano has a lot of big holes same as original one.

I'm whole-grain-holic. When I planned to make something I always tried to make it with whole wheat/whole grain. Like my family favorite bread, paesano, I've planned to make it with whole wheat flour when I took the class at Zingerman's bake house. It's way before I could make regular paesano at home.

After practice of making this bread with white flour twice successfully I went ahead and modified the recipe with whole wheat flour. At first I just used whole wheat flour to replace a small part of white flour without adding more water, yeast, or vital wheat gluten which I normally did when I tried to sneak in some whole wheat flour in my baking. The result...it turned out fine but not the way I like. I like the whole wheat bread I made without taste of whole wheat that gives sensation of granular texture and little denseness compared to white bread.

My family and I love this bread, but I just feel guilty making it with white flour only. Cutting back the percentage of whole wheat flour is not the option because 25% ww flour is my minimum. I told myself that there must be some sort of techniques I can use to make it close to white flour one.  

With soaking techniques: It raised very well. From the outside it's hard to tell it has whole wheat flour except a little darker.

When I surf online, I like to search recipes, sewing projects, and crochet/knitting patterns. After first attempt of making ww paesano, one day I was searching ww bread recipes online as usual. I came to American Test Kitchen'w website and found that they used soaking techniques to make ww bread. It reminded me that Peter Reihart's Whole Grain Breads this book. He also used soakers for whole grain breads. So, there was a light bulb lit in my head. How about I use soaking technique to mix main dough a night before, and then mix it with poolish and other ingredients!

As soon as I had this idea I just couldn't wait to try making another batch of paesano. First, I mixed poolish and main dough with flours and water only a night before, and then left them on the kitchen counter for overnight. In the next morning I mixed the poolish and main dough plus rest of ingredients, salt and yeast, to form the final dough. So far this was the only change I made to make ww paesano. The rest of steps were the same as the class.

With original method: It turned out a little bit granular on the texture, and harder bottom crust per JW.

I don't know how about the other people. It always makes me excited when it's time to open the oven. Ohh, they turned out GREAT: the color..looked good, the smell..was excellent, the shape..was nice and raised well. After an l..ong hour of waiting I sliced the bread and shared with JW and the kids. It tasted just like white flour paesano!!!

With original method: It raised well, but not as good as original paesano or the one with soaker.

The difference between soakers and no soakers is that the one made without soakers turned out just like typical whole wheat bakeries, a little dense and tasting granular. The soaking technique solves the problems and makes whole wheat paesano close to white flour one. I'm so happy to make this whole wheat paesano successfully. It satisfies my family's craving but also gives them healthier ingredients. It makes me enjoy to be whole-grain-holic!