I’ve been making Tartine breads for a couple of years now, and the ones I like best contain large amounts of flour I grind myself from different whole grains.  This week I had another success in formulation, while inaugurating a marvelous new clay bread pot.

The bread was made the usual way, with the following ingredients:

• 28.5% King Arthur Organic Bread Flour
• 30%  home ground hard winter whole wheat flour
• 32.5%  home ground organic durum wheat flour
• 9%  home ground Einkorn flour

I also raised the water content slightly, to 75% hydration.  Below is the table of my various mixtures over the past 17 attempts.

The pot is one I bought recently from Judy Motzkin in Cambridge.  She and her pots were recently featured in Yankee magazine.  The design, which was made for her No-Knead Breads, where many of us began baking, is extremely effective.  It is a little smaller and higher than the pots I’ve been using, which causes the bread to be taller and more elegant.  See the comparison below, where my second loaf (half of the dough) was done in my larger, factory-made, old clay pot.  For size, remember the two loaves together  contain a kilo (2.2 lbs.) of flour and 750 grams (roughly 1.5 lbs.) of water.

Anyway, I do like the pot a lot.  The crumb structure (below) was moist and even, and the bread toasts beautifully.  With all of the durum and Einkorn in it, the flavor is sweet and slightly nutty.  Had a slice today with Tartufata — a brilliant mixture of mushrooms, truffles and olives, imported from Italy.  Accompanied by a couple of glasses of Régnié from Guy Breton, some leftover whole wheat pasta with asparagus and shiitakes, and little cubes of beet in a vinaigrette dressing , I was transported.