Yippee's blog

What a sweet man...

We put our hearts and souls in the dough....

The most beautiful and romantic dough I've ever worked with...

Like a girl's dream...

So charming! 

So refreshing!

Every loaf is a love story...

Vibrant colors, soft crumb...very comforting; the tartness of cranberries, complimented by the aroma of tarragon,  pops up every now and then as surprises...

Yet, the crust is crackly...

Best of both worlds - all in one loaf...

How happy Joze's wife must be, what a sweet man he is, what a day in Slovenia is like?....I'm thinking about all this while enjoying a slice of Joze's cranberry tarragon bread...

Another fun-filled weekend... Thank you again, Sjadad and Ian, couldn't have done it without your help and inspiration!

Now we are talking about REAL pizzas...from my grill!

While waiting for my new toy, I built a 60% hydration "00" starter with my yeast water.  Getting smarter this time, I did not mix by hand, Zo's doing the work for me.

In and out of the fridge and the proofer, it took four days to mature, just in time for the weekend pizza event...

This time the pizza dough consists of 100% "00" flour (60% pre-fermented), 60% hydration, 2% salt, 0.6% commercial yeast, 2 TBS garlic oil

I have avoided using commercial yeast in baking because its fast action stresses me.  I usually need to "buy" time by using my yeast water or starters.  If I'm making pizza regularly, I'll need to get used to the timing of commercial yeast and learn to manipulate it as well.  This time, I let the dough ferment in the proofer for 2.5 hours before retarding it for another 10 hours in the fridge until I'm ready to shape the pies.  This schedule works out quite well for me!

Pizza pans!!!

Just wish I could get the aluminum ones that are used in a pizzeria...

From the amount of cornmeal I POURED on the pans, you can tell how concerned I am about sticky dough...

Paper bowls greased with oil...What am I doing with them? You'll see in a minute...

Stacking the pans in the fridge to rest the dough while I'm working on the toppings...Finding space in the fridge is quite a challenge!

Rotating the pizza pan as I work on the dough makes shaping easier; besides, I am "experienced" now...

Pizza Margherita - using sauce frozen from last time...

Sweet Italian sausage...

Chicken bacon...

Ready for the grill...

More cornmeal on my new peel...

Loading dough #1  - safe!

Loading dough #2  - safe!

Loading dough #3  - safe! What a relief! 

 My first pizza on the grill, a historic moment!!!

First pizza done! 

Second pizza done!

Third pizza done!

I'm not a pizza expert, so I don't know what the "nerds" look for in a crumb shot, but I take one anyways...

The evenly browned, crisp crust - the best part of the pie!

The bottom crust of another pizza...

Check out my new toy! I'd say this is a keeper!

Dough spinners - another toy that didn't make it to the first shipment; will find out if they are any good - soon!

Thank you guys, Sjadad and Ian!!  

Now I can say I've made pizza!!!

Trying the "00" flour everyone is talking about...

This dough consists of:  Sjadad's 60% hydration, .6% yeast, 2% salt; Ian's  rye/ww...

My tweaks: SD Rye...

SD WW...

and garlic oil made in the microwave.

I mixed the dough at midnight and it went straight to the fridge...

Barely any signs of activity when I wake up in the morning...So I move it to the proofer and go on to do my things: swimming, running errands etc...

Four hours later when I get home, the dough has doubled...

The dough is very supple, like a baby...

Scaled, 275g each...

Flattened...

Bagged and go into the freeze because I need to go out again...

Chicken bacon topping...Costco chicken tenderloin, salt and pepper, cornstarch,  LOTS of green onions, and LOTS of bacon, my kids' favorite!

Out of the freezer, the dough has been waiting on the counter for 4 hours....

Making the toppings and sauce takes quite some time!

Setting up the stones and pre-heating the oven to 550F... and this time I don't have any starters or paper plate in it!

Time to shape the dough...then I realize I don't know how!

Using a rolling pin ?! Like making a pie crust???

My son has started nibbling the creamy and tasty mozzarella di buffala... Got to use it before it's all gone!

My first "pizza" - pizza Margherita!

THINK, Yippee, THINK!  You've got to make a "proper" pizza!

Not sure if this is the right procedure, but I do it anyways...

Loaded with toppings, making sure there's enough protein in every bite for my two teenage boys...

More cheese on top to bind...

My first REAL pizza - chicken bacon pizza!  

95% "00" flour, 2.5% SD Rye, 2.5% SD WW, .6% yeast, 2% salt, 2 TBSP garlic oil

Can't wait to make my pizzas on the grill! My new toy is on its way...

Isn't the mint beautiful? 

Avocado cucumber mint soup...

Very delicious! Thank you for sharing, Ian!

My friends from the east coast are visiting with their family.  We last saw each other seven years ago and we're all excited about the reunion.  Our kids have grown so much since then, and we, the parents, are getting old...

I spent days to prepare for today's BBQ and I can't tell you how exhausted I am right now.  But it's all worth it because all of us will treasure the memories of our wonderful time together. And I miss them already...

I made Ian's onion hamburger buns for the BBQ...

Very, very delicious buns... My only complaint:  Mine are not as pretty as Ian's...

Asparagus - one of the veggies of our grilled ratatouille...

Finger-licking Mediterranean grilled lamb chops...

Everyone loved it!  I gave myself an "A" !

My first rye loaf in four years...It's got to be special!

Record long bulk fermentation (10 days, I was extremely busy during that time) and final proof (24 hours ) were done in the fridge.  And this loaf turned out just fine... 

Portobello Mushroom Bread

Got these huge, but not very flavorful mushrooms from Costco out of convenience, it saved me a separate trip to the market...

Though not very flavorful, they are quite meaty...

Lots of freshly ground black pepper for stir frying the mushrooms and the dough...

Mushrooms are stir-fried with black pepper, salt, and olive oil...

Both rye and whole wheat starters are used in this bread...

Also some wheat germs, and some liquid (the inky one) from the cooked mushrooms as well...

Adding salt after dough is developed; most of the time I don't really care and add the salt with everything else, one less thing on my mind...

Pulse the cooked mushrooms in a mini food processor...

Incorporating chopped mushrooms in the dough. In hindsight, should've added them with everything else and held back any other liquid to be used, then gradually adding the liquid in the dough. 

It's a record long bulk ferment - this dough stays in the fridge for 10 days; then another 24 hours of cold retardation for final proof. 

And it turned out just fine...Preheat oven to 500F, lower to 465F after loading, 15 minutes w/ steam; then 30 minutes without, dough weight about 600g.

Bread flour 76%; pre-fermented WW and rye flours 12%, respectively;  65% hydration; Portobello mushrooms 36%; wheat germ 4%; salt 2%; and freshly ground black pepper to taste...

Connecting the dots...

A loaf made for my son...

About seven, eight years ago, I was busy tending a bread dough and did not meet my younger son's demand. He was in kindergarten then and just learned how to write. He  stuck this note on my bedroom door to protest being ignored. So I became the "Evil Mom".

I've kept the note on the door ever since...

 This loaf is made especially for him, he likes raisin breads...

Start by making "candied" orange peels...

Done in a vacuum crock overnight,  re-boil the syrup-peel mixture a couple times;  syrup = sugar:water by volume 1:1; stacking bowls on top to weigh the peels down...

The aroma of orange syrup permeates the air - so festive, fragrant that it's almost unreal. Orange syrup is used in place of sugar...  

Infuse and plump the raisins in orange syrup, and this is the key to success of this loaf...

 Not "candied" all the way, but good enough to get rid of the bitterness in pith...

Mixing the peels, Zo gets busy these days...

Mixing the plumped raisins in the dough...

A relatively short bulk ferment this time - 48 hours...

Using the taping knife in shaping almost every loaf,  I'm loving it...

Panned...

Nudging the dough down and in the wine cellar it proves, temperature set @ 55F...

Dough after 6.5 hours, a bit under proved - exactly what I want.  Continue to prove at room temperature while oven preheats, and off I go to swim...

Back from swimming, both the dough and the oven are ready, perfect...

Applying egg wash...

Prepping the scissors...

First time cutting a dough like this...Baked @ 400F for 45-60 minutes, cover the top with foil if needed...

Bread flour, 30% pre-fermented with starter; 30% hydration (from starter); 8% orange syrup; whole egg 25%; butter 15%; salt 2%; diced "candied" orange peels 10%; orange flavor infused raisins 30%

Early morning light paints the rosy hue...

The aroma from this bread brings the holiday "feel" to the house...

Crumb shot...

Having fun playing with cameras...so you know, you don't need expensive cameras/lenses most of the time; a cell phone will do...

Ready for breakfast, it's not just any raisin bread...It's raisin bread made with mommy's love

I like having bread with soup - roasted red pepper with potatoes on top, roasted tomatoes on the right, and okra on the left...

French style milk loaf... If you prefer milk bread that's less fluffy, this one is for you.

French style  milk bread.  Chess table painted by my kids...

This milk loaf has more bite than the Japanese ones.  If you prefer milk bread that's not fluffy, this one is for you.

74% hydration baguette dough....

Lebanese Roasted Tomato Soup - ran out of fresh basil, garnished with cilantro instead.  It feels wonderful when I see my family enjoying my bread and soup...

Coral bells...

Going through the usual marathon bulk ferment - 5 days this time

0% pre-ferment, liquid 100% yeast water

70% bread flour, 30% cake flour, egg yolk 5%, yeast water 65%, butter 8%, salt 2%, sugar 8%, milk powder 16%

Using my new tool in shaping...

Applying egg wash...

Scoring BEFORE the final proof...

My oven is being used, so proving in the proofer my husband built me years ago.  Having used it mostly for making yogurt these days...

Looks kinda spooky and smells stinky,   especially when it heats up, all because of the dairy spilled before. No matter what I do, still can't get rid of that smell

Covering with a rainbow blanket for additional insulation...

SteveB's ingenious design using a reptile thermostat...

Done proving...

The 15 minutes following loading is "ShowTime".  I'd turn off all the lights in the kitchen and sit in front of the oven to stare at the dough, "nervously" waiting for that oven spring...

Preheat oven @425F; dough weight about 1200g, bake @365F x about 60 min, first 15 minutes w/ steam 

Have made an important decision about baking...

It rained...

 Bought a new tool, a taping knife, for my next baking project - this is going to take a while...or I should say it's ongoing.  I need to keep baking, otherwise I'll walk away from it once again.  It's so easy to give up...

The instruction that came with my stones specifies certain side up.  I had it reversed because the foil covered up the surfaces.   I found a better solution while I was shopping for the taping knife.  Now it's much easier to move these overweight babies in/out of the oven.  BTW, I use Fibrament Stones.  No complaints so far. I saw the lava rocks while I was at the store.  But I can't remember why I need them.  Additional thermal mass? I'll buy them when I figure it out...

Now my oven is officially set up for baking hearth breads...

Taking baby steps to reacquaint myself with the process...

Progress today:  made a high hydration boule (76% baguette dough) with my new tool, no sticky hands.  I'm so excited... 

See how "clean" my hand is...

Putting another gadget, the wine cellar, back in service. I need all the help I can get to overcome my "hardship" in baking, but nothing compares to your baking conditions. I'm embarrassed of thinking about quitting Thinking of you, Pal...

Only these babies and swimming  can get me out of bed at dawn these days...

This is what I usually see when I come home from work - a mess. Bread crumbs everywhere, on the table, on the floor...but I'm not mad.  Because I know my older son has eaten my bread again when he's home from school.  He loves my bread and he loves dipping it with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. He can devour the entire loaf by himself.  As a mom,  one of the happiest moments is when I see my kids taking that extra bite, and growing that extra inch; and I don't mind at all to have become the shortest person in the family...

Fresh bread for breakfast, unbelievable...but where there's a will, there's a way...and I've been baking EVERY DAY.  With practice, each loaf improves, and the senses and memories of baking have returned...

 Hey, Stu, here you go...

  I love spring, the flowers are blooming in the garden... 

Trying something new today - making a "porridge" for bread.

Your porridge is nothing like the porridge I have in mind...

This is my kind of porridge - pork and preserved duck egg porridge (皮蛋瘦肉粥),  my favorite...

Following your measurements...

Grinding millet flour in a coffee grinder...

Just fed these babies the day before. They are hyper-active...

Only yeast water is used, no starter this time...

Extra YW outside your formula, I'll find out if my speculation is right...

I don't have your fancy wheat flours, only have my good old Giusto's:  WW on the left, AP equivalent on the right...

Meet Zo, my "first love" baking partner.  It mixed all my beloved loaves of Hokkaido Milk Bread.  It's semi-retired now and only takes on R&D job like this...

Just as I speculated, your dough is too dry.  It lacks the extensibility that Zo needs to work with...

So I added about extra 8% of YW, little by little, they call it the "double hydration" method. Now your dough hydration is about 76%.  As usual, I pinch. It's ready for the millet porridge...

Adding millet in the dough...

Done mixing the millet in the dough...

Pinch again, it feels right...

Using a "fancier" container this time, just for you

Standard procedure... To be honest, it doesn't really matter...

No flour in this dough is pre-fermented.  Bulk fermentation is going to take a LOOOONG time. Now it's Monday night/Tuesday morning.  In the morning when I go to work, the dough goes back to the fridge. It doesn't seem to have any activities at all at that time. But once it gets over a threshold, the activities pick up.  In the next few days, the dough is going in and out between the proofer and the fridge to complete bulk.

Dough on Wednesday night - coming out of fridge to continue...

Dough on Friday night - looks ready.  But I'm tired So wait one more night till Saturday...

What the dough looks like on Saturday...

Now comes the challenge.  I haven't made a free-form bread for almost more than four years.  Totally out of practice, my mind just goes blank when I stare at the dough.  I can tell you, from this point forward, I mishandle the dough in ALMOST every step - not tightening the skin, not sealing the bottom seam, not scoring right, and ...the list just goes on... 

But I do ONE thing right...and I have Dabrownman to thank!

While the dough is proving...

Scramble to find my stones and set them up...Use foil just to keep my husband quiet, don't ask me why.

Can't find my lava rocks, must have tossed them when I thought I'd never use them again.  So a pie pan in a rimmed baking sheet on the oven floor for steam...

1.6x, it's time!

Looking at this "flat disc", you wouldn't believe the oven spring I'm going to see.  The dough wobbles and stretches in front of my eyes as it expands upward, you know, like those crazy air dance tube man you see at a car wash! I think I'm hallucinating!

See how puffy it is...

WW flour 55%, AP flour 39%, millet flour 6%, 20% millet porridge; NO pre-fermented flour; 76% hydration, salt 2% - Stu's formula with hydration modified

 The crumb shot...

Mango coconut salad with goji berries, walnut, pecan, tomatoes etc.- my usual dinner...

Ahhhhh, flowers in the office....

and millet bread for snack... Simple pleasures in life...