Blog posts

We love challenges of all kinds and bread baking ones are no exception.  Anything, within reason, that one can do to learn something new, stretch limited understanding, gain new skills while having some fun at the same time, sounds good to my apprentice.

Top left are rolled oats, top right aresteel cut oats, bottom are whole oat groats.

Just a quick post.

I made some brioche for a camping trip, after all one doesn't need to eat top raman when camping. 

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Cheers,

Wingnut

Wow is this EVER a TASTY loaf!!!  I proofed this in a plastic bowl lined with fine linen.  I only used 1 layer of linen and when removed from the proofing container the linen was wet and clinging to the dough.  I used enough rice flour that it removed well and didn't damage the dough, but the seam never opened and there is a large nose blister on the right and some holes where the baker sleeps on top.  Note to self:  for these wet breads at least 2 layers of linen in the bowl and perhaps 4.

A recent post pushed me to try the Wheat Challah but I don't own ITJB so i just formulated my own and thought it would give me a good recent to use the local soft white wheat.  I figure If I'm gonna add wheat I want something that might still have a soft bite.  To me challah is light, sweet, eggy, and yeasty. I made a short levain using the soft wheat which I timed and watched for bubbles as I wasn't sure if it would be strong enough to double.  I added .25% yeast to add that yeasty flavor and hopefully push it to a bit more fluffiness.

OK, so for all my dedicated fans, of which I'm sure are numerous, I apologize for my negligence in updates. You might have though I was outta the game forever, but you were so wrong. That is to say, I have recently concocted some delish-ass bread. The inspiration came from my long time friend and college Armun Liaghat, to whom this loaf is dedicated. Enough with the babble lets dabble.

My first bake from Ken Forkish's Flower, Water, Salt, Yeast.  Ken says to bake it down dark.  Okay!

This was baked at 475F n a hot covered DO for 20 minutes then uncovered and baked at 475 convection.  After 10 minutes turning at the half, this was the result and though Ken says bake for 20 uncovered, I thought things were dark enough using a convection bake.  This loaf really crackled and hissed once removed from the oven.

I just stumbled across a PDF scan of a book some here might be interested in. It is "Parsons Bread Book" and it self-describes as

A celebration of the art of baking bread and the great bakers of New York City by students at Parsons School of Design

It looks like a good read:-)

http://www.publiccollectors.org/ParsonsBreadBook.pdf

-sig

This bake took place on Labor Day weekend.  My pullman pans were silently mocking me from their perch in the cupboard, reminding me that the last time I used them, the loaves had ears.  Or eaves.  That isn't supposed to happen with pain de mie.  Chalk it up to overfilling the pans.

So I just keep on baking and we are back to whole grains.  Really wanted to make a wholegrain ciabatta and just sorta winged it together and built a Levain off of my White Seed.  A few changes might make this a bit more simplified but I'll write as i did (which was a bit whacky) and follow with a few changes.  

Total Flour: 1075 : 500 Hard White Wheat (46.5%) 500 Whole Spelt (46.5%), 75 White Bread Flour (7%)

Total H20:  925 + 28 (roughly used during folds) 88.6% hydration

Total Dough:  2040   (4 @ 510 g)

sunny dahlias in the gorgeous Volunteer Display Garden at WSU-Mount Vernon