The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

2/22/10 - Big Bad Batards!

breadbakingbassplayer's picture
breadbakingbass...

2/22/10 - Big Bad Batards!

Hey All,

Just wanted to share with you my Big Bad Batards from my 2/22/10 bake.  These are approximately 850g-900g and 16" long.  They are big!  Some of the nicest looking breads I have made in while.  I could have let the bulk fermentation go a little longer and upped my hydration... These were about 70% hydration.

I did some interesting stuff with these.  I used a still levain, along with instant yeast.  I mixed the levain the night before and refrigerated it until I was ready to mix the dough.  Also, I mixed all the remaining flour and water the night before and refrigerated it for about 24hrs.  On the bake day, I kneaded in the salt, stiff levain, salt, instant yeast, and went about my normal procedure...  I'm not sure I would do it this way again as it was difficult to knead in the levain and salt.  I was not sure if I kneaded it all in evenly...  Anyways...

Enjoy!

Tim

Comments

brewninja's picture
brewninja

Those look amazing

I don't know if I've seen anything quite like them

proth5's picture
proth5

-no hand ground flour in these?  Wimping out with the little grinder :>)

Seriously - that looks like a fun batch of baking. I'm a long time from getting near an oven and I'm getting baking deprived...

breadbakingbassplayer's picture
breadbakingbass...

There is a little hand ground flour...  3% WW, and 2% rye...

I also ground some WW, spelt, and rye for tonight's bake also...  I'll post some pics later in the week...

proth5's picture
proth5

You're really hanging in with the tiny grinder!  Good for you!  You'll deserve a Diamant some day!  Maybe I'll put you in the will...

breadbakingbassplayer's picture
breadbakingbass...

Yep!  Still grinding...  It's not so bad...  It's clamped onto a table in my kitchen so it's always out...  I have a few pounds of grains still left to grind someday...  I found some cheaper organic hard wheat berries at Whole Foods Mkt near me...  $1.39/lb.  They are $1.49/lb at Fairway Market...

Where are you, and why don't you have access to an oven?

inlovewbread's picture
inlovewbread

These look awesome! 

I really like your bread "style"- nobody else's bread seems to look the same and yours have a very unique style to them.

They look really nice, great crumb!

proth5's picture
proth5

from home, on assignment, somewhere between the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea.

Living in a hotel...no oven, no mill.

breadbakingbassplayer's picture
breadbakingbass...

Thanks for your kind words...  I'm not sure what my baking style is...  I have this picture of what I want to bake in my head, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't...  These ones came out quite nice with respect to how they look, and taste, but my "crumb" needs a little work as it is a little uneven...