The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

My 3rd attempt, this is super rewarding!

SLanney's picture
SLanney

My 3rd attempt, this is super rewarding!

First post on forum and this is my third attempt at baking bread, super excited to share it with y'all. I've been scouring this website for a few days and thought it would be fun to experiment with breaducation's first loaf. This is the result of my second attempt on the modified recipe! 

Didn't have a dutch oven (I'm cheap) and was too scared to steam (rental apartment) so I improvised a bit :)  

 

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

Your improvisation certainly did the trick! Good job!

Weizenbrot's picture
Weizenbrot

Interesting technique--can you provide details (how high a setting, and for how long?

Looks really good!

SLanney's picture
SLanney

Thanks! I'm slowly going down the slippery slope of bread baking - it's quite addicting. 

For the baking set-up its a stainless steel mixing bowl on top of a stainless steel skillet (heavy bottomed). I didn't do this on stove-top, instead I used the dutch oven method that I've seen on these forums quite a bit. 

Preheat oven 500F while doing the final proof with both mixing bowl and skillet in oven. Once ready to bake, I placed the bread, with 2 layers of parchment, onto the skillet. Cover it with the mixing bowl, lower heat to 475 and bake for 20min. Then I took off the mixing bowl, and baked for 27min here - using the crust color as an indicator for when it was ready to come out. 

bread1965's picture
bread1965

You make it look easy!

bread1965's picture
bread1965

You make it look easy!

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

That's a lovely loaf. And I love improv. :) What is the recipe? Is it a sourdough? What was the taste / crumb like?

SLanney's picture
SLanney

Thanks! 

I just took breaducation first loaf and made it less sandwichy. So it's not a sandwich dough. It's not a sourdough, although I really really really want to dive into that world; maybe I'll convert this into my first sourdough! I did try using a pre-ferment for this attempt for fun and it helped add more flavour, like a slightly nutty white bread. 

The crumb was soft, but slightly stretch with tons and tons of little bubbles you can see on the inside dabbled with some medium sized holes. I didn't get the large holes you'd see in a tartine or some other posts on here but that's the eventual goal! 

Bakers % | Weights used

Poolish (100% hydration)

  • 80g AP flour unbleached (Canadian, higher protein)
  • 80g water 
  • 1/8 tsp yeast

Main Dough (Baker % | Amt. Used)

  • 160g Poolish
  • 100% | 259g AP Flour (Canadian)
  • 67%   | 147g Water
  • 1.5%  | 5g active dry yeast
  • 1.8%  | 6g kosher salt

Bakers % includes poolish amt. when calculating for yeast/salt (not sure if proper) 

1.    Prepare poolish night before baking, bloom yeast, mix everything and leave on counter. My poolish was super bubbly morning after.
2.    Measure water (75-78F) and bloom yeast, throw in poolish and mix then add flour and salt.
3.    Mixed by hand and let rest for 5 min.
4.    Then stretch and fold for next 15 min every 5 min.
5.    Bulk ferment 1.5 hrsish at room temp (I eye balled this one, not sure how to check properly when done).
6.    Preshape into a boule shape and let rest 30min .
7.    Flip over, degas lightly then shape again into a boule.
8.    Final proof in a bowl with heavily floured cloth until finger test valid (around 1.5hrs for me).
9.    Bake using your favourite method! (I copied dutch oven method, preheat makeshift dutch oven 500F, add bread drop 475F then bake covered 20min. Finally take off lid then bake ~25min till desired crust)

(Whew that's a lot, sorry don't know how to format haha...)

Next steps is to try cooler temps and longer fermentation, maybe a sourdough? Maybe other grains? 

Cheers!

Truth Serum's picture
Truth Serum

I love your DIY approach!

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

On a stone covered woth a SS mixing bowl!  Way easier than a DO or making  steam some other way.  Tirned out great.

Welcome and Happy baking