The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Intro and weekend bake

dosidough's picture
dosidough

Intro and weekend bake

Well here I am;

and I will fear no bread. This is my first post outside of a few comments one of which was admitting to feeling intimidated by many of the “high-end” bread books. I buy them, get very excited, then back off and retreat to my known and used comfort formulas. But I want more. I find this site and the people here very inspiring, creative and helpful and I want in. I only have a computer at work so I’ll be a bit sporadic. I started years ago with a bread machine and a fear of yeast (”They have box mixes for these things don’t they?”). Loathing the machines loaf shape and stupid paddle hole pretty soon I got a small loaf pan and after the dough cycle put the ball of stuff from the mix into the oven. I was right to fear yeast. They are extra terrestrial beings! Like pods they rise up, take over our brains and alter our normal budgetary disciplines with mad cravings for new bread books, bannetons, heavy duty mixers, and every kind of milled grain from everywhere on the planet. They may have overcome many of you earlier but yes I am a yeast head like you. Thank goodness for this site for I will catch up.

I got PRs Artisan Breads Everyday and I find it very relaxed and accessible. After hearing a lot around TFL about Struan loaves this is where I jumped in. I was especially curious as the formula is very similar to a favorite of mine from an old bread machine book that was called Irish Brown bread. I posted this recipe here in a response awhile back (_somewhere?). I didn’t add the brown rice, and used a multi-grain cereal. It came out great. Good moist crumb and very crisp crust. Now I want to try his other versions of this bread. Has anyone done both, and how would you compare the different methods? 

Straun LoafCrumb Shot

I also made a small Oatmeal Maple Nut loaf from Beatrice Ojakangas Whole Grain Breads book. When I’ve used maple in the past I find it is just too subtle so this time I added some natural Maple flavor_KAF, 1/4 teas. per cup of ingredients. What a tasty loaf and boy did my house smell good. Next day I was compelled to remake this very same loaf when upon returning from a quick trip to the store I discovered I had left the loaf sitting on the edge of the counter where I had sliced off my breakfast. With irritated resignation I retrieved the tea towel from beneath a cupboard while my maple/pecan breath Boarder Collie slunk nonchalantly to his resting area. I took out the last of the pecans and began again.

MapleNut Loaf

Crumb Shot

Here’s also a couple of my regular sourdough loaves. They are made with a starter from KAF that I got about 3 years ago. Does anyone use the same? If you have a KAF starter and still feed by their directions (volume) what hydration do you figure it to be? I did a bunch of math weighed things out and converted it to a 100%. A month later it’s raising power had diminished disturbingly so it went back to once a week discard of 1 cup and feed the remainder (a 1/4 to 1/2 cup) with 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of flour. It’s taken awhile to get it’s strength back but now it’s back on track. In a week I’ll have enough time off to maybe brave beginning the PR starter from his new book. Hmmm pineapple juice. Now where have I heard of a starter like that???

2 SourDough Loaves

Love you Guys and Gals. Thanks for helping me along on my journey from the paddle hole through Norm’s fantastic onion rolls to stretch and fold prior to autolyse and maybe someday a rye starter.

Many thanks and..bake on.

Dosi

(Ureeka!!!! I just got the photos to show up...only took an hour! The Send To Editor part was what I missed. Is that in the FAQs instruction? Sorry these are bigger than necessary next time I think I know how to do it better, for now I'm leaving the office I'm too beat to redo them.)

Comments

dstroy's picture
dstroy

WOW! Those are some really nice looking loaves! And welcome :)

I've never even noticed the Send to Editor link - I think what you wanted is if you are in that dialog box that comes up is you just need to click the "Upload" link at the top of that screen - I think one of the recent updates to the site code base may have changed the way the box looks because I was surprised by it when I went to post a picture in a thread the other day.

There is a How To for it in the FAQ but you're right I think that needs some updating for what you do after clicking the tree box. I'll try to find some time to fix that this week.

ques2008's picture
ques2008

they are lovely.  what a gorgeous crumb, you obtained just the right color.  tell me, did you use a baking stone when you baked these?  mine's still in the closet in the box.  when i learn sourdoughs next year i'll have to take it out of the box and slither it into my oven.

great loaves!

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Welcome to TFL!

I sure don't see any signs of lingering fear in those loaves.

I also use the KAF SD starter, although after 3 years it is surely "mine" now.

David

Floydm's picture
Floydm

Those loaves are lovely. 

Welcome to the site!

althetrainer's picture
althetrainer

How gorgeous they are!  Welcome to TFL!

cgmeyer2's picture
cgmeyer2

this is the type of bread that i aspire to make

claudia

dosidough's picture
dosidough

Thanks to all of you for the kind words and welcome.

 

ques2008....yes I use a baking stone I also spayed the loaf wiyh water and covered it with a deep aluminum disposable roasting pan, learned that trick from Susan From San Diego.

Dosi

ques2008's picture
ques2008

thanks for replying.  i should try that trick next year when i go embark on my sourdough journey.