Just thought I'd share this since we often only talk about our successes.  I baked this bread last week, and froze the extra loaves. Last night we defrosted this loaf for dinner--I was admiring the nice crumb, and then a few slices in:

Whoops! I guess I slacked off a little on the shaping. Still tastes good though.....

Hi I recently picked up a copy of Bread Baker's Apprentice and I am wondering what recipes in the book people have had the best success with?

Any ideas where I can purchase no more than a pound of rye chops?

Thank you!

Hello Bakers

While most of the bread world has been going "no knead" I have been going no preheat.  I read about this method a year or so ago.  As part of my newyears resoulution to try new methods I have been using it.  The method consists of placing 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water on the oven floor. Put bread on a sheet pan and slash as usual.  I place it in the oven in the middle rack, shut the door and turn oven on to 525.  The oven window will be covered with steam for the first 10 min or so.  After 15 min I lower the heat to 440 or so for the rest of the baking time.  The baking time is just slightly longer.  I have noticed no great difference in my breads baked on a preheated stone or on a sheet pan minus the stone and preheat.  I will say that sometimes the bottom gets a little darker than when on the stone.  What I like most about this is you can wait until the very last minute and throw in your bread and not have to have to guess when to turn on the oven to preheat.  It also saves on electricity and to some degree heat in the kitchen.  Give this a whirl, I think you will be pleasantly suprised.

Since this is only the second time that I have added something to this site, I may not be adding this note to the right place.  If not, hopefully I will find a better place next time.  First I love this website.  I am an artisan bread hobbiest, have been playing around with sourdoughs for quite a while, and find the information here both interesting and helpful.

This afternoon I was busy following all the instructions for making Maggie Glezer's Columbia loaves.  Almost every step went well- My starter was very active and the final dough rose nicely.  But then I needed to transfer my two batards rising on the linen couche to the parchment paper in order to put it in the oven for baking.  In doing so, I compromised the shape of the loaves, and also deflated them somewhat too. (It is possible that I did let the bread rise a bit too long, since it was rather airy.)  So what is the best way to transfer risen loaves from a cloche?  Or is there a better way to accomplish the same thing?  I do own a perferated bagette pan, that perhaps I could let the finished dough rise in next time.  Can anyone help with this? I would appreciate any suggestions.  Thank you. 

I don't remember where I first heard of the Steam Baker.

I bought one and am delighted!

It consists of a large 3/4" baking stone, a stainless steel cover, and a steam generator.

It replaces the need for the spritzing and spraying I have been doing since I began baking artisan breads.

To use it, you preheat the stone to 400 F. Place the bread on the stone, place the cover over the loaf/loaves, then spray steam thru a small hole in the cover for 10-15 seconds. Remove the lid after 10 minutes and continue the baking process.

I found it at www.steambreadmaker.com.

Since we had a big Italian dinner lined up with friends last weekend, I volunteered to bring bread.  One, it gave me a chance to try the Italian Bread formula from BBA; two, I decided to take another crack at ciabatta, also from BBA; and three, these people love homemade bread.

The Italian bread was pretty straightforward--and delicious.  Here's a photo:

The crumb was fairly close-textured and chewy, but not tough.  Great flavor, too, from the biga's overnight ferment in the refrigerator.  Gotta work on the slashing, though.  The loaf on the right came out pretty well, but the one on the left was definitely off the mark.

After a full 3x feeding of Francesca Fiore (my hydrated sourdough starter) for a day of baking last weekend, I found myself with an extra blob of her that I didn't want to just throw out. Flipping through Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery, I saw the English Muffins recipe and was reminded of Sunday mornings when I was kid, waking up early with my Dad and munching on Thomas' English Muffins slathered with butter and strawberry jam. I decided to give them a shot.

I'll start with her recipe:

SPONGE:
18 oz White Starter
2 cups milk
8 oz unbleached white bread flour
3.5 oz dark rye flour

DOUGH:
Sponge
10 oz warm water (85 degrees)
0.9 oz fresh yeast
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup rye chops
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
8 oz unbleached white bread flour
1/4 cup barley malt syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbs sea salt
Rice flour for dusting
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
Semolina flour for dusting

Here are the ingredients that I used based on what I had on hand.

SPONGE:
18 oz White Starter
2 cups plain soy milk
8 oz unbleached white bread flour (high extraction - 14% protein)
3.5 oz dark rye flour

DOUGH:
Sponge
10 oz warm water (85 degrees)
0.3 oz of SAF instant yeast
1/4 cup oat bran
3 tbs wheat gluten
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup coarse rye flour
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
8 oz unbleached white bread flour (high extraction - 14% protein)
1/4 cup (minus a smidge) agave nectar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 tbs kosher salt
Cake flour for dusting
Semolina flour for dusting

I made the sponge on a Sunday, but did not have the time to actually make them that night so I put it immediately into the fridge to ferment overnight. The next day, I removed it and it was nice and bubbly with a good odor.

This is a fabulous little shop in Logan, UT. They have fresh artisan breads, rolls, and to-die-for pastries.

Crumb Brothers Bakery

291 South 300 West

Logan, UT 84321

(435) 792-6063

Hours: Mon-Sat 7am to 1 pm

Locate on the Bakery Finder.

I have finished reading the Reinhold (BBA)and Beranbaum books on bread and would like to know what the resident pros such as: FloydM, SourdoLady, Mountaindog, Jim, Jeffrey, et. al. actually normally do when it comes to retardation and misting.

With retardation: do you put it in the frig after the first or second proofing or not at all? And with misting: do you do pans and the spraying? For just a simple home baker with an electric stove it seems very risky re: blowing out the coils and cracking the front window. I am a novice and you folks are the real pros so I am trying to separate the ideal world of the books from the real world that you folks actually bake in.  Thanks...