I didn’t think I would be baking at all. The little hobby that supports all this baking fun was keeping me away from home and oven.

However, I am working for a client who employs a chef to prepare meals for the executives and he graciously lent me the executive kitchen for the day (and the evening before.)

After getting the lay of the land in the kitchen and not wanting to poach too heavily on the supplies, I turned the wheels of the rental car to the local mega-mart and stocked up on the essentials for a day of baking.  The local mega mart had fresh yeast and I couldn’t resist – some cream, some buttermilk, eggs, KA 11.5% protein white flour, some whole wheat flour, butter, brown sugar – that would give me at least four different baked goods.

So, late at night (well, late for me) on the first day of the year, I did my scaling and mixed my pre ferments.  Early the next morning I returned.

It hadn’t hit me the night before, but as I walked into the space in the morning (and checked my pre ferment first thing) I realized that for the day this kitchen was all mine.

I’ve worked in commercial kitchens before, but always when they were under the control of someone else.  But today, for one day, I was in charge. I didn’t get the satisfaction of buttoning on my chef’s jacket (Yes, through a long series of unfortunate events I was forced to buy a chef’s jacket.  I generally avoid enterprises that require new clothing, but this was unavoidable.) but I was the head baker that day.

Being engaged in the discipline of planning, I had the day laid out.  The kitchen was minimally equipped for bread baking (no wooden surfaces to work on, no couches, no loaf pans) but I was able to adjust.  I first baked some scones to get some food out to hungry colleagues, and then started the (hand) mix on about eight pounds of baguette dough.  I then did the mix for some Moravian sugar cake and took a deep breath.  I had a lot of whole wheat flour left and so decided to make a whole wheat sandwich loaf.  All that practice in formula writing served me well and I was able to write up a formula using available ingredients.  I did the mix in the Kitchen Aid Pro 600 mixer to as close to an intensive mix as I have ever gotten. I noted that this was a weak, whiney little machine compared to My Preciousssss.

A request rolled in for more scones and it was easily accommodated.

I had to proof the baguette dough (shaped for epis de ble and an Auvergnat) on parchment, but no biggie (actually, yes, big biggie to me, I don’t understand why anyone with a love of artisan bread baking doesn’t just bite the bullet and buy a proper couche – so much benefit from so little expenditure.).  Six ounces of dough that was left over from those shapes was rolled out, brushed liberally with olive oil and then sprinkled with dried herbs (a good use for it).

Since proofing facilities were primitive, at best, I did a lot of my proofing in unoccupied areas of the building which were, curiously warmer than the kitchen.

The Vulcan convection oven had a practical capacity for 3 sheet pans, so my eight pounds of baguette dough could be baked all at once. I contemplated mightily what I could do if I had that sort of oven capacity on a daily basis.

Since there were no loaf pans, I baked the whole wheat sandwich loaf in a conveniently shaped hotel pan.

Oh. And I kept up with emails and technical request from my hobby.

Strangely, the only disappointing moment had to do with the yeast.  (And realize that since this was a long way from home, I had no access to sourdough starter – which forced me to work with all commercial yeast.) The local mega mart had fresh Fleischmann’s yeast.  Now, I know that for the end product itself, instant yeast is most likely the same as fresh (Please, let us not open the great fresh vs. instant yeast debate!), but in terms of process and the impact on me the baker, there is nothing the action and aroma of fresh yeast early in the process.  I find the smell quite intoxicating although as the process goes along that early-on smell and feel is lost. So I had purchased fresh yeast.  When I went to open the little blocks I saw the words “Product of China” emblazoned on the package.  Has it come that? Really? Really!? We get our fresh yeast from China!? What the ----? I’m going to need to look into this further and see if there is a closer source.  This product is not available in my home market, but as sensuous as the experience is, I am not completely sure I can support flying in yeast from across the Pacific Ocean just to give me that little fresh yeast high.

I started at 7:15 AM and by 3 PM I had produced:

2 batches of scones

4 epis de ble

1 Auvergnat

1 mini foccacia

3 Moravian sugar cakes

1 Whole wheat loaf

If I hadn’t been such a wimp with the size of the baguette dough mix (I could easily have handled double or triple the amount even with a hand mix – but I hadn’t purchased enough flour!) I could easily have made more. I am more convinced than ever of the primacy of oven capacity (and practice with hand skills to be able to divide and shape quickly and efficiently) to determine how much can be produced in a reasonable working day.

All the products were consumed by a grateful project team.  They were pretty good. (Ok, the scones [formula on these pages] were awesome – even when triticale isn’t used.)

I also have a streak of lightly charred flesh on my left hand (not serious, it doesn’t even hurt) from a miscalculation about oven racks to remember the day. Some bakers get ink – I collect scars…

As I looked out over my sparkling clean kitchen (I was, after all, a guest – but a kitchen should be that sparkling clean at the end of a work day anyway) with tired feeties and deep satisfaction, I felt that the universe was sending me a message.  I just wish I knew what it was.

Just a question about a convection/microwave ovens.

If a bread recipe calls for baking in a conventiuonal oven at 500 degrees and my oven being convection will only go to 450 degrees .  If the recipe call for 20 minutes in a conventional oven is it possible to bake additional minutes in a convection oven and still get a well baked tasty loaf?

What would the additional time be or would the dough not be baked right at the lower temperature to start with even if you added more time because of the decrease in temperature.

Thanks Mr. Bob

Hello,

I have been following the blogs for some time.  I am currently baking 6-8 loaves of sour dough bread a week, Pain au levain, San Francisco, PR Poulene 100% whole wheat (5-6 lb loaves) trying to get consistant results.  I have a few questions.

1. When increasing the size of the recipe, does the salt percentage remain the same?  I know that in other recipes it is reduced.

2.  I currently bake in an electric oven with stone and steam from a broiler pan with water and spritzing the loaves.  If I decide to sale at the Farmer Market, I need to be bake in the new commercial kitchen being installed.  It will have a convention oven for baking without steam injection.  Any thoughts on how to get the same thich crust that I get from my regular oven?  Can I still use a pan of water for steam?  THe oven has double doors that open together and I am afraid that I will lose to much heat sprizting the loaves.

3.  Most of PR's recipes call for bread flour,  most of thsi forum is aimed a AP flour.  I made PB's flour blend with both thypes of flour and got great oven spring with both.  Is there an advantage beside protein percentage between the flours?

Thanks,

Jon

My mom is going to purchase a half size electric convection oven.  She was strongly leaning towards the Hobart HEC20 which the best price is about $3450 shipped.  However, one of her instructors at the baking school she goes to recommended Eurofours convection ovens which are made in France and apparently quite popular in Europe.  Their comparable model is $2700 shipped and it apparently has the same type of steam technology that Blodgett calls "Hydrovection".  It also has a 3 year warranty.  It certainly SOUNDS good, but I've been unable to locate any information or reviews online comparing the Eurofours models to Blodgett or Hobart.  In fact, I've been unable to find much of anything on Eurofours, which I imagine plenty exists on French and other European sites but I'm limited to English I'm afraid.

Any advice would be MUCH appreciated especially from someone familiar with Eurofours since lots on Hobart is out there but very little on Eurofours. So right now it's between these 2. 

Hobart HEC20

Eurofours 2 Tray (from a Dutch site - they only had 4+ tray models on the English site for some reason)

Hello!

I was a home baker and decided to find a job in a bakery to learn about professional baking.  Now I am employed at a restaurant as the baker - expected to fill the bread basket for a higher-end meal in the middle of nowhere (high end hear is probably not high-end in a city).  I usually make a country white loaf (a little whole wheat thrown in) and sometimes add rosemary and/or olives, etc.

OK - so we have ONLY Convection ovens and the air flow does not turn off, ever.  

I begin work at 7 am, Friday morning and work 5 days.  So.. my idea of good flavored bread from home baking was to retard the loaves overnight.  I don't work Thursday to make that happen Friday - and  there is no room in the fridge for bread.  So - I use a sourdough starter to try to add flavor but use yeast to get the rise in time for dinner. 

Any suggests in improving bread quality?  I have not been using steam in the convection ... someone mentioned brushing water onto the loaves before putting them in the oven.  Would this help the crust? 

Also - for taste quality I have already mentioned using a sourdough culture to add flavor.  I have been adjusting the yeast amounts to find the perfect amount to add without overpowering the sourdough flavor - if that is possible.  So far, I bake about 24 1.5 pound loaves (about 3 pounds starter, 9 pounds flour, down to 1 T + 1 tsp active yeast.) 

Which is another issue for me (and maybe it isn't an issue) - I am supplied with Active Yeast and so I must use hot water to wake up the yeast.  I do not add all hot water - usually just a percentage of the water is used to waken the yeast... but maybe I should insist on Instant?

Could someone in the professional world give me advice? 

I seek a thin, crunchy crust and nutty flavor.   

Thanks in advance!

-

Elise