Hello friends, I have been baking up a storm these passed few weeks. Since it would be impossible for my wife and I to eat all the bread I have been making, I have been giving some away to my friends in the building. A few have expressed interest in making there own bread. With this simple formula from lesson one I can whip up a batch of bread dough without ever referring to a recipe, that would make me look like hero! I could show them how with four simple ingredients they to could bake bread. 3cups flour, 2ts yeast, 2ts salt 1+ cups water then reach into the cupboard give it a squirt of honey and maybe a tps of powered milk. I have given up on making the most beautiful bread possible. From now on I will concentrate on average looking bread with above average taste a a perfect crumb. This is last nights batard I used a silicone baking mat as a couch then just lifted the whole thing on to the pan.

Sorry, no beer in this one, just black and tan sesame seeds!

The very warm weather has impacted my breadmaking, too.  Starter and dough were taking off way too fast, but using cold water slows things down enough.  I used 50F water yesterday evening to mix this loaf.  I should have used sesame oil rather than olive oil.

15g Starter, 210g water, 1 tsp EVOO, 25g KA WWW, 275g All-Trumps, 6g salt, 2 T mixed sesame seeds

Mix by hand in the evening, rest a few minutes, fold in the bowl a few times.  Leave overnight at 60-70F, fold whatever it needs in the morning, shape, proof and bake.  Simple bread.

High-Gluten Spring Wheat flour is what I use for all my sourdoughs, Shannon, and using it tends to make a stretchier, chewier loaf, which is what I want.  H-G flour is a step higher in protein than bread flour.  Don't know if you are making sourdough, but if so, here's a simple recipe:

50g starter

210g water

300g High-Gluten Flour

6g salt

Mix the starter and water in a small plastic tub,* add flour and salt, mix until rough.  Cover and let sit 10 minutes.   Using a wooden spoon, fold the dough from bottom to top around the tub.  Cover and let rise until the dough has doubled in volume.  At this point, turn it out on your oil-sprayed counter and envelope-fold it.  Fold it two or three times, letting it relax between foldings.  Each time you fold, it will become easier to handle and will hold its shape better.  Now, shape the dough and leave it to rise either on the counter with parchment underneath or in a banneton (or linen-lined colander or bowl).  When you can poke your floured finger into the dough and the imprint stays, it's time to bake.  Pre-heat the oven to 500F, then turn it down to 460F after you load the bread.  There are several options for steaming bread.  My fav is covering the bread for the first 20 minutes with a stainless-steel bowl.  Total time in the oven will be about 30 minutes.  Let the bread brown as much as it can without burning.  Don't cut the loaf until it has cooled. 

*If you use a small tub (such as a 2-lb yogurt tub, which is what I often use), the dough will half-fill it, and when it doubles, the tub will be full!  Cool, eh?

Remember to have fun.

Susan from San Diego

The below loaf has 25g rye flour substituted for 25g of the HG flour:

A few weeks ago I bought two copies of Jeff and Zoe's new book "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" and had one shipped to my 83 year old father. Since my Mother passed on, he has been trying to be creative in the kitchen and has ventured into some rather tasty foods. I thought it might be fun for him to learn to bake small loaves of bread for himself and to take with him when he visits friends.