The Fresh Loaf

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kimemerson's picture
kimemerson

Inexpensive bannetons & brotforms link

Hello gang,
I know some of you use bannetons or some home made version. I also know they can be expensive. I found this site a few years ago and bought a dozen of the 9" bannetons. I love them.

I just wanted to share the link with you. I imagine a lot of us have looked and been put of by some of the $20 - $30 ones I've seen. 

https://www.luckyclovertrading.com/advanced_search_result.php?search_in_description=1&keywords=artisan

pmccool's picture
pmccool

A visit to Schoon de Companje

While in South Africa this past December, we had the chance to spend a few days in the Stellenbosch area; not far from Cape Town and in the middle of South Africa's winelands.  Stellenbosch is a picturesque town in its own right, replete with many examples of the Cape Dutch arhictectural style.  It is surrounded by vineyards and mountains and olive groves and lavender fields and is so beautiful as to make the flatlander tourist gape in wonder.  You could, for instance, have lunch or dinner at a vineyard's restaurant and enjoy scenery like this:

Or you might, as we did, happen upon a delightful place for lunch while strolling about town:

The Oude Bank, or Old Bank, building houses Schoon de Companje, a group of artisans who make products ranging from breads/pastries to coffees to ice cream to meat and produce and a few others.  It all began when Fritz Schoon started the Oude Bank Bakkerij in the Oude Bank building.  Mr. Schoon learned the baking craft at the Ile de Pain bakery in Knysna, South Africa.  Fritz runs the bread side of the bakery and his wife runs the pastry side.  Over time, the Schoons determined that they wanted to foster a community of artisans and found friends who wanted to be part of that community.  

My guess is that Schoon de Companje will probably continue to nurture additional artisans.  Mr. Schoon is already encouraging local farmers to produce the grains that he mills on site for his flour, including rye which is not commonly grown in South Africa.  He had previously purchased his flours from Eureka Mills, which I had blogged about here.

We, of course, were more interested in lunch than in history or provenance, so we made our way past the display of breads

to the cafe seating area which is housed between the retail area in front and the bakery in back:

The cafe features equal measures of rusticity and whimsy, finding expression in everything from the floor pattern to the tree reaching toward the skylight.

While waiting for our order to be filled, I looked around the bakery in the back:

 

The massive wood-fired oven, built from local stone, is visible in the first and last of these four photos of the bakery. Mr. Schoon, in the blue t-shirt and apron, is visible at the left in the second photo if this sequence.  Sadly, I did not get an opportunity to speak with him.

When lunch arrived in the form of two sandwiches, we were ready to enjoy it.  And enjoy we did!  The breads are hearty and full of grainy flavor.  The sour was present but not assertive.  The crust and crumb were each firm but not tough.  Mine, on the left, was made with the sourdough.  My wife's, on the right, featured the pain rustique.

We did manage to find room for an ice cream cone before we left.  Much of the "ice cream" one encounters in South Africa is the dairy (or not so dairy) equivalent of Wonder Bread.  Fanny Chanel's ice cream is the real thing and an absolute delight.  I'll have to admit that our pace back to the guest house was even more leisurely than our pre-lunch pace.  

If you find yourself in South Africa, visit Stellenbosch.  And if you find yourself in Stellenbosch, visit Schoon de Companje.  You'll be happy with both.

Paul

pb9003's picture
pb9003

inexpensive banneton/brotform-

Hi all, I've been lurking around here for many years, finally have something to contribute -

I ran across a company called Lucky Clover Trading that's selling banettons in various shapes and sizes, the most expensive being $8.50. These don't appear to be plastic, but who knows. On orders of less than $50 they add an $8.00 surcharge per order but that's still a good deal if the product is as appears. I've ordered 4, will report on quality when they arrive. I think this is a clearance thing from a company that sells other types of baskets, trays, etc. Again, I don't have first-hand knowledge of the quality (or even if the product will ever be delivered to me!) so buyer beware. For the record, I have no affiliation with the manufacturer or retailer. 

Philip

 

T. Fargo's picture
T. Fargo

T's Sriracha Bagels

  Hello all at thefreshloaf.com and thank you for allowing my participation on this extraordinary site.  The following article is one I wrote on another site, using their format and must admit that I'm taking a shortcut to copy and paste it here in the interest of saving time.  Though it is my first here, it is a continuance of several articles entitled Food Porn:_____ (fill in the blank with object of culinary desire).  I am eager to share this recipe I developed for Sriracha Bagels, due to the lack of them on the market and my love for the spice (explained within).  Enjoy!

  The saga of Sriracha continues into this episode of Food Porn, as I take on spicy Sriracha bagels.  And it's not about putting Sriracha on something as it is about putting the flavorful hot condiment in something.  Bagels - Just the thought for New Yorkers conjures a morning ritual from the Bronx to Staten Island.  According to Wikipedia, the bagel was born in Poland.  Comprised of a traditional wheat dough formed by hand and first boiled before baking.  This process lends a chewy-crisp exterior and a chewy decadent inside, begging for butter, cream cheese, lox, jam, nutella, or any one of a million toppings.  

   One special item you need for this recipe is non-diastatic malt powder.  This ingredient is available at King Arthur Flour and Amazon. It may be substituted by sugar, but that will not give you that genuine New York delicatessen / bakery flavor that non-diastatic malt will.  What is non-diastatic malt you ask?  Good question.  The better question is; what is the difference between diastatic malt and non-diastatic malt?  The short answer:  Enzymes.  Where does that answer inevitably lead us?  What do enzymes do to bread dough?  More good questions.  Enzymes help convert glutens into sugars, giving yeasts more to eat and resulting in a higher rise... to a point.  Using diastatic malt in small amounts can improve the height of your bread.  Doubling that small amount can help even further, but using too much will result in a collapse of the reaction and also your bread.  Since we aren't looking for a New York high rise and solely a New York flavor profile, using non-diastatic malt fits the recipe.  No enzymes to mess up the Food Porn in process.  Now that we are armed (and dangerous?) with this knowledge, it's time to start the process.

Ingredients:

  • 250 mL warm water (about 100°)
  • 90 mL room temperature Sriracha
  • 5 grams yeast
  • 10 grams kosher salt
  • 15 grams non-diastatic malt flour
  • 455 grams bread flour
Article Photo

Color me red. All's quiet on the yeastern front.

For the boil:

  • 6 L boiling water
  • 55 grams non-diastatic malt powder
  • 5 grams baking soda
  • a kitchen towel with some flour on it (to absorb excess water)
  • Sesame seeds
  • Pizza peel dusted with cornmeal, polenta or flour
Article Photo

Sift

 

Article Photo

Whisking in process...

 

Method:

   In a medium sized bowl (about 2.5 L), combine water, Sriracha, Yeast, Salt and non-diastatic malt powder until dissolved.  Sift the flour into a separate bowl and pour the whole mass into the liquid.  Using a dough whisk or wooden spoon, stir until combined.  You may have to wet your fingers and work by hand to incorporate the last bit of flour. Do not knead this dough.  Cover, yet not airtight, and let rise until the dough crests and flattens, about 2 hours.  You can use the dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.  (I like to make bagels with cold dough, as it is easier to work with and the flavor profile gets a bit more complex after a day or so in the refrigerator).

  On baking (and boiling day), Preheat your oven and baking stone in the center to 500°F.  have a broiler tray placed on the lowest rack for the addition of steam water later.  Dust the top of the dough with flour and pull some from the bowl, weigh into 150 gram pieces.  "Cloche" the dough into balls by pushing your fingers into the bottom while rolling your thumbs down the sides, then seal the base of it by moving the base of the ball in a circle loosely in your fingers on your board.  Similar to the technique shown here (FFW to about 1:08 for instant gratification):

Traditional method for making Vera Pizza Napoletana dough balls, including technique for shaping pizza dough.

 Nice watch dude, and thanks.  Welcome to my Food Porn article...

   Cover balls loosely with plastic wrap and rest for 15-20 minutes at room temp.   If you want to make more than five bagels, repeat with the rest of the dough, or store it back in the refrigerator.  While the dough balls are resting, prep a large boil pot with water, malt and baking soda.  Place on high heat until it boils and reduce to a simmer.  Push your thumb through a dough ball to form a hole, then ease it open until the diameter is twice to three times the size of the original dough ball.  Gently lay the formed bagel into the simmering water.  After 1 minute, flip with a slotted spoon or skimmer and simmer (skimmer and simmer, that's fun to say...) for 30 to 40 more seconds.  Remove to the towel coated with some flour and repeat with remaining dough balls, one at a time. 

Article Photo

Pre-boil bagels, 150 grams each

Article Photo

Post-boil and on a floured pizza peel, ready for the oven

   Sprinkle with sesame seeds (or omit. Or use something else, like poppy seeds or dried garlic and onion flakes, it's your world...) and place on a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal, polenta or flour.  Slide directly onto the 500° pizza stone.  Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a broiler tray beneath the stone and quickly close the oven.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes until deeply browned and firm.  Remove from oven and place on wire rack.

   These bagels are so good, you don't need to wait for them to cool all the way.  Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut in half and either top immediately with whatever suits you, or toast and top.  These Sriracha bagels have a sweet heat and pair well with savory flavors.  Perfect as a sandwich with egg and sausage or open faced with lox and cream cheese, boiled egg slices and capers; pickled onions with liverwurst; sliced roast beef and horseradish... I'm rambling... and not sorry for it.  Just let your Food Porn imagination run wild and enjoy these spicy variations of a classic breakfast staple, and if you don't mind, share your experience here.  I'd love to know if you made them and what you think of the recipe.  Is New York ready for a Sriracha bagel?  Hell yes.  And if you don't mind, so am I.

Article Photo

Sriracha bagels, fresh from the oven

jameshenry's picture
jameshenry

Sour dough bread - Noob. Starter not looking good.

I'm following this recipe. 

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-starter-recipe

I used 1 cup of this

and a 1/2 cup of spring water

and it looks like this. 

I was told to use exact measurements. But it looks too thick. 

 

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Barley Apple experiment

Well, I am excited. For the first time I created a recipe from scratch, not from a published recipe or modified from anyone else's recipe. I created it in a spreadsheet based on my own experience gained over the last year of intensive baking (knowledge of hydration, percentages, flour performance, etc.) and then went ahead and mixed. I only made one small change during mixing and the whole thing was a great success!

So here it is - The Lazy Loafer's Barley Apple bread:

Starter:

  • Bread flour - 25 g (50%)
  • Whole wheat flour - 25g (50%)
  • Apple cider - 40g (80%)
  • Kombucha - 10g (20%)
  • Active dry yeast - about 1/8th tsp

Dough:

  • Bread flour - 325g (81%)
  • Barley flour - 75g (19%)
  • Barley - 50g (13%)
  • Apple cider - 150g (38%)
  • Water - 270g (68%)
  • Dried apples, chopped - 100g (25%)
  • Honey - 30g (8%)
  • Yeast - about 1/8th tsp per loaf
  • Salt - 9g (2%)
  • Starter - 100g (25%)

Method:

Day Before:

Prepare starter. Let ripen at room temperature overnight or until active and bubbly. Add barley and chopped apples to warm cider. Let sit overnight.

To Mix Dough:

Mix starter, water, yeast and honey to soften starter. Add the flours; mix until well-blended and shaggy. Let rest (autolyze) for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add salt and soaked mix. Mix (by hand or stand mixer) until ingredients are incorporated and soft dough forms.

Put dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Stretch and fold. Let rest for 15 minutes, then repeat 2 more times. After last stretch & fold, let dough rise at room temperature for about another hour, then put in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.

On Baking Day:

Remove the dough from the fridge 1.5 to 2 hours before baking time. Shape & rise. Preheat oven with stones or iron pots to 475 degrees. Bake with steam – 5 minutes at 475, 15 min. at 425, turn and bake another 20 min. until internal temperature of 190 at least. Or in iron pots – 25 min. with lid on; another 20 with lid off.

I baked it last night, and cut a couple of slices this morning, having one with butter and the other one toasted, also just with butter. It has a lovely mild sweet taste. I was impressed how the apple cider aroma permeated the dough during all stages and came through in the final bread as well. Some of the apple bits and barley grains on the surface of the loaves were a bit crunchy but did not seem to detract from the flavour. Definitely a keeper!

sporknado's picture
sporknado

Substituting levain for yeast

I'm planning on baking a Forkish recipe with poolish.  It calls for 1/8 tsp yeast for the poolish.  I was thinking of halving? the amount of yeast I put in the poolish and throwing a bit of levain I've been feeding this week.  The levain is really mild tasting (I keep only a bit each time I feed it).  The poolish is to sit for 12-14 hours.  Suppose I want bread that isn't sour at all. Can I use some levain in place of the yeast in the poolish?  How much should I use in place of how much yeast?

 

Thanks in advance!

HPoirot's picture
HPoirot

Yeast and S&F method

Due to my laziness in bringing out my Assistent for kneading, and my lack of success with hand kneading, i would have to adopt the S&F method for my breads.

There is, however, something i'm unsure of with this method.

Most of the time, due to my baking schedule, the bread needs to be started and baked in ~5 hours. And that means i usually use a little more yeast than necessary (~2%) and sacrifice flavor for speed. A poolish makes up for it a little.

For most recipes here for the hydration i want, they do S&F over ~3 hours (4 times, 45 min intervals), followed by a bulk ferment till it's 'doubled'.

If i'm speeding up the bulk ferment, will doing the S&F over 3 hours result in over proofing? Is that a possibility at the bulk ferment stage? And this 3 hours is even before final proofing.  

I'm aware i could just retard the loaves to better fit my schedule, but i would much prefer to finish off the loaves in one sitting.

ithilas's picture
ithilas

Making my own bread flour, cake flour and pastry flour

Hi!

i have a mill and some hard red and hard white wheat berries from bluebird farms and I am ordering some soft white wheat berries from community grains. I also got a flour sifter and another one that is 1/50 For super fine flour.

i want to make my own bread flour, cake flour and pastry flour. I know each of these have different protein contents and consistencies in texture and fineness of grain. Can anyone recommend what i can do  to do make my own different flours with what I have? or what I should do in the future? I have a wonder mill at the moment but I am hoping to get a komo grain mill too! So, if anyone wants to reccomend settings or the level of fines used I would appreciate it. Thanks so much 

liming's picture
liming

Weird White powdery stuff on the surface of my sourdough starter

hi,

        I was about to feed my whole wheat 100% hydrated sourdough starter and noticed that the top of the starter was almost entirely covered with some white powdery stuff. The starter is about 1.5 months old and has been doing fine when they were maturing outside the fridge and also after I stored them in the fridge.  2 days ago I took them out of the fridge and would like to resume a daily feeding routine on the counter for them. Up until the second feeding outside the fridge which was about 36 hours before my horrifying discovery about the white powder just now, the starter were all doing fine, no strange smell or look and can double its volume after feeding. 

       Attached is a close up snapshot.The dark spots in the pictures are air bubbles.

       When I looked closely, the white power looks like lots of commercial instant yeast, but smaller.

        Please help! thanks!

 

 

   liming    

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