|
|
|
|
|
SearchUser loginBread BooksFavorite Recipes
|
 Submitted by AlexL on October 7, 2009 - 9:19am Thought I'd give this "web-logging" thing a tryFiled under: Things that may grow to haunt me
October 7, 2009 It's been awhile since my first post. I've been working on getting french bread down since then and after about 15 batches of dough I think I've finally found the delicate balance between the science and the art of it. Yeah I wish. I made a giant, spongy, flat batard for a dinner party a couple nights ago that I just had a bad feeling about right from the oven. One of my friends commented that it looked like an alligator lying in wait for unsuspecting prey. Gotta love those witty food critics.
My mistake was using a new recipe, using my new kitchen scale, and adhering too strictly to the measurements. It called for a 100% poolish and 66% overall hydration. Yesterday to satisfy my curiousity I carefully measured out a 60% hydration dough, which is about what I think I used to make back when I eyeballed everything and it turned out just how I like it - crisp skin and fluffy meat. I think I'm seeing a disturbing trend developing here though. This morning I weighed out my coffee grinds and recorded it in my kitchen journal with spaces saved for additional entries, then as I was weighing out my condensed milk for my coffee I had a WTF-realization moment and quickly shut off the scale and slowly backed out of the kitchen. Note to self: do not become a scale-whore. Anyways here's my bread from yesterday:
Last night I decided that I've earned my baking yellow belt and was ready to learn the esoteric art of sour-do. I found a simple starter recipe using plain water and plain AP flour since I don't usually stock endangered fruit juices nor mill my own flour. I hope the other starters here won't look down on my modest little starter. What he may lack in sophistication I hope he'll make up for in street-smarts. Okay, I guess breads can't be street-smart so....let's just hope he doesn't taste like socks. Quick question: are starters generally male or female? I think mine's a boy but I'd like to make sure before I name him.
I'm 12 hours in and I'm nervously excited. I can't stop picking it up and looking at it. My mom used to say that that would make it fall off, so I should probably stop. It's condensing a bit on the lid and smells slightly yeasty, but hasn't risen a bit since last night. From what I've read that's still 12-24 hours away so it's all good so far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Update: 36 hours in The smell. Dear god, the smell. I took the lid off to feed it this morning and I just woke up, on the kitchen floor. How can something so innocent looking produce such an ungodly stench? Must separate mind from body. You can do this.
Filed under:
|
ALSO ON |
del.icio.us
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Favorite
Is that the bakery in SF by
Is that the bakery in SF by the pier? wow...they must leave some of those breads there forever - I looked at that photo and thought it was one I took when we visited there over a year ago!
Your breads are looking good to me :) I am laughing at the male-female starter query. We should do a poll on the topic!
I'm not sure where that photo
I'm not sure where that photo was taken. I grabbed it off google images under "alligator bread." I honestly did not expect so many results. For all I know I may have stolen your picture by the looks of it. If so I'll take it down or mail you some bread as a licensing fee.
lol -- it's not my image I
lol -- it's not my image I dont think, and I'd hardly be complaining given the context anyway. :)
I just recognized the alligator bread. I wonder if the photo that you found was taken within the same week. Looks like the breads next to it in the window at least, had changed!
Starter
You will have much better luck getting your starter going if you include a portion of of rye or whole wheat flour. It does not have to be home-milled, but it should be fairly fresh (meaning not some that has been in the cupboard for a year). Also, be sure that your AP flour is not bleached and that your water is not chlorinated. Well water is fine, as is bottled spring water or de-chlorinated tap water. Do not use distilled or RO water, as the minerals have been removed from it and your starter needs these minerals. Stir the starter mixture vigorously and frequently to ward off any mold catching hold. Keep the mixture warmish and the consistency more wet than thick until the yeast catch hold. Once they start to grow you can thicken it up. Good luck!
Thanks, that's good advice. I
Thanks, that's good advice. I used freshly bought unbleached AP white flour and water filtered through a Brita tap filter. I'm worried about the water now since water here in Ottawa is very soft -- 55 mg/L (4 grains per gallon) of calcium and magnesium. I'm following a rough schedule of 24 hrs intial fermentation, then 12 hour feedings at a 1:1:1 ratio for 5-7 days, all using just unbleached white AP flour. Any glaring issues here I should be concerned about, aside from using the wrong flour and wrong water? :P
nice write-up
Alex, wait with naming the starter. I think smell determines male/female. The rest I have to leave up to you. Keep feeding on a regular basis.
Cheers,
Jw.
recipe you used for french bread?
Your french bread looks alot better than any I"ve made. What recipe did you choose? Any chance of getting THAT formula or refer me to a page in a book. I have the BBA book.
I must be missing something. I've never named my starter....... I think I should call her (it) miss Piggy because she gorges on the feedings I give her.
-susie
Er, what recipe?
Thanks, but I should say the lighting and camera angles were very flattering to it :P
The recipe goes something like this:
Edit: I forgot to note that I don't have a hard recipe -- this is just what works out for my usual small batch of bread for the ladyfriend's daily after work snack. The only cookbook I have is Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything, and his french bread recipe has given me some gnarly results so I just disregard his baking recipes altogether.