Submitted by rbarbe on December 21, 2006 - 11:34am
Can I omit the powdered milk from the sponge bread recipes in LK bread book? They're called Scottish Sponge Bread and Busy Person's Bread. Is the milk just there for extra nutrition or does it serve another purpose?
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Sponge breads and powdered milk
I can't be sure, but I think the powdered milk helps both with taste and the rise. I do know for sure that my whole wheat bread rise A LOT higher when they've got buttermilk or butter in them.
But, may as well find out. Are you going to make the full five loaves?
No, I'm still struggling
No, I'm still struggling with getting decent-looking loaves using home-milled flour, a new experience for me--I think I'll halve the recipe so as not to waste a lot of ingredients if it bombs. The sponge method seems to work better than straight dough, but I want to try a different recipe than the one I've been using again and again and again. Thanks for your response. You're right--I might as well give it a try, leaving out the milk is hardly a drastic change.
Laurel's recipes and sponges
Actually, I find most of her recipes, good as they are, work much better with a sponge (or poolish, if you want to get technical), and it's easy if you're using a scale. Just take about 1/3 the flour (usually 200-300 grams) and mix it with a equal weight of water and a pinch (or 1/8 tsp) instant yeast. Mix it up, let it ferment overnight (or all day if you make it up in the morning) and note what you put in. Subtract the water and flour from the rest of the recipe, decrease the yeast by about 25% and then follow the recipe accordingly.
Thank you! I'll try it this
Thank you! I'll try it this weekend. It's so great to have your help. Good as that cookbook is, there are always some gaps in the information, at least for me. I need things spelled out sometimes.