The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Good and not-so-good

kdwnnc's picture
kdwnnc

Good and not-so-good

Several days ago I made the Savory Bread from Bernard Clayton's Complete Book of Breads.  It is practically just a white loaf of bread (similar to a less-rich brioche) that before the final rise is rolled into a rectangle, spread with a seasoned butter, and rolled back up and placed in a loaf pan.  The butter ingredients include thyme, garlic, hot sauce, pepper, etc., so can imagine how good that would taste in a bread (now that I think about it, I could have added some red pepper flakes that I had sitting in the spice cabinet).  Anyway, it tasted very, very good.  The only downside to it was that because of the butter, the layers separated during rising, so the bread had a rather large layer of air inside, but the taste was enough to make up for it.

Then, yesterday, I made the Southern White Bread from the same book.  The only thing I did differently from the recipe was substituting some WW flour for some of the white.  We did not cut into it until today, but it was already rather dry for a bread that had butter and milk powder in it, and I thought it tasted too much like WW bread from the store, which I do not like.  So far, aside from the oatmeal muffins (which by the way are very good), these are the only breads I have tried from this book.  So hopefully I will have better luck next time!

Comments

varda's picture
varda

Clayton was my first bread book and I have cooked several of his breads.  My favorite so far is the Madame Doz pain de compagne which I blogged about a couple of days ago.   It is a big production, but really good, and it lasts for days and days without losing its taste.   It is a part whole wheat bread, but even my husband, who hates anything whole wheat has been known to eat it.   I haven't tried the two above.  I think my son would kill me if I made a bread with hot sauce in it.   But butter, thyme, garlic?   Now you're talking. 

kdwnnc's picture
kdwnnc

I will try that; I usually try to make my bread with some whole wheat even if it is not called for in the recipe.  And actually,  I couldn't even taste the hot sauce (there is less than 1/2 teaspoon in the recipe and it makes two loaves).

kdwnnc's picture
kdwnnc

Could you tell me which chapter the Madame Doz pain de compange is in?  I looked through the entire book and the index and I can't find it anywhere.  Thanks.

varda's picture
varda

That's where it is in my copy.   Perhaps you have a different edition?

kdwnnc's picture
kdwnnc

The edition I use is from 1973, so maybe the recipe is not in it.  I will keep looking! Thanks anyway.

varda's picture
varda

Ah well.   I think that would be BC OLD complete book of breads.   I thought he just added instructions for standing mixers and food processors - didn't realize he'd added new recipes as well.   I do see the savory bread recipe in my book.  I'm going to try that as soon as I'm done with my self-imposed 7 day repeat breads I've already made.