The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Greetings from a cottage food kitchen!

mbristle's picture
mbristle

Greetings from a cottage food kitchen!

Hello all! I am an amateur artisan baker. I've been baking as a cottage food operator (dearlybeloaved.com) for nearly five years at local farmers markets using all-natural recipes handed down in my family. Before that I was baking on commission for my church and family members for seven years. I particularly enjoy making sandwich breads, sweet breads, and experimenting with master proof recipes. I've referenced this site many times in the past to help future my understanding of baking, and I'm excited to finally be a member! Thanks for welcoming me to the community. 

drogon's picture
drogon

Regarding the Brioche description on your website... Best 5-7 days after purchase? Don't you mean 5-7 minutes after coming out of the oven, warm with a cup of coffee??? ;-)

Other than that, welcome...

Nice to see that some US states allow home baking + selling - it seems from reading here that a lot don't, or have silly laws in-place to somewhat restrict it.

I do something similar - bake at home for sale in a couple of local shops. (Although the restrictions here in the UK are nowhere near is severe as even in your state according to the stuff you linked to - Custard Pie considered dangerous... Well it is if you throw it in someones face!)

Cheers,

-Gordon

yozzause's picture
yozzause

Hi Mbristle and welcome to TFL,  what exactly are Master proof recipes?

In relation to your other post regarding longer shelf life for breads, increased fats and addition of eggs  does  slow the staling process. I have also recently found that by using a Biga usually at the rate of about 33% in the dough also gives the lighter softer crumb. The Biga consists of a 1/3 of the total flour weight and hydrated at 65% with only a very small amount of yeast depending on whether you want to refrigerate that dough or allow to ferment (very slowly) at room temperature, for instance 0.25% dry yeast will take about 8 hours to reach maturity.

This is then added to the full dough mix, salt for the total flour weight @ 2% adding fat @ 2% or better still 3% for the desired longer life, eggs @ 2% for the same reason, the amount of yeast will depend on the bulk fermentation time that you wish to employ 0.5% will be around the 4 hours but may be a little faster as the Biga will have  grown its population of yeast. This is where notes recording  temps and quantities will become invaluable as a reference for further bakes. The amount of water required will depend on the types of bread  that you are wanting to produce, i usually start by adding at the rate of 50% for the Flour being used apart from the Biga.

For instance if the Biga was 1 kg flour  then water would be 650ml (65%) Yeast would .025g (0.25%)   (aprox 8 hours bulk fermentaion )

The main dough would be 2kgs flour,  salt would be 90g ( there was none in the Biga) fat 90 eggs 90g  Yeast 15g water would be 1 litre (50% of the dough flour) you may well require more  which is easy to add  as soon as you see it will take more. I usually have my water ready at the required temperature in a higher quantity for instance if i had a 2 litre jug and added the 1 litre  i might make a couple of further additions  which not only are already at the required temperature but are ready at the time i need to add at the end of the inclusions i check to see how much is left giving me an accurate measure of what went in.

I have only recently been making doughs this way but the biggest advantage that i have noted is the the increased shelf life, regular size holes and softer crumb

Attached picture is of a recent loaf using this method  its a roast potato and rosemarie loaf and shows the crumb texture.

Kind regards Yozzause in sunny Australia 

mbristle's picture
mbristle

Thanks for your comments and warm welcome! I also really appreciate that you have checked out my website. The site itself is new as of the past year, so any new viewership is exciting!

@yozzause: Masterproofing is actually a term one of my baker friends uses, and I've since borrowed. The way we use this term is in reference to experimenting with and manipulating Master recipes. I think the term itself was coined because he, and since then I, used Masterproofing brand banneton baskets for the final rise in our baking. Does that make sense? :p

Thanks again for all your input thus far. I look forward for future discussion!

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

The web site is very informative. Welcome and happy baking