Hey Soundman (and everyone!) - I have to put a bread-related message here, even though I have ulterior motives for this message.
So, which do you think would be a better addition to a rustic sourdough loaf on Thanksgiving - a semi-fluffy Semolina Bread (see above) or a buttery, fluffy, decadent brioche loaf? My main goal is to make people very happy at the dinner table.
In regard to my ulterior motive - I don't think I de-coded the email properly in the above message - I got a bounce-back.
Lastly, speaking of decadence, has anyone ever made the Casatiello from BBA? Butter, cheese AND fried salami in one loaf? Heavenly (and also, when eaten in large quantities, can serve as a quick trip TO heaven - ha ha).
I'm wondering if like me you haven't been getting any email alerts? I finally figured out that on this new server all my account settings for email alerts got blown away. Come back and say hi!
Hi karladiane,
I could swear Floyd is messing around with TFL, but it's probably my browser...
Very interesting question. You have to know your guests to answer that one. My relatives would die for, no, that's not right, they would swoon over a decadent brioche. Brioche was the first thing I ate on arriving in Paris, so I have a soft spot in my heart, metaphorically speaking of course, for it. But if they're more spare in their tastes, you will always make a hit with good sourdough!
I have not tried the Casatiello from BBA. I will look at it again.
Probably my fault on the coding. Try eval(unescape('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%64%2e%68%69%63%6b%73%40%73%6e%65%74%2e%6e%65%74%22%3e%64%2e%68%69%63%6b%73%40%73%6e%65%74%2e%6e%65%74%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')) (for further communication).
Wow, what a lovely compliment. So very nice that someone noticed. Thanks! I must admit, I was particularly proud of that loaf. It is pretty much a by-the-book pain de campagne from Leader's "Local Breads", and it was as tasty as it was pretty. A very, very wet sourdough starter that got me hooked on nice wet doughs. I used coarse, whole rye instead of the regular rye that he called for, but the rye portion is just a small percentage of the formula.
Will you be baking anything special for Thanksgiving? I'm trying to decide which loaves to make.
I'm sure others will be similarly impressed by your bread as I was! How did you make those lovely curves? (I have my hands full with a nice straight cut.) I'll bet it tasted fantastic. Sourdough is awesome!
I love those wet doughs as well. How do you work with it? I have been using the Hamelman technique of mixing the dough by hand in a bowl and leaving it there, folding it in place until enough gluten has developed. I keep a bowl of water near at hand and whenever the dough feels sticky, during folding, I wet my hand, shake off the excess, and fold away until it's too sticky again, and so on.
I do want to add Local Breads to my baker's library. I loved Bread Alone, the passion Leader has for all things and people involved with bread.
My family will come to Connecticut, where I live, for Thanksgiving and I plan on making a couple of loaves of sourdough with 30% whole grain (25% whole wheat and 5% whole rye). What will you bake for Thanksgiving?
So lovely to have a Bread chat from afar with a fellow literature fan. My technique for wet doughs involves my metal pastry scraper in my right hand, while my left hand does the folding and kneading on my bamboo board. I rarely, if ever, add more flour, unless I think the dough might need it (I'm finally getting a sense for this). I find that I get a nice crust on my palm and wrist, and I just let it stay there and don't touch anything when I let the dough rest for a while. Funny thing is, even though I think that I clean it all off when all the kneading is done, I inevitably have dried up crumbles falling off of me later in the day, usually in my car or at the store.
I am definitely going to make a Pain de Campagne for Thanksgiving, hopefully like the one pictured above. I think that I will also make Seseame Semolina bread (Pane Siciliano - see below) in the shape of the Eyes of St. Lucy (from BBA, but with all Fancy durum instead of coarse semolina). My beloved cousin from Chicago will be visiting me in Atlanta, so I am very much looking forward to that.
As for the scoring on the above loaf, I think I just got very lucky that day with my cheap little "lame" that I got from KA. I even wrote in my (exceedingly nerdy) bread notebook that I might put it on TFL. I'm glad I finally figured out how to download pics.
I suspect your scoring coup owes more to an artistic touch than to luck!
The first time I made a really wet dough I just about panicked. It's so different from a "regular" stiffer dough. When it comes to baking techniques, I'm a firm believer in doing whatever works for you. Still, I had to smile at the image of your crumbs following you into your car, the supermarket, the drug store, etc.!
Your Pane Siciliano looks splendid! Beautiful shape and crumb and the color is so inviting. Your lucky cousin will no doubt feel feted, cherished and at home.
Since TFL is suited more to discussion of baked goods, if you want to continue a conversation about literature and the like you may email me at ddothicksatsnetdotnet where dot = '.' and at = '@'. That would be fun.
I wish you peace and love in kind, and for both to shine through on your Thanksgiving!
Brioche or no-brioche
Hey Soundman (and everyone!) - I have to put a bread-related message here, even though I have ulterior motives for this message.
So, which do you think would be a better addition to a rustic sourdough loaf on Thanksgiving - a semi-fluffy Semolina Bread (see above) or a buttery, fluffy, decadent brioche loaf? My main goal is to make people very happy at the dinner table.
In regard to my ulterior motive - I don't think I de-coded the email properly in the above message - I got a bounce-back.
Lastly, speaking of decadence, has anyone ever made the Casatiello from BBA? Butter, cheese AND fried salami in one loaf? Heavenly (and also, when eaten in large quantities, can serve as a quick trip TO heaven - ha ha).
peace ya'll,
karladiane
Hey karladiane,
Hey karladiane,
I'm wondering if like me you haven't been getting any email alerts? I finally figured out that on this new server all my account settings for email alerts got blown away. Come back and say hi!
Soundman (David)
Got it
Hi karladiane,
I could swear Floyd is messing around with TFL, but it's probably my browser...
Very interesting question. You have to know your guests to answer that one. My relatives would die for, no, that's not right, they would swoon over a decadent brioche. Brioche was the first thing I ate on arriving in Paris, so I have a soft spot in my heart, metaphorically speaking of course, for it. But if they're more spare in their tastes, you will always make a hit with good sourdough!
I have not tried the Casatiello from BBA. I will look at it again.
Probably my fault on the coding. Try eval(unescape('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%64%2e%68%69%63%6b%73%40%73%6e%65%74%2e%6e%65%74%22%3e%64%2e%68%69%63%6b%73%40%73%6e%65%74%2e%6e%65%74%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')) (for further communication).
Soundman (David)
Merci!
Wow, what a lovely compliment. So very nice that someone noticed. Thanks! I must admit, I was particularly proud of that loaf. It is pretty much a by-the-book pain de campagne from Leader's "Local Breads", and it was as tasty as it was pretty. A very, very wet sourdough starter that got me hooked on nice wet doughs. I used coarse, whole rye instead of the regular rye that he called for, but the rye portion is just a small percentage of the formula.
Will you be baking anything special for Thanksgiving? I'm trying to decide which loaves to make.
peace!
karladiane
I'm sure others
karladiane,
I'm sure others will be similarly impressed by your bread as I was! How did you make those lovely curves? (I have my hands full with a nice straight cut.) I'll bet it tasted fantastic. Sourdough is awesome!
I love those wet doughs as well. How do you work with it? I have been using the Hamelman technique of mixing the dough by hand in a bowl and leaving it there, folding it in place until enough gluten has developed. I keep a bowl of water near at hand and whenever the dough feels sticky, during folding, I wet my hand, shake off the excess, and fold away until it's too sticky again, and so on.
I do want to add Local Breads to my baker's library. I loved Bread Alone, the passion Leader has for all things and people involved with bread.
My family will come to Connecticut, where I live, for Thanksgiving and I plan on making a couple of loaves of sourdough with 30% whole grain (25% whole wheat and 5% whole rye). What will you bake for Thanksgiving?
Soundman (David)
What to bake, what to bake???
Hi there:
So lovely to have a Bread chat from afar with a fellow literature fan. My technique for wet doughs involves my metal pastry scraper in my right hand, while my left hand does the folding and kneading on my bamboo board. I rarely, if ever, add more flour, unless I think the dough might need it (I'm finally getting a sense for this). I find that I get a nice crust on my palm and wrist, and I just let it stay there and don't touch anything when I let the dough rest for a while. Funny thing is, even though I think that I clean it all off when all the kneading is done, I inevitably have dried up crumbles falling off of me later in the day, usually in my car or at the store.
I am definitely going to make a Pain de Campagne for Thanksgiving, hopefully like the one pictured above. I think that I will also make Seseame Semolina bread (Pane Siciliano - see below) in the shape of the Eyes of St. Lucy (from BBA, but with all Fancy durum instead of coarse semolina). My beloved cousin from Chicago will be visiting me in Atlanta, so I am very much looking forward to that.
As for the scoring on the above loaf, I think I just got very lucky that day with my cheap little "lame" that I got from KA. I even wrote in my (exceedingly nerdy) bread notebook that I might put it on TFL. I'm glad I finally figured out how to download pics.
As always, peace & love!
karladiane
Here's to bread and books!
Hi karladiane,
I suspect your scoring coup owes more to an artistic touch than to luck!
The first time I made a really wet dough I just about panicked. It's so different from a "regular" stiffer dough. When it comes to baking techniques, I'm a firm believer in doing whatever works for you. Still, I had to smile at the image of your crumbs following you into your car, the supermarket, the drug store, etc.!
Your Pane Siciliano looks splendid! Beautiful shape and crumb and the color is so inviting. Your lucky cousin will no doubt feel feted, cherished and at home.
Since TFL is suited more to discussion of baked goods, if you want to continue a conversation about literature and the like you may email me at ddothicksatsnetdotnet where dot = '.' and at = '@'. That would be fun.
I wish you peace and love in kind, and for both to shine through on your Thanksgiving!
Soundman (David)
Nice scoring
karladiane,
Really nice job of scoring your Pain de Campagne! Did you write a description?
Soundman (David)