Outside of ordering online (and I really don't want to do that) any ideas on purchasing retail now hard to get high gluten flour in the Washington, D.C.-Virginia-Maryland area?
Thanks!
Neal Lavon
Takoma Park, MD
USA
I've read through my new copy of BBA several times and I'm trying to get my head wrapped around it all. The answer to my question below seems obvious but I want to make sure I'm not missing something.
In the book the author gives a multi-step set of instructions for making the 'barm', from which various 'firm starters' will be made on day one according to the recipes for breads that will take two days to make. At one point he calls the barm the 'mother starter'.
I think this is a question for Floyd, but maybe someone else can answer.
I thought I'd responded to the thread about sourcing flour and grains in the Boston area yesterday, but noticed today that my response had disappeared.
Did I do something wrong by giving a specific business name and phone #? I don't have any financial connection to the distributor I mentioned, I just know they deliver to the Boston area, so thought it might be useful to the person making the query.
For several months now, I have been baking whole wheat breads based on recipes in Peter Reinhart's latest book. For the most part, I have met with success.
I am now attempting to modify these recipes to accomplish two goals: to eliminate commercial yeast from my breads, and to simplify the baking schedule (which includes using less equipment, making less mess, and adjusting the rise times to occur while I'm at work).
Hi.
I find that when I slash risen pan bread (in a bread tin), the bread deflates somewhat and I don't the "ear to ear" grin.
Is this common?
Is it because the bread tins are cold when they go into the oven (as opposed to putting dough directly on the hot hearth (baking stone)?
Should I slash at some point while the loaves are proving (or wait a bit a after slashing to make sure the dough is on the rise before putting it in the oven)?
I'll try the last suggestion, but do you have any thoughts/ideas?
what? Is a bulk ferment necessary? For sourdough, I do a Stretch and Fold about every 45 minutes for a totlal of three or four S&Fs. With yeasted doughs, it's usually a total of three S&Fs at 20 minute intervals. At this point, I just shape the dough , let rise and bake. Would a bulk ferment after the final S&F be beneficial?
Larry
I have seen warnings in references on sourdough bread to avoid contacting the starter with stainless steel (claiming it results in an off taste), yet in BBA I see the sourdough/wild yeast barms, poolishes, etc being mixed and fermented in stainless steel bowls.
I've been making sourdough bread for years and don't even scoop the starter or stir the sourdough with stainless steel, but now this authoritative work evidently pays it no mind.
I've been busy the last couple of weeks and forgetting my weekly sourdough feeding. Pouring off the hooch, yes, feeding it, no.
Yesterday I resolved to feed the poor little starter. When I pulled it out of the refrigerator, opened the jar, and smelled ... uh-oh. Didn't smell right. But I made up some flour and water, put in a teaspoon of the old starter, threw out the rest, and hoped for the best. Left it overnight. This morning, it still didn't smell right.
Hi,
I'm from the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada. I was surfing the web looking for ideas on how to handle some problems I've encountered baking bread with home ground flour, and so have posted in the Grain Milling section. But I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of the forum - it looks like fun. I've been baking bread for 40 years now, but never got around to getting my own grain mill before. Looking forward to getting past the glitches and trying out all kinds of new flavours and textures!
- Veronica
It expires at midnight. Okay, I can't contain myself and generally I think I do pretty well, but this bargain has me wound up and my cabinets are living proof. This morning I placed my third order in two weeks. The man of this house is going to wring my neck, but probably after he eats. Anyway, I'm not sure that I should take such liberty with using a forum to advertise, but this company surely is worth sticking my neck out for, and if the hubby doesn't grab it, Floyd will, and he'll caution me. Until later, happy shopping to all!
Oh...Happy baking, too!
