Recent Blog Entries

….Gosh, been really busy last few weeks and haven’t been able to post or blog for at all. A few people gave me PM/email messages, concerned about my absence (Thank you! :)), so thought I’d better re-appear once before Christmas just to prove I’m still alive and baking!

 So, here’s my last blog in 2011…..Seeded sourdough bagels.

 The formula is very similar to my regular basic sourdough WW bagels that I blogged about which seems like zillion years ago, only with added seeds and reduced WW. The procedure is exactly the same, except for spread & fold method, introduced by Eric, instead of kneading, which is so easy and works like a magic, especially for seeded dough = no need to chase around escaped seeds during kneading! (Thank you, Eric!) 

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★Please note that I've been making this without added yeast as in original recipe lately.  It needs longer fermentaion, obviously, and the crumb is somewhat denser, but choice is yours! :) ★

Sourdough bagels with Mixed Seeds

 Levain …. Fed twice during 24 hr period before use with 120g high-gluten flour (see below) and 80g water (1^st feed = 40g flour + 25g water,  2^nd feed = 80g flour + 55g water)

 Main Dough

  High-Gluten Flour   470g (I use Watirose’s Canadian Very Strong White Flour)

  WW bread flour  100g

  Mixed Seeds   110g

  Non-diastatic malt powder   12g

  Sugar   14g

  Skimmed milk powder  2~3 tbls

  Wheatgerm   1~2 tbls

  Instant active dry yeast   1/4 tsp  optional (see Note above)

  Salt   12g

  Water  320g

Mix all the ingredients, leave for 30 mins.  ‘Spread & fold’ a la Eric-style (the link above) 3 times every 30~40 minutes.  Pre-shape →　shape and place them on baking sheets (six per sheet), cover and cold retard in the fridge for 12 – 18 hrs to develop flavour.

  Just FYAI,  this is how I proof and boil bagel. (Note : those pictures are of the other batch of sourdough WW bagels with reduced WW which I baked during my absence, before seeded ones, but haven’t been managed to blog due to lack of time….)

A bit difficult to see, but I place thin strips of reusable baking sheet and sprinkle semolina under bagels…..

……which makew picking up fragile, proofed dough and putting them into boiling water gently so much easier.

A large, deep roasting pan is my trusted friend for boiling bagels, six at a time, which is ideal for my routine of baking 12 bagels at a time…..boil first six, 1 min a side → fish them out to drain on a tea towel while I put next six into the boiling water　→　load the first six into the oven → fish the second batch out, drain and into the oven. Switch the fan on for even temperature.

 Bake for 18 – 20 minutes @ 200C. (Take the first batch out after 18 – 20 minutes, move the second batch to the higher shelf, switch off the fan and bake another 2 minutes or so.)

…..and this is how they come out. (the photos miraculously change to those of seeded bagels! :p)

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 Thank you so much for all your wonderful bready info, advices, help and  friendship in 2011 and

Very best wishes for merry Christmas and happy baking in 2012, too! 

My old waffle iron was handed down to me from my grandmother.  As the one or two of you who read my posts know, I am no spring chicken.  Neither is the waffle iron – which is roughly my mother’s age.

Just as with human beings, appliances seem to have a lifespan.  When sometime last year half of one of the two waffles produced by this venerable piece of equipment never got beyond a pale yellow and parts that should not have gotten warm became ominously hot, I decided that honorable retirement was the best thing for the trusty old waffle iron and began to cast about for one more fit for active duty.

I found one – I did all the standard “interweb” searching and this one was highly rated – except it was advertised as a “Belgian Waffle Iron” but reviewers said that the waffles were really a bit on the thin side for “Belgian” waffles.  I thought that would be perfect.  It was – sort of.  The recipe (found on these pages, thanks SylviaH) that I had for sourdough waffles wasn’t quite up to the increased thickness.

And it was bit sour for my tastes, I thought.

And not quite light enough.

With a head slap to my forehead, I reminded myself that 2011 was all about formula development and that perhaps I had it in my grasp to revise the (already delicious) formula to my specific tastes.

Also, if truth be told, I’ve been doing some Supply Chain consulting for the company that distributes OXO products.  You know “Good Grips” – the angled measuring cups, etc. In the vast confluence of unlikely events that makes up my life, I was chatting with one of the folks about my desire to own a hand cranked egg beater, their new egg beater and how cool it looked and somehow, one happened to come into my possession. I promised that I would give it a workout and report back.  A new waffle formula seemed to be just the thing.

I get all misty about waffles around the Solstice because my father really loves them. My mother can’t make them (that talent skipped a generation) and the only time he gets them is when I make the journey halfway across the continent to make them for him – usually at this time of year.  Unfortunately, the little hobby that supports my household and what seems to be an ever growing assortment of hangers on sometimes has its extraordinary demands and I will not be making waffles on the East Coast until sometime in 2012.

So for your enjoyment, I give you my jazzed up waffle formula.  I always have plenty of sourdough discard hanging about the house, but it’s worth saving up some.

As with so many of my breads as of late I use two “pre ferments.” I’m told by someone I respect (and admire!) that this is over elaborate, but since I’ve made this switch people (some of whom don’t even know me) are going seriously crazy over my breads, so, well, too bad, I say, too bad.

First pre ferment

4.5 oz 100% hydration sourdough discard

6 oz 11.5% protein flour (this is King Arthur All Purpose flour, but ringing in my ears is “All purpose? What does that mean?  You are beyond that.  You speak in protein percentages now!” Must – obey –voice!)

4 oz unsalted butter melted and cooled

8 oz milk

1 tsp sea salt

2 TBS non diastatic malt (or brown sugar)

Mix (with an eggbeater if you have one) and allow to mature overnight.

Second pre ferment

2.25 oz 11.5% protein flour

2.25 oz water

Pinch of instant yeast

Mix and allow to mature overnight

Additional ingredients

2 eggs, separated

¼ tsp baking soda

When pre ferments are matured (the next morning…)

Pre-heat the waffle iron at the appropriate time...

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (I’ll mention that an egg beater comes in handy here…)

Mix together the two pre ferments, the egg yolks, and the baking soda (can also be done with an eggbeater.)

Fold in the egg whites. Don’t use the eggbeater for this.

Bake per your waffle iron’s directions and your tastes.

Just a few more minutes than the earlier version – delish!

So, realizing what a privilege it is to get to make waffles for your family – be sure to make a special breakfast (or dinner) over the next couple of weeks.

My best wishes for whatever brings light into this dark time of the year go out to you all!

I have been working with my sourdough starter for a few years. I began with a recipe using the starter and commercial yeast. This year I got adventurous and decided to only us wild yeast for my sourdough bread. I worked with a few recipes without much luck then I decided to take a few tips, hints, and prcedures and use what I alreadty knew and came up with a recipe that I thought had been tweaked and "perfected". I made 3-4 batches of breaqd with this recipe and each adn every loaf came out beautiful. Since the last successful baking I have ran into dough that won't become fully elastic thus during the long rising time the top or crsut if you will begins to tear apart just at the top. I have kneaded and kneaded and made sure I had ample enough flour for the mixing stage. I have kneaded for a total of 30 minutes or more with resting time in between each kneading which last for about 10 minutes and the rest period generally lasts for about 10 minutes. The bread not only looks unappealing when it dos this but the tesxture on the inside is not light and fluffy and sorta dense like quick bread. Below is the recipe I use:

1 cup starter

2 tsp. sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup hot water (100-110 degrees)

Mix together in a bowl and cover with a
towel overnight.

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

3-4 cups flour

Mix together until you have firm dough. Knead on
floured surface until dough is elastic. 22-32 minutes, kneading in increments
and resting for 10 minutes between each kneading. Rise at least 3-4 hours or
until doubled in bulk.

Any help or tips is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Doug

About two months ago, I decided I wanted to try baking bread.  I began perusing allrecipes.com, a site I have begun using quite extensively since I really began cooking a lot a half year ago.  I found a recipe for "Amish White Bread", and as it had good reviews, I decided to try it, just for a sandwhich bread.  It went very well, considering the fact that I hadn't really taken much time to learn about bread baking.  After the bread had undergone its first rise, I discovered that the outside of the risen dough was a little dry.  After it had proofed, the outside of the dough was again just a little dried out.  I formed the two loaves, popped them in the oven, and had to take them out about ten minutes prior to the end of the prescribed baking time. 

The two problems I encountered came from me allowing the dough to dry out, I believe.  The loaves both had an enormous crack along the side and top, and as I found out when cutting and eating, there was a little portion inside each loaf that was not quite done. 

Now, these didn't prove to be too big of problems, however.  My wife LOVED the bread, despite the very small vein of almost-baked dough.   As for the cracks, although they were more accidental and pronounced than the natural cracking that (often purposely) occurs from the oven spring, they weren't a big deal.

Needless to say, I was hooked, and had to learn more about this (then) mysterious process of baking.  So the next day I went to the local bookstore, bought their only book on bread baking (The Art of Baking), and checked out two books from the library (Daily Bread and Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads).  Within about a week I had read through all three, and here I am...baking away! :)