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CalBeachBaker's blog

December 4, 2023 - 9:58am
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CalBeachBaker

Slow-Baked Finnish Rye Jalkuunileipa (Finland)

Today's bake: Slow-Baked Finnish Rye   Jalkuunileipa (Finland)

Source: The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg

Notes: I scaled Stanley's recipe to make 2 small loaves instead of single larger one.

From - 1 @ TDW: 1.383kg   Pan Size: 9x4x4 In / 22.86x10.16x10.16 CM
To -     2 @ TDW: 1.210kg   Pan Size: 7.88x4x4 In / 20x10.16x10.16 CM

Substitutions:  None

Discussion: This was an interesting bread to bake. The bake time is 6 hours. The flavors are deep, rich, and malty with a chewy crust and a tender crumb. I paired it with a Swiss cheese but it is also excellent by itself as a snack.  

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations:  None

*** The Images can be made to full size by placing your cursor on the image and right clicking, and then, open image in a new tab.

Ratings:

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

November 14, 2023 - 8:51am
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CalBeachBaker

Community Bake - Infinity Bread

Today's bake: Community Bake - Infinity Bread

Source: pmccool

Notes: None

Substitutions:  None

Discussion:  This is a delightful bread made with bread flour, fresh milled hard red wheat and bloody butcher corn, water, pepita seeds, diastatic malt, and honey (formula and process below). The crust turned out nice and crunchy with a toasty flavor. The crumb is soft with a semi coarse texture from the milled corn. My semi-biased tasters gave this bake a 2 thumbs up.

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations:  Make a larger batch with bigger loaves. Improve scoring.

Ratings:


 

 


 




 

 Tony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 19, 2023 - 8:14am
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CalBeachBaker

Weinheim Carrot Rye Weinheimer Mohrenbrot (Germany)

Today's bake: Weinheim Carrot Rye   Weinheimer Mohrenbrot (Germany)

Source: The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg

Notes: None

Substitutions:  None

Discussion: This is another bread from The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg. When I was mixing I delayed adding the scald to the mixer and added a little more water to the dough to make it easier to mix which was a mistake. In spite of my error I am quite happy with the taste and texture after a day of letting it dry a bit.

I used baby carrots so I think the bread was a little bit sweeter than it would normally be but I found it to be quite pleasant. The crust and crumb are nice and soft with oat and nutty flavors from the sunflower, pepita, and flax seeds.

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations:  A little less hydration, score earlier.

Ratings:

 






 

 

September 10, 2023 - 6:03pm
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CalBeachBaker

Honeyed Spelt and Oat Levain

Today's bake: Honeyed Spelt and Oat Levain

Source: Sourdough Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads Sweets, Savories, and More - Sarah Owens

Notes:

Substitutions:  None

Discussion: This is another bread from Sarah Owens that I have been planning on baking for some time. The crumb is nice and soft due to the oatmeal soaker and  ~20% spelt flour, with a slightly sweet flavor from the honey. The crust is nice and crunchy with toasty malt flavoring. This is a nice bread to toast up in the morning for breakfast or for lunch.

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations:  A little less bake time.

Ratings:






Tony

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 25, 2023 - 8:08am
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CalBeachBaker

Sauerland Black Bread - Sauerlander Schwarzbrot (Germany)

Today's bake: Sauerland Black Bread - Sauerlander Schwarzbrot (Germany)

Source: The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg

Notes:

  • Changed TDW from 1.291  kg  to 2.259 kg.
  • Pan Size - From: 1 @ 9in x4in x4in / 23cm x10cm x10cm  To: 2 @ 7.88in x4in x4in / 20cm x10cm x10cm. 
  • Hydration from 74.83% to 76.77% due to using fresh milled grain.

Substitutions:  None

Discussion: Another from The Rye Baker. This is a nice rustic bread made of 100% rye flours and sunflower seeds, flax seeds and a little stale bread. When I sampled a slice about 1 hour after it was cool and then again 5 hours later, I was pleasantly surprised at the dramatic change in the richness and depth of the flavors, it needed some time for all of the flavors to mature. This is a moist bread with a nice mellow sour taste combined with a subtle nuttiness and a hint of barley flavoring from from the malt syrup.

I can see this bread pairing well with goat cheeses and medium flavored foods.

Stanley describes the taste as "a well-balanced, interesting bread that pairs well with beer-roasted pork tenderloin, garlic-crusted lamb, and artisanal sheep and raw cow;s milk cheeses."

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations:  None

Ratings:


 


 





 Tony

 

 

 

August 20, 2023 - 3:10pm
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CalBeachBaker

Ukrainian Black Bread - Chornyy Khlib

Today's bake: Ukrainian Black Bread - Chornyy Khlib

Source: The Ukrainian Classic Kitchen - Olga Drozd

https://www.ukrainianclassickitchen.ca/index.php?topic=1255.0%20%20%20by%20Olga%20Drozd

Note:  Doubled the TDW from .728  kg (2 loaves) to 1.654 kg. (4 loaves).

Substitutions:  None

Discussion: I've been looking for a Ukrainian bread that was different from what I'd been seeing and hit upon this one. It's made from ~90% whole rye and ~10% buckwheat flours. I'd say it's typical of many high percentage rye flour breads. After 24 hours of rest, I sliced into it and can report that the crust is tender and the crumb nice and soft. The main flavor is coffee with the buckwheat and rye notes with a touch of sweetness showing up as you chew the crumb.

Olga's description of this bread -  "This is not like store bought rye but dense and intense.  The bread is indescribably tasty.  This amount makes one long skinny loaf, or 2 shorter ones. Slice cracker thin."

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations: Next time I would moderate the the strength of the black coffee a little and I would consider making a larger batch with larger loaves.

Ratings:


 

 


 


 


 


August 15, 2023 - 8:04am
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CalBeachBaker

Jalapeño Cheese Bread

Today's bake: Jalapeño Cheese Bread

Source: Sourdough Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads Sweets, Savories, and More - Sarah Owens

Note: Use baking sheets to catch the inevitable melted cheese.

Substitutions:  Substituted Bloody Butcher Corn for Corn Meal.

Discussion: This is another delightful bread from Sarah Owens. I roasted the jalapeños on my grill with hickory wood which added a nice smoky flavor to the peppers. The coarse grind of the durum and corn meal add a nice texture to the crumb and crust. The crumb is nice and soft and the taste of the cheddar cheese and jalapeños are predominant.

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations:  The cheese pieces were a little large as can be seen in the crumb photo. I thought I'd diced the cheese pretty small but next time I'd make them pea-sized. Prior to roasting, cut the peppers in half length-wise then scrape the seeds out.

Ratings:


 


 


 


 


 


Tony

 

 

 

August 11, 2023 - 3:43pm
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CalBeachBaker

Taralli Pugliesi - Italy

Today's bake: Taralli Pugliesi - Italy

Source: insidetherustickitchen.com - Emily Kemp

Note: Modified the mix times to utilize a processor (FP).

  • Flavor variations to try - Fennel seeds, red pepper flakes (chilli flakes), rosemary, oregano, black pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano. Use as much or as little as you like.

Substitutions: AP flour for 00

Discussion: I first experienced these in Italy and found them rather tasty, they're similar to a pretzel. If you're looking for an unusual quick to make party snack, these are just the thing. The dough came together in less time that it took to get the pot of water boiling.

Here's the steps:

  1. Add: Dry into the FP - run 15 sec.
  2. Add: Wet into the FP - run ~45 sec.
  3. Divide/Scale to desired weight
  4. Roll out/pinch together
  5. Boil
  6. Bake/Cool
  7. Try not to eat them all at once.

 

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations: When boiling be sure to ensure that they don't stick to the bottom when you first put them in the boiling water, see that they are floating freely. Try different spice combos.

Ratings - Tasty

 


 


 






 

August 9, 2023 - 6:50pm
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CalBeachBaker

Muscovite Rye/Podmoskovny Rye (Russia)

Today's bake:  Muscovite Rye/Podmoskovny Rye (Russia)

Source:  theryebaker.com/muscovite-rye/  by Stanley Ginsberg

Note:

  • TDW increased from .811  kg to 1.420 kg.
  • Hydration increased from 68.59% to 73.23% due to using fresh milled flour.
  • Pan size increased from 9″x4″x4″/23x10x10 cm to 15.75"x4"x4"/40x10.16x10.16cm

Substitutions: Organic Rye-Flour-80% Extract-Medium for Russian medium obdirnaya,  rye.

Discussion:  A nice rye bread from Stanley's website. This turned out to be a really easy 1- day bread to make. I'm going to quote Stanley here for the bread's description because it says it all.

"It’s a beautiful bread, with a thin crust, an open crumb – thanks to gentle handling on the bench and a full 25 minutes of steam – and a flavor profile that features the nutty sweetness of the rye, complemented by a clean, delicate sour finish.

I’ve had this bread with everything from unsalted butter and roasted turkey breast to well-aged Stilton cheese and soppressata, and it was a great accompaniment to all of them. This truly is a simply, yet sophisticated Russian rye bread."

The light sour finish lingers and is really quite nice.

 

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations: I would probably increase the TDW by 50% so that the pan was entirely filled and reduce bake time a little.

Ratings






 

July 27, 2023 - 6:46pm
CalBeachBaker's picture
CalBeachBaker

Benny's SD Hokkaido Milk Bread - PBV

Today's bake:  Benny's SD Hokkaido Milk Bread w/Walnut, Sesame and Poppy Seed & Whole Spelt  - Plant Based Version

Source:  https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/72628/walnut-sesame-and-poppy-seed-whole-spelt-sd-hokkaido-milk-bread

Note: Increased  TDW to1665g  from 950g, Pan to 15.75x4x4 from 9x4x4, Water % to 20.4% from 15.4%

Substitutions: Aqua faba for egg, used flax-egg for egg wash.

Discussion: I have been watching Benny impress us with his various versions of this bread for some time now and was inspired to attempt this impressive bread. I decided to make plant based version by substituting aqua faba for egg and a flax-egg for the wash.

The original recipe is located here: https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/72628/walnut-sesame-and-poppy-seed-whole-spelt-sd-hokkaido-milk-bread

Here is Benny's video showing the shaping of the rolls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-58d3NYNAo

This is a fun to make, and very tasty bread. An option that Benny mentions is that you can cold-retard the dough for an increase in tang. I opted to go for a 20 hour cold-retard an all I can say is wow does it ever have a tang.

I really like this bread. The crumb has a creamy quality, the spelt flour provides a touch of sweetness and the nuts and seeds provide a nice rustic taste with a crunchy texture. Overall this is a nice, soft, rich tasting bread that can be eaten alone or with a mild cheese or other mild topping.

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations: Decrease the hydration level a little, I'd increased it to accommodate the fresh ground flour but I'd roll it back to the original % next time. I would also try to space the rolls more evenly next time, I think the erratic spacing caused uneven rise.

Ratings

 




Flax-egg applied. Note the uneven spacing - the first rolls were at the bottom and the latter one up top got squeezed.


 




 Tony

 

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