leslieruf's blog

Ice Demeter gave me a little challenge a couple of weeks ago to get a great crumb etc on a 1 day bake as I did for an overnight poolish. So today I made a variation on Ken Forkish's  Saturday 75% wholewheat bread.  My variation below:

Bread flour (40%) 254 gm

Wholewheat flour (30%) 191 gm

Rye flour (20%) 127 gm

Spelt flour (10%) 64 gm

Water (80%) 487 gm (I kept back 21 gm - should have been 508 gm)

Salt (2%) 14 gm

Instant yeast (0.3%) 2 gm

It was 9 am before I got started with autolyse for 40 minutes, then mixed salt and yeast in. I did 4 stretch and folds every approx 20 minutes then left to bulk ferment. It was a little slow as room temperature was only about 21°C. At 4 pm it was close to tripled so I pre-shaped and after short rest finished shaping into 2 x 560 gm batards. turned oven on and preheated DOs . about an hour later poke test indicated  they were ready for baking so un-moulded, slashed, spritzed and dropped into hot DOs. Baked 15 mins at 240°c then removed lids and baked a further 20 minutes at 225°c. They were out of the oven about 5:45 pm.  

Loaves are still cooling, crumb shot tomorrow.  Let you be the judge once I have cut the loaves.  For now, reasonably happy. 

 Happy baking everyone

Leslie

 Decided it was time to make a multigrain loaf. Sunday night grabbed starter from fridge and mixed up the levain. made up hot water soaker with salt and left on bench.

Monday morning mixed up flours remaining water, honey and soaker as it is much easier to incorporate soaker at this point.  Autolysed 45 mins, then added levain. 4 slap and folds every 30 minutes then bulk ferment.  This took ages as I think starter was sluggish. 7 hours later it had doubled so preshaped, rested for 15 mins then final shape and into fridge over night. Baked this morning 15 mins lid on at 250°c then 20 mins lid off at 230°c.

Formula

Bread flour 88%, wholewheat 8% (in levain only), gluten 4%, water 93%, salt 2.8% (in soaker), honey 3.5%. 5% each Kibbled rye,rolled oats,buckwheat, quinoa, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, 2% each flaxseed and chia, 1.5% sesame seed. 

here is the result

of course we had to try it at lunchtime... yum... here the crumb shot.

We've had a few visitors and bread supply was depleted so mixed up a small batch (2 x 550 g loaves) of FWSY white bread eith poolish. added 15% spelt just cause I like the crumb and crust i get with a bit of spelt in the dough.  This was done and dusted by mid afternoon.  I am trying to reduce spread and get more height so am scoring 3 diagonal slashes rather than 1 long one.  It seems to be working as the loaves just seem to have better height and more rounded shoulders.

Next bake I will remember to refresh levain during the day so I have it good and active when its time to mix the levain...  

Happy baking

Leslie

We've been away  visiting family in Switzerland (with a side trip to Ireland) for. the last couple of months.  While there I  couldn't resist having a try with Swiss flour etc.  So a niece had a rye starter that I was able to use.  I just used  30% rye flour and the rest the white bread flour.  just a basic 1:2:3 loaf. Funny baking in someone else's kitchen, using an unknown starter, unfamiliar flours and equipment and oven.  

I did a 30 minute autolyse, 4 stretch and folds and bulk ferment at room temperature.  I was late starting and would have preferred a slightly longer BF.   but it was getting late so shaped and as there was no rice flour, dusted teatowel with rolled oats and popped into the fridge over night. Next morning let it warm up as I thought it was not proofed enough.  I had bought a Baumalu cast iron roaster to bring home so baked using that, 15 mins lid on, 15 mins lid off.

the taste was a little stronger than my usual bread, but for a first try with such unknown ingredients etc I was happy.  Sister in law happy too!

Leslie

 Last week I finally got my larva rocks so this week decided to have a go.  I made 3 batches of 2 loaves, 3 different breads that I often make, so nothing new there.  Made dough yesterday and did the final proof overnight in the fridge.   Preheated the oven for about 1 hour with larva rocks and DO. 15 minutes before I baked added container of steaming towells.  So first to bake was my version of Field Blend #2, one batard in DO the other on the baking stone. Added boiling water to larva rocks and baked 15 minutes lid on, and steam, then 15 minutes lid off, no steam.  this is the two loaves at rear of photo.  Quite disappointed with oven spring of the one on the stone (right hand loaf) compared to the DO version on left.

Repeated with next batch - 1:2:3 with 30% multigrain flour, single score on both. This time I put more water in steaming towells and more on larva rocks.  this is the middle row.  This time the one on the stone is marginally better than the one in the DO on left.

Finally, the last batch my favourite multigrain loaf.  this one I scored DO with 3 slashes and the one on the stone a single score. Made extra sure there was plenty of water in steaming towell and on larva rocks.  This time the one on the stone is definitely better.

to me there seems to be a definite improvement as the bake went on, much steam giving a better result.

the crumb shot (aligned as per original) shows the same improvement.

Lesson learned!!! lots and lots of free water onsteaming towells and larva rocks required to create lots and lots of steam - far more than I had ever imagined.  And to top things off, I accidentallt touched my oven mitt on the top element and ended up with a mini fire on my hand so now have to replace my favourite heavy oven mitt :(

Another baguette attempt, this time using Trevor Wilson's easy SD baguette recipe.  I doubled the recipe and made 4 x 350 g baguettes and a small boule with remaining dough.   It was a bit cool and dough was slow, I got hung up on time so I think I did not bulk ferment enough. Still, baguettes are a big improvement on last lot, I used my new larva rocks so although my steam technique still needs improvement I think there was definitely more steam in the oven.  The boule didn't fare so well and although I scored the top, I obviously didn't score suffiently.  The crumb on the boule was a bit tight and both baguettes and boule felt "heavy" so i think they needed more fermenting or proofing!  The baguettes are in the freezer so no crumb shot, we will see when they are eaten.

So there is still a long way to go. Next time I will allow more time and watch the dough not the clock!!!!! 

 It is really difficult to buy fine ground semolina (durum) flour here in NZ. I found a supplier who could remill it and today tried the above for the first time. 

Sponge: 

140 g durum

140 g bread flour

195 g water

yeast 3 g IDY and 13.9 g sugar.

mixed and left to mature 2 hours.

Added 237 g water and 34.8 g olive oil and mixed well before adding 209 g durum, 209 g bread four and 12.5 g salt.

I hand mixed and although Hamelman says medium gluten strength I gave up and left to rest. after 20 minutes did another gentle fold and dough started to look lovely and smooth. left another 25 minutes, did another set of gentle folds then left the dough to rest for the remaining 45 minutes.  Divided, preshaped - upto this point I had only used oil, no flour on bench and hands and it was easy to work with. Final shape, one into banneton, the other rolled in sesame seed. proof was about 1 1/2 hours.  I baked them both together, the seeded loaf in the DO the other on the stone with steaming towells. 15 mins steam, 15 minutes no steam at 225°c.  the difference is staggering! one  had no ears, but volume increase and a  blow out! and a very dull crust.  the seeded loaf has a shiny crust, better volume  and no blow out!  

Lesson learnt! steam, steam, steam!!!  larva rocks were ordered but didn't make it in time for the bake :( - next time.... 

here is crumb shot.

first time I have seeded the outside - lovely flavour.

Rest of todays bake 

1:2:3 with 30% multigrain flour - a bigger loaf, lovely shine on this too - baked in DO

and the last 2 smaller loaves - 1:2:3 with 20% spelt

I love 1:2:3 breads - easy to tailor recipe to whatever flour combination you have on hand. always turns out well.

breads are still cooling so no crumb shots.

Happy baking all

Leslie

This is my first attempt at this which is similar to one which my swiss sister-in-law used to make.  The recipe came from www.swissmilk.ch/rezepte and is in german. I used IDY instead of fresh. 

Using my old Kenwood I. ixed together 300 g flout, 0.5 tspn salt, 40g sugar and 6 g IDY. my yeast is perhaps getting a bit old so I put a bit more than calculated amount.  Added melted 40 g butter. 150 ml warm milk and kneaded until dough was smooth and a windowpane was possible. left to double at room temp 21°c until doubled.  recipe called for dough to be rolled into a rectangle 42 x 55 cm but I could only get to 35 x 55.  spread 4 spoons apricot jam over dough then a mixture of 200 g coarse ground skinned almonds, 5 dspn sugar, 1 large grated peeled apple, zest and juice from half a lemon and half an orange,  cut dough into 3 pieces and Roll up dough. cut into 5 cm lengths and place in round cake tin. bake at 180°c for 50 minutes. glaze with lemon icing when still very warm.  enjoy.  

I took it out with me and it was gone in a flash. will definitely make this again.  I don't have much experience with sweet breads so this was a fun experiment.

Well I finally gave in, the temptation was just too much.  Today I had other tasks in the kitchen so thought I could work this in around them.  The recipe I followed was txfarmers baguette, just a simple yeasted dough.  I started with much trepidation, followed her recipe as closely as I could.  Here are my first baguettes ready to proof

The shaping actually went better than I thought it would and I baked at 230°C for 10 mins with as much steam as I could, then 15 minutes without. 

Couldn't resist and had to cut one to see how it was for afternoon tea. so here is crumb shot.

It was still warm  but I thought it tasted good.  Shaping has a long way to go I think, would appreciate feedback on crumb as well as shaping.  

Next time I might make the baguettes a little larger (thicker) - these were 220 gm each.

Wanted to insert link to txfarmers blog for the recipe but don't know how to do that.

Leslie

My timing was out, had to shape when I should have been cooking dinner so no cross!  

Used Hamelman's recipe from bread, scaled to give 20 buns at about 80 gms.  ready to proof.

The only changes were to replace peel with cranberries and similar amount of raisins, reducing currants a little and my own spice mix (don't remember where I found this recipe)

very yummy recipe!

Leslie

 I saw this recipe at Christmas but decided to make it today to take with to a gathering of friends.

mix together

300 g flour

40 g sugar

1/2 tspn salt

4 gm instant yeast

add 150 ml warm milk. and knead by hand. It was so dry I added probably 10 ml more milk and 10 ml water. then I tried to incorporate 40 gm butter but gave up and used my kenwood until I had windowpane. left to double about an hour and a half. rolled out into oblong, spread 100 g apricot jam over and the following mix leaving border around all edges

200 g ground almonds (I only had whole almonds so blitzed them)

4 tbspn sugar

1/2 lemon, zested and 2 tbspn juice

6 tbspn cream

1.5 tbspn cinamon

1/2 tspn gr ginger

1/4 tspn gr cloves

1/2 tspn gr cardamon

pinch nutmeg

fold edges in on shorter side and roll dough.

Cut lengthwise and twist two strands.

leave to proof 45 minutes in a lined loaf tin

and then bake at 180°c for 50 minutes. no steam.

cool a little, spread with 50 g warm sieved appricot jam and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Divine with a coffee or a glass of port!  

it vanished in no time at all, just the crumbs left.