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This is the video I just created to show how I’m currently shaping and scoring my baguettes.  There are so many different ways to do this and I don’t pretend to be a master of any of them.  I am using the technique that Scott Megee shows in his video and this is only my second time using it.  I am quite pleased with the quality of the baguettes I made using this shaping method. 

Hope you enjoy the video.

Benny

I've been using a LeCreuset Dutch Oven for most of my baking, but I really wanted to make some sandwich bread. I have a few glass pans but figured with the popularity of shokupan (Japanese white bread baked in Pullman style pans) that it was time to invest in a pan and give it a try. 

I settled on this pan made by Majimaya Baking Supply in Tokyo. They do a lot of metal production for baking. I hope to visit the retail shop one day. Ordering online was not a problem and soon enough I had a 1.5斤 pan, which of course let me down a rabbit hole of actually how to use such a thing.

As a home baker in Japan there are quite a few constraints that can make baking more challenging than baking in a full western kitchen. With a bit of effort and improvisation good bread is still quite achievable. 

Let's start with fermentation. For the first few years I've used a digital temperature controller connected to a kotatsu (traditional heated table) to maintain a somewhat consistent temperature for doing bulk fermentation or growing sourdough starter. And it worked...surprisingly well. 

This blog post is used as an index to the bakes I've done and posted here for quick reference in the future

I’m continuing to explore the uses for the stiff sweet levain and today’s bake is my first use of it in a baguette. So I made adjustments to the Yorkville Sourdough Baguette recipe (the original recipe is posted here Poppyseed Crusted Yorkville Sourdough Baguettes – Breadtopia)

A few days ago, @pul posted some lovely pics of creamy, yellow semola loaves that reminded me of the community bake of a year or so ago and my good results from that exploration. ...which got me ruminating and scheming on following @pul's lead.

So down the rabbit hole of @dmsnyder's, @Franko's and @dabrownman's meanderings on Pane Tipo Altamura I dropped, deciding eventually to follow @pul's lead with a few modifications.

I love miso if you haven’t noticed from some of my posts including my most recent Miso 100% WW Sourdough.  Not running out of miso requires advanced planning for a couple of reasons.  First it takes about a year to ferment the rich red miso that I love and having the koji rice on hand to make the miso.  We have a sake maker here in Toronto in the Distillery District which is a good walk from where I live and that is where I have purchased the frozen koji rice.

Using my home fermented miso I decided to try using it with a 100% whole wheat sourdough bread which I hadn’t tried before.  

If you’re interested in making homemade miso here is the post where I started a new batch most recently with a link to the detailed post outlining how to make it from scratch.