Blog posts

It has been wonderful seeing some of the great bakes on here at the moment ... wish I had more time to comment ... any how ...

... Shameless promotion time ...

The restaurant I bake for had a review in the Weekend Australian Newspaper ... thought I would share ...

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/food-wine/alfred-constance/story-e6frg8jo-1226606839079

San Joaquin Sourdough Baguettes

April 1, 2013

A week ago I made the Alpine Baguettes again from Dan Leader’s book “Local Breads.” This is probably my favorite bread for sandwiches to take to work (because for me, the more crust, the better). I toast them in the morning which makes them extra crunchy and brings out the nuttiness of all the seeds; a bit of mustard and then some prosciutto or spicy turkey, olives, salad, and I am in for a big treat I look forward to eating all morning.

The Easter holiday is drawing to a close, but I felt not quite done with baking before holiday was up... I was also running short on bread, so yesterday evening I mixed dough for my regular sourdough bread. Basically the kind that keeps me going throughout the week. Below is a copy of the formula.

I have always been a fan of Cyril Hitz's Focaccia.  It makes a full half sheet pan of a nice, thick focaccia.  

I like it sliced diagonally to use for sandwiches, one of the reason's I chose to bake it today.  

I also roasted a leg of lamb for tonights dinner and tomorrow's sandwiches. 

Everything was cooked in my wfo, except the cherrry pie.  I baked it in my just cleaned ovens.  No mess, I always use a pizza pan for a liner for those bubbly cherry pies.

After Easter extravaganza of hot cross buns, marzipans & lamb roast, it is time to at least make an effort to eat less heavy stuff. Which bread to start the new week? I remembered this recently revived post on flaxseed bread  : http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/flaxseedwheatbread

I've been learning and lurking on the site for about a year now and have learned so much from all of you!  Thank you!

Here are pictures of the latest bread I've made, a long fermentation wholewheat-rye sourdough.

Here is the crumb shot:

The wife wanted a EM with a looser crumb than the Whole Wheat ones I make. So, I made a strait white flour sourdough and proofed it overnight. In the morning I put the tray on the counter and let it warm up and rise just a bit more. I was lazy and did not make some clarrified butter (gee) so they are little scorched in spots, not bad though. I fork split them after they cooled. Ready for butter and jam in the morning.

Cheers,

Wingnut

Sometimes you pause and wonder why it took so long to do some things.

In the last week, I finally gathered some important tools that for no reason other than being busy and perhaps lazy, completed my home bread baking needs.

I had been struggling with scoring, more specifically the lack of blooming and ears.  With some help from David Snyder and these new tools, it looks like I have finally overcome these issues.

These are the three items I picked up.