Blog posts

Hi everyone!

Here is my latest experiment.  I have only just started making sourdough breads in the last month or so, but I decided I would dive into the deep end of the pool by trying to make this German Rye Bread:

http://brotdoc.com/2013/12/23/westfalen-kruste-westphalia-crust/

I also heavily relied on the information in the following blog post:

I'm a new(ish) baker of sourdough breads. My sour cherry pies and birthday cakes of all stripes are beauties, but this new adventure of baking breads is often a crap-shoot for me. My bread baking began last summer; I've loved getting my hands dirty and my starter(s) are healthy and active. If anyone can help me out and diagnose a few of my recurring bread questions, I'd be ever-grateful. 

Buona giornata a tutti!

Voglio incuriosirvi con this Pane che a casa del "Chicco" Vienne prepared rinforzate Spesso perchè ha delle Nazioni Unite gusto straordinario.

Presenta Una crosta croccante e consistente, Una alveolatura della mollica non troppo pronunciata ma Dalla Consistenza umida e piacevolissima.

Un Pane Che grazie alla lievitazione mista Prevista Dalla ricetta ne garantisce Una Shelf Importante vita.

E 'buono Dalla prima all'ultima fetta e con zona Qualsiasi Tipo di abbinamento culinario.

11/3/2014: A recent TFL forum post inspired me to think about ways to keep your starter warm. 

Maintaining a warm temperature is extremely important to establishing a new starter. If you maintain your initial starter temperature at 82-86F, this will lead to the production of more lactobacillus than yeast, meaning a more sour/acid environment, which is important to establishing a healthy yeast and bacteria colony in your starter, especially at the beginning. 

Cari amici, vi lascio ONU dolce assaggio dell'autunno della Toscana .....

A presto, Anna

A couple of weekends ago, I was doing some test bakes to finalize recipes for a class that I will teach in December.

First up, Julekake, glossy with egg wash:

And the Julekake crumb:

And it tastes even better than it looks, what with the fruit and cardamom flavors.

Modena Mountain Bread

Pane Montanaro

from

The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food

by

Lynn Rossetto Kasper

And how!

50% sprouted wheat (commercial) and 50% BF, 80% hydration, 20% starter (100% hydration), 2% salt, 12% sprouted grain. 40 minute autolyse (flours and water only), slap and folds x 6, 1 and 1 minutes, then 3 sets of stretch and folds at 20-30 minutes apart. The dough was beautiful, smooth, supple, elastic.

Covered and into the refrigerator for the night, where it rose maybe 50%. Pulled it out and cranked the oven to the max (500 F+) to preheat while I preshaped, then shaped a tight boule.

I'm writing this well after making this loaf last week or thereabouts.  Unlike so many of you, I'm boring in my bread tastes, I don't really want to make lots of different varieties, as long as I make this particular loaf and have it on hand for egg sandwiches, I'm reasonably happy.  I do use sourdough in it, as it tastes better with mustard and egg, than when it's made only with sweet yeast.

I have baked Pumpkin Pain De Mie and Pumpkin and Pepita Rustic bread for Halloween, and two batches of Pretzel.