Blog posts

I have a sudden fondness for coffee flavored baked goods lately. Nowadays, people pair cheese with not only wine and beer, but also coffee. Since wine, beer and coffee bread already exists, there’s no reason not to upgrade it by adding cheese, right? :)  

Coffee Provolone Piccante SD with 30% Sprouted Black Quinoa

Started making sourdough after reviving some starter a friend gave me.

This is the best 100% whole wheat bread that does not have any milk or fat added that my wife and I have ever eaten.

Yesterday, we finished off Monday’s bake with lunch, so I wanted to bake today.

On the levain feeding side of life: My 100% hydration AP levain was last fed on 08 Dec.  After two feedings yesterday, 07 Jan, it was quite happy again.  Posting these last two sentences to disseminate the knowledge that a well developed 100% AP levain in the back of the refrigerator can sustain a full month, at the least, without being fed, and spring back to life in a pair of feedings.

Our friend, who'd sampled a fair amount of my breads before, was joining us for lunch yesterday.  But she'd never had my ciabatta.

It was a cold blustery day, and I felt like some comfort food.  

Daniel Leader's book "Simply Great Breads" has a formula for yeast-raised fry bread.  

Years ago, I learned a simple way to make fry bread, without any leavening agent, just plain AP flour, salt, water, and powdered milk.  As the moisture steams/boils off, it sufficiently aerates the dough.  But I had forgotten the exact recipe.  Lightly dust with sugar while the oil is still wet on the fried bun.

 Cold temperature means the LAB are producing acetic acid (tang) and warm means the LAB are producing Lactic acid; Bran acts like a buffer, besides providing all the great minerals and vitamins, in the dough. Bran allows the LAB to continue to produce acid at pH levels that would normally shut down the LAB from producing acid at all. 84 F is the best temp for yeast to reproduce and 92 F is the best temperature for LAB reproduction. At 93 F yeast are reproducing at a restricted rate like it was 44F.

In trying to understand the mechanics of how to achieve certain types of crumbs, I pushed my bulk rise a bit in hopes of achieving the characteristic lacy crumb. I think I got it!

getting home to Seattle from his one on one, exclusive, Holiday SD Bread Making Lesson in Arizona with Lucy!  He gets it now!

A Thing of Beauty it is!

I have been looking at bread and pastry recipes since the days when Louis Diat was still chef at the Ritz -  call it 60+ years. I see progressively more detailed and pedantic recipes.  I think some of that is an effort to sell the newest edition of the latest cookbook.

Jan 2, 2020.

Close to #14.  625 g total flour,  87.8 % total hydration.  Mostly HWSW, a little Kamut, a little quinoa flour, a tablespoon of BRM GF flour. A little molasses in the soaker.  Used 1/4 vit C tablet, 125 mg ,  and 2 tsp vital wheat gluten in soaker too.  Added 2 tsp dried malt extract when added levain.   Got good oven spring.  Nice light springy crumb, but not too open.