Blog posts

It's is hard to believe that a year has passes so fast.  It has been a great baking and blogging experience thanks to all Fresh Lofians that make this community a unique, fun and fine forum for learning about way more than just bread.  Thanks from me and my apprentice to all of you.  I have learned much from so many here and so has my apprentice - even though she is cute as all get out she is still dumb as a stump and nearly worthless in the kitchen except for her ability to taste and smell better than anyone who has a shorter nose.

This crust was super for the Super Bowl.  Our best and most simple one to date – here is the recipe.

Biga

1/8 - tsp of active dry yeast

1/2 - tsp of sugar

120 g- AP flour

100 g- water

Mix yeast with sugar and water and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Then mix in the flour and let the biga sit on the counter overnight – 10 hours

Dough

300 g- flour

185 g- water

7 g– salt

As I've mentioned previously, as time permits I've been chipping away at an upgrade to TFL.  Progress was slow through the holidays what with the kids home and so many things going on, but recently I've cleared my plate so I can get serious about it.   

There are lots of things I'm trying to accomplish with the upgrade:

Today's the Superbowl and I was asked to make some pretzel rolls to bring to the party we're going to.  I made a batch for Christmas Eve which everyone raved about so I used the same recipe I found on the TFL website.  I also couldn't help but try my own variation using my sourdough starter, pumpernickel flour and cheddar cheese.

Another go at baguettes. Made this weekend. 70:20:10 (AP:Bread:Whole Rye); 68% Hydration, Overnight retardation at 50°F. Excellent wheaty flavor, with an edge (probably the Rye). All the Bread flour was prefermented feeding the levain builds. This dough is essentially the same as that I mix for sourdough batards; only difference being 45;45;10 (AP:Bread: Whole Rye) flour ratios.

David G

bought some beautiful organic purple carrot. thought i mixed it into the toasted golden flaxseeds sourdough bread. 

this is the same flaxseeds sourdough formula i used before.

praticing my scoring as well.. try to score a butterfly!!! 

While combing through odds and ends in my grain cupboard—and whilst keeping in mind my dark rye starter was getting low and I was out of said dark rye flour—I thought it might be nice to use a barley soaker. 

I received an assortment of chocolates in my Christmas stocking this year. I prefer dark chocolate exclusively, but an 82% cacao is too much even for me, as an eating chocolate. I have couple desert recipes I could have worked it into, but they were all a little too sweet for my mood. I like to make rolls with a piece of chocolate in the center, from time to time. I figured I would play around a little bit with something like that and see how it turned out.

That’s right.  I’m one of the few people who can truthfully say they were born losers.  I am a twin and the second one born.  So, I managed to lose the first race I ever ran and was born in 2nd place – the worst kind of loser.  Luckily, I can’t remember much about my horrible awakening to the outside world that day so long ago, another loss I suppose.  Maybe I’m double, double born loser though.

12 hour proof

Good color

I like the crumb

Cheers,

Wingnut