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I should have figured that once Lucy found out that I wanted to try out dobie’s no baking equipment except an oven, bowl and hands, she would try to make my life miserable with this weeks bread recipe – 11 grain sprouted ciabatta rolls, with wheat sprouts in the baked scald,

Normally the water content of ciabatta is critical and developing the gluten in a mixer is almost a must…..so with mo scale, mixer, dough scraper or even a spoon this was a challenge to say the least.

My family needs wheat bread. This bread is perfect. 

I've been making pain au levain and baguettes for several years.

Great Crust, great flavor, nobody doesn't like it,,,,except me.  The crumb is too tight.

I'm not getting the open, loose, irregular crumb that I want.  

I use hydrations from 75% to 80%, with greater success in the higher hydrations.

This week, I've made two batches of baguettes by following the Craftsy videos by Jeffrey Hamelman at 

King Arthur..  He gets good crumb, I don't.

Got any suggestions?

Thanks,

Frustrated in Crumb

Made some waffles using [url=https://liegewaffle.wordpress.com/liege-waffle-recipe-liege-gaufre-recette/]this recipe.[/url]

I deviated from the recipe by using some starter instead of commercial yeast. I made a stiff preferment and after it doubled in bulk I scooped out a generous tablespoon full and went forward with the recipe. The bulk fermentation was about 8 hours in a very warm room, followed by the called-for retardation in the fridge.

Even if most of my yeast-related work is in waffles, I bake up a regular loaf or two, from time to time. Last weekend I did Ken Forkish's white bread with poolish. Good stuff and fairly easy to prepare.

A delightful little boule.

I love hummus and thought it was time to try my hand at pita.  Using the recipe from serious eats, I met with great success.  The formula called for more yeast than I like. I set the oven at a higher temperature (baked at 550 though I did not check the thermometer, I just baked shortly after it came up to temperature.

The pitas were very soft.  Made six of them. Ate two fresh out of the oven. Just cut them up and dipped them in homemade hummus.  It was a real treat.

Plus one little batard...

Used my own levain on these.  3x300g, 1x550g.

alan

    This is similar to a bake I did a little while ago but I changed things up a little.  I used a much higher % of freshly milled whole wheat flour and a little less whole rye.  I also used some pecan meal and cracked wheat and eliminated the onions.

I am not sure how much the pecan flavor really comes through but you can definitely taste some nuttiness for sure and it gave the crumb an interesting purple haze color similar to when adding walnuts.

Lately I've been making fairly simple breads and so got the urge to get a little more complex. While doing the weekly shopping both dates and sunflower seed caught my eye and there was a lady demonstrating some locally made maple syrup, unusual for Iowa, which of course I had to try.