Blog posts

Starter Preparation

Yesterday was our Oath-Taking ceremony. It was full of pride and joy. Why wouldn't we be proud and happy when I found out that I was 17th all over the country. I only prayed to pass and out 76,673 who took the licensure exam, only 22,936 passed and out of those 22,936, I am the 17th! To celebrate the occasion, I made this special bread.

I made a large, dense pagnotta foggiana over the weekend and the entire process went really well. Whole wheat flour for the biga with cornmeal mixed into the bread flour for the dough. Coarse, chewy, and crusty. Typical of Italian bread in general, maybe closely resembling a nice Pugliese loaf. 

I finally got around to baking this bread; had it bookmarked for ages! As it is blueberry season here, and I happened to have some cream cheese handy, I thought of it and went ahead and baked it. So good! Here's the original post (in case you don't have it bookmarked). :)

gogli70 and all the great breads he posted.  he worked at bakery and baked for the Farmer's Market too.  His blog is worth reading in my book.

Here is just one of his great breads 93% whole grain ciabatta at 89% hydration. From 2013

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/34926/93-wholegrain-ciabatta-w-white-wheat-and-spelt

This was Josh's first attempt at David Snyder's SFSD

I have been away from bread making for a month due to other obligations and this was the recipe that called out to my baker’s soul. ? 

The last time I did this recipe, I used cracked rye and oat groats so I changed it to bulgur and old fashioned oats. I also changed the Wholewheat flour from Red Fife to Selkirk wheat. The bran was sifted out and used in feeding my starter to get it up to speed before making the final levain. 

I decided to repeat my last weekend yeast water/sourdough levain bake.  I had run out of the flour I prefer to used my second choice.  The dough was really wet, although the gluten development was good, it was a really soft dough and I was happy how it baked up.

This weekend I decided to use 50% of that same flour and 50% of my normal flour.  I checked the formula and now see that yes it is a really wet dough!!  50% water (Bakers percent) and 30% yeast water!!!  

It's been a while since I have blogged here, but I have been baking. In the past couple weeks, I have actually baked some new stuff that I think is worth sharing.

Rainy days have long come over but the luscious, sweet and juicy mangoes that I have frozen remind me of summer. Hot and humid sunny days where you spend your time outdoors playing, kite-flying, swimming only to go home at dusk smelly and dirty. Ah! The good old days! It's the time almost every kid is looking forward to...

... the rain just can't stop me in bringing summer into our home. Summer's Last Hurrah! I made this fabulous mango tart.

The einkorn used in this bread was given by a friend. To let its flavour shine, I paired it with white whole wheat flour.

40% Einkorn Sourdough

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

180g      60%       Whole white wheat flour

120g      40%       Whole einkorn flour