Blog posts

Christmas Eve, I tried baking a loaf in the wood stove again, having learned a lot from Take 1. Same basic set up, with a few key changes. One, I waited until the coals had died down a bit more than the first try. Two, I used a 6-inch Fat Daddios cake pan inside the cast iron pot, and proofed the loaf in this as a bread pan.

   I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah.

For Christmas Eve at our good friends I made some German style pretzel rolls which are always a big hit and went perfectly with the Saurerbraten that was served for dinner.  I also made some potato pancakes to bring as well which everyone seemed to like.

No, that isn't my batard.

During our recent visit to my brother and wife in Albuquerque, their home baker friend, having seen my postings on TFL asked if I could give him a baking lesson.  Just in case, I also packed up everything to make a few batches of SJSD batards.  Everything except the kitchen sink and my baking deck, that is.

Well a very Merry Christmas to my freshloaf friends who celebrate it! this loaf made my neighbours little girl very happy just now!  The look on her face seeing a whole loaf of pulla made my day.

Happy baking! Ski

I recently when to baking school to learn baguettes. My family just love baguettes such that I must have every morning. I don't think I have problem with obtaining window frame. My main problem is proofing. I do baguettes again today. I do the finger poking test but still the final result of the baguettes is still not round. I am not sure if the baguettes is underproof. Like I says I do the finger poking. The dough stick to my fingers when I do the poking. I proof for abt 1.5 hours. When I was about to bake just now, the dough Bounce back slowly.

People might rightly think ……Who would be making sprouted brioche buns for Christmas when they haven’t made Christmas cookies, fruit cake, panettone or even puff paste rugelach for Hanukkah?  I know it sounds weird but these are special buns for a special Christmas feast that folks from Kansas City don’t know as well as they should.

My last minute (and a first ever) attempt at pandoro: where are the raisins? :-) And of course baked in a totally unorthodox fashion in a panettone tin - didn't get hold of the star shaped one in time.

Good: no orange peel, dough doesn't ever want to collapse, divine toasted and buttered.

Bad: where are the raisins?

Happy Christmas to all the bakers!

I've been experimenting with using chia seeds in my regular "low hydration" sourdough. I tried incorporating them in three ways.

1. Pre-soak 2 tablespoons of chia in 8 tablespoons of water. "Dimple" into the pre-dough along with the levain/starter.

decided to make 3 batches of dough - and really pay attention to my gluten development and shaping.  Each batch was enough for 2 small loaves. I made Ru's butternut squash recipe again, my favourite multigrain and NW sourdoughs potato water SD.  I have made the multigrain recipe countless times but I reworked the recipe using the BBG spreadsheet. 

Finally, I took some time off from baking for customers (at least cut down my baking days) so I have time to do a few more things, like getting ready for Christmas. I figured this was a good time to try the no oven challenge.