Blog posts

Yesterday I made a 95% hydration loaf in my pot using Jason's Coccodrillo chiabatta recipe, but using a sourdough starter boosted with yeast. 

I was a stunning loaf when it came out the oven with amazing oven spring but as it cooled it dropped. I understand that the escaping steam will drop the bread but this seemed a bit much. Why did the gluten not hold it's shape? Should it have cooked longer? The crumb is soft and spongy and totally delicious, so at the end of the day the taste is what counts and personally I don't mind that it dropped - I just want to know why........

t's hard to find a GOOD ciabatta.

Sure, there are lots around BUT are they good?

Mainly no.

The texture and the taste needs to be right and in honesty, it's not the easiest bread to make:)

BUT WELL WORTH IT!!

Since baking my first loaf of 100% sprouted wheat flour loaf and other recipes using this flour I have loved everything about this bread and the use of this flour.  It's health benefits and versatility is no less than amazing.

No wonder my first choice and first bake from RM new book 'From the Wood-Fired Oven' is his beautiful loaf of 100% sprouted wheat flour.

Cash and Carry sells this flour in 50# bags for about 33 cents a pound. I want to use it but 50# is too much for me to store. I live in Portland OR. Looking for people to share  it. Thanks!

Well, it’s fall and the hearty breads are calling.  This turned out to be a fun one with some elements new to my multigrain loaves. 

We wanted to use Josh’s 4 day, 4 feedings, 2 retard levain method and compare it to our normal 3 day, 3 feeding 1 retard method for flavor and sour.  The levain rose well using Josh’s method.

This bake was done almost exactly as the last boule bake with a couple of exceptions. I upped the hydration to 77 from 75% and compensated by autolysing for 40 minutes and proofed for 50 instead of 45 minutes.  I also increased the bake time in the covered cast iron DO from 10 to 11 minutes and finished with 10, convection, turning often.

I just returned from my trip back East.  It was a great trip, we saw all kinds of wonderful things, and the fall colors were amazing.

Definitely one of the highlights of the trip was getting to try real Montréal bagels.

Lucy is so excited in finding out that her Mice and Pumpkin won runner up in the Arizona Republic’s Halloween Baking Contest.  She won a gift card and this Wednesday she has her entry featured in the Food and Drink section of the newspaper along with the winner and the other runner up.

Unfortunately, the site will turn my photos upside down.  I think there is a Mac issue.  This is my 5 AM Double fed sweet Levain.  It is a 9.5 hour retard compared to a 12-14 hour.  The crumb is very moist and airy