Blog posts

Mostly white sourdough

Profile picture for user Ilya Flyamer

Wanted to make a mostly white sourdough with just around 11% whole grain flour (mostly wheat and a tiny bit of rye from the starter) and bread flour for the most part (mix about half-half of 12.3% and 13% protein) for a barbecue/picnic today. Wanted to try for a more open crumb with 80% hydration. Here is the formula: https://fgbc.dk/1mrr

The Rogue Dove

Profile picture for user mwilson

It has been a considerable blot of time since my regularly featured Italian enriched doughs were frequently demonstrated. I am out of practice, and in need to validate my reputation, even if to myself but not only that but to exceed where I recognised the faults. Now armed with a new bit of kit, the Hanna “Bread and Dough” pH meter, I wanted to go deeper where such tracking was once a novel endeavour, the time had come to up my game as it were.

100% Semolina Black and White Sesame Seed Bee Striped Sourdough 81% hydration

Profile picture for user Benito

This is the third time I’ve bake this formula I first put together for the semolina CB.  I hadn’t baked it since that time and wanted to try it out again.  I finally received my new pH meter, the Hanna bread and dough model and used it for the first time for this bake.  I’ll know how it worked out when I finally slice this open, I will say I was surprised at how little a rise in the aliquot jar corresponded with the pH readings at which other well known bakers follow.  Now of course, pH will vary greatly based on the hydration and flour composition of the dough.

Butter toasted oat and honey loaf, Cozonac and cakes

Profile picture for user Kistida
I did more cooking than baking these last 3 weeks. But I did manage to squeeze in some bakes. My husband said he likes oat and honey breads too (this is after telling me he liked the swirly soft loaves and crusty ones, flat ones..) So, I set out to make him something to taste test, so far I've made these loaves with and without discards; 5 loaves later, it's safe to say he likes this bread! I love the hint and smell of honey in this bread. Also, they keep me full! Baked at 160-180°C 45-50 minutes (I use a glass loaf pan).

Semolina milk bread

Profile picture for user Ilya Flyamer

To continue the story of milk/sandwich bread, I decided to change it all up, and tried using semolina in the dough, to finally add an egg, increase the hydration (~70%), and do a double rise. Also made two loaves, but each was much smaller. Due to scheduling, I had to do a long retard too. Here is the formula: https://fgbc.dk/1moj

Starting All Over Again

Profile picture for user albacore

Starting All Over Again

I've been hit by a mystery starter affliction. The starter, levain and dough would rise well and in a timely manner. But when the dough went into the oven, loft and oven spring were poor.

52nd bake, 06/09/2021. 25% WW durum. 40% WW red.

Profile picture for user idaveindy

June 9, 2021.

So I've been playing a lot with stone-ground WW durum. It makes great flatbread/chapatis at 100%, and great egg-less noodles at 50% mixed with 50% Golden Temple white/red bag durum.

I wrote somewhere, that anything over 33% WW durum in a leavened loaf bread just doesn't seem to be workable.  It becomes a brick, or a rubbery sponge.

Mariana mentioned that there is a popular Russian flour mix that uses 25% durum, so I thought I'd play with that number.

Plan:

Hamburger Brioche Buns

I made these a while ago and thought to post them to my blog during our 4th COVID lockdown (bored). I learned how to make these during Chef Jacob Burton’s online culinary boot camp.  I learned the bun sizes for large, regular and slider buns.

155 g each for large (4.5 inch) buns - about 114 mm

100 g each for regular size (4 inch) buns - about 100 mm

55 g each for slider size (3 inch) buns - about 76 mm

A well-formed bun was baked using foil ring molds held together with a couple of staples.