Blog posts

Just after the new year, I had a delicious pan con tomate served on pan de cristal at a tapas restaurant. I wanted to give this bread a shot at home. Its properties are unique - the crust is shatteringly thin, and the crumb is so airy it barely exists at all. Prior to serving, it is toasted until crispy. Though its structure resembles that of a rustic ciabatta, it is not chewy but light and crisp.

Just started trying to learn how to bake bread.  

First book purchased was the Kindle version of The Fresh Loaf Pocket Book of Bread Baking.

This weekend, I tried making the Rustic bread from this book.

To my amazement, the loaves turned out great.

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/502/loaf.jpg/]

Bulk fermentation is done when a dough is strong enough to remember its shape after baking.

So good I came back for more!

Made in a different oven. I wanted a more boule like shape so I also applied a single stretch & fold and shaped it before the 45 minute rest. Slightly denser crumb and height but nothing dramatic. The crust was just slightly chewy while still crisp, and the crumb was tender. Not quite the same as my previous attempt (owing to no stone, bigger oven, less moisture, etc.) but by no means unedible. This recipe will be in rotation for a while.

Questing for a random, open crumb I found this gem on TFL.

Semolina recipe, mixed in a food processor and baked on parchment over a stone.

A well-steamed oven made the crust thin and crispy but left the inside shiny and creamy.

I rec'd Ken Forkish's Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast as a holiday gift.

LeCruset Coquette, Glick's High Gluten Bread flour.

1st attempt at this recipe - not too shabby.

I have been excited to bake a simple rye bread since my starter had become ready to use.  Also, I went to a local organic mill and stocked up an all sorts of grains, flours as well as a hard to find Puy lentil from France.  I chose to do a 40% Rye with some toasted and roughly ground seeds (sunflower, flax and caraway) within.  I also got to use a brotform for the first time.  I will update with crumb photos, but I have a feeling I should have seen more oven spring and height from a formula such as this one.  I did forget to bulk ferment an hour, so I just proofed f

Oh jeez, where'd my holidays go?

Oh wait, waking up at 11 p.m. for work at midnight till noon! What a rush! I loved it!

I was told recently that Baker Blogs is where I should be posting my bakes and not in the forum as I have been doing since I became a member back in August.  If I am doing this wrong, please let me know.  Here is a link to the forum post of yesterday's Danish Rye bake.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/31758/my-first-danish-rye-rugbrot

John