Blog posts

I regret I hadn't photo documented and tasted that yam loaf.  It took much longer rising  (influenced by long rises on the Tartine theme) ending up on the porch overnight, and because that was too cold in the morning, I did some microwave low voltage zaps to it and then when it got to rising, had to tip it out of the banneton (no problem, rice flour) and fold the dough.  It was so full of rice flour (fear it might stick) I ended up holding it under the running tap to wash off the flour.  A few folds in the air with wet hands and I was in business.

I found a tiny little book on fermentation in the library. Almost small enough to slip into a shirt pocket but big on inspiration. The author is Sandor Katz. The first thing I tried was his Injera. It is delicious and sour and tastes a bit like a soft, spongy pumpernickel. Very easy. A keeper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p5zNpxxgok

It came out really well. Using AP white flour and 70% water

We had this left over white starter that we converted from the 3 rd day toss of the rye starter we made for last Friday’s rye SD bread bake and needed a recipe to use a bit of it up.  Lucy came through with a sprouted 5 grain recipe that included 50% whole grains and some cracked flax seeds. 

Wonderful bread to slightly dilute the rye sorts. Crust is crispy, crumb with a delicate taste, not sour bread.

Most ginger cake recipes contain too much sugar, molasses and butter for my taste. I found this one online. It is mainly sweetened by dates and I replaced the molasses with malt extract (no molasses on hand at the time). It is not a very sweet cake at all, somewhere between a loaf and a cake. Made with spelt flour and was left to rise for about 8 hours. Great with butter and it even makes good toast.

Jeffrey Hamelman's pain au levain with mixed sourdough starters.  I've made this before as both baguettes and batards.  So this is nothing new now, although it has still only been a small handful of bakes so far.  I like the concept of the two starters, one stiff and one quite liquid.  As much for an interesting change of pace as well as the process.

The bread is thanks to its distinctive dark, aromatic crust and the mild crumb the ideal base for a variety of sandwiches with smoked sausage or old cheeses.

I make 2 bread. One of them with poolish that was 22 hours in the refrigerator (about +5C) and another one with poolish in the my kitchen (about +23C) 20 hours. Breads has different taste! 

Spelt poolish, Rye sourdough

A very good friend of mine is originally from the Boston area. During a recent conversation he told me about what he knew as "Star Bread". He says it is one of his favorites from back home, and that he hasn't been able to find it anywhere else.