Blog posts

My father and I went to the local Chinatown here last month. There he allowed me to buy anything I want as he knows most of my favorite treats are there. It feels like we’re in an old Chinese movie as we walked along the narrow alleys witnessing exotic items being sold. There were sea cucumbers, fresh mushrooms, fresh cherries, kumquats, and HUGE strawberries; very expensive and not usually found in everyday markets. I wanted to take pictures but my hands are just busy shoveling food into my mouth.

With the excitement and highlighting of Ancient Grains and Sprouted Grains in the bread world that we may be paying too much attention to, other really cool and interesting developments in the world can sometimes take a back seat and go nearly unnoticed.  One of those ‘other’ things came to light this past week when Lucy found out that one thing that has baffled cosmologists and physicists for decades was finally answered..... and it involved her.

A few new loaves have come to fruition.  First is the play on Baguette de Tradition.  Adding cocoa, brown sugar, and chocolate to make a nice Thanksgiving holiday bread.  So good while the crust is crunchy with just some butter or better yet nutella.  Others claim its pairing to goat cheese as a treat as well.  Use semi sweet to keep it kid friendly or go bittersweet for a more adult version.   

It's been fun to keep at a single loaf for an extended period. I've been making Chad's basic loaf nearly every week for over a year, experimenting with different fermentation temperatures so that I can bend the formula to fit my always changing farming schedule. Here's what I got from delayed fermentations both at the first stage (stretched it from the recommended four hours to eight), and at the final stage (fermentation overnight in my root cellar, 45 degrees). 

For the last four years my wife and I have joined neighbors for Thanksgiving. Everybody makes something. Each year I make this large Challe. Probably why I keep getting invited back.

Some advice please.  I want to bake a bread that is 60% rye and 40% bread flour.  In order to achieve a good lift and open crumb, I propose to add a binder of the type used in gluten free baking.  I am thinking,  Psyllium at about 30% of the rate I would use in a gluten free bread ie for  450 grans total flour- 10 grams of psyllium husk.  Thoughts, comments, advice?

Thanks, RB

Going on year nine of making bread. 2000 grams a week, roughly. One batch. Each time during the week I bake from the batch it has a new flavor.

      Today I'm documenting this sour rye bread so I can remember what I did and not have to look back thru multiple threads to find my way. My last sour rye came out really well, but today I wanted to add in a few more ideas culled from various posters. From ehanner: using water from rehydrating onions as part of the dough water. From Norm: going all the way to 100% with the rye sour component, and bulk fermenting in a wet wooden box (well, I used a salad bowl).

So, I've been absent from my blog, but it doesn't mean I haven't been baking.

Lately I've been baking almost exclusively the Rustic Bread by Floydm. I never made loafs with preferments, so it was new, but I liked doing it.

I also recently acquired a Le Cruiset pot, so I baked in it for the first time. And I have to say, it was the most beautiful bread I have ever baked!

I made half a recipe, I thought it was too much. But now I'm doing the whole one! It's very good.

First attempt at 100% whole grain bread. Only 2 tablespoon starter required and 9 hours to a nice loaf. Very happy with the results!