Blog posts

Last weekend I conducted an experiment to test the theory that a larger quantity of sourdough starter produces a more sour tasting bread. On the face of it, this seems obvious, but I thought I'd read an alternative theory. The alternative theory is that less starter means a slower-proofing dough, which means more time for the sour flavours to develop.

About a week ago, I made a bread with Carolina Reaper and Fatali peppers that was well received by my heat-loving friends at Roberto's Mexican restaurant in Sunnyvale. It felt like the theme could be explored little further, so I got another few peppers from the garden down the street. My intention was to make a very spicy chili lime sourdough bread with cilantro and a little bit of corn flour mixed in and using my brother's salty spice 'n seasoning mix in place of the salt. Although this turned out good and spicy, voices just kept asking for more cowbel...I mean "more peppers."

I say we have a challenge bake for this wonderful day which celebrates what we do every week!  Post them here the week of November 17th.  

Happy baking 

Old Shanghai (老上海- lǎo shàng hǎi), the 1930's Shanghai is one of my favorite eras in history just like old Manila. There's no's other era in my opinion where flair and flamboyance meet sophistication and class! It has this certain charm that's difficult to describe and resist. The fusion of East and West just harmonizes with each other; the buildings, the bridges, the alleys, the vehicles, the qipaos/cheongsams, everything! Shanghai was not called Paris of the East for no reason. If time travel will ever come true, it is sure to be one of the eras I will go back to!

This loaf was inspired by a post from lechem (Abe) this week. It made me remember that I should get back to Einkorn bakes that had been suspended for other interests. It is made with 100% fresh ground Einkorn ( except for the bit in the starter) with the addition of dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds. It is leavened with a combination of sourdough and YW. Very tasty, would make a great turkey sandwich. Have to remember this one come Thanksgiving.

Stu

My wife went into chocolate crisis the other day and asked me to pick up some Nutella. She said something like wanting me to make a bread "oozing with Nutella." Although I acted on this request and used a good amount of the stuff, I misinterpreted the ask. What she wanted was something more like a giant Nutella-filled sourdough bread doughnut literally oozing with the stuff. What we got instead was delicious and might even become part of the regular rotation around here. 

This weekend I decided to start my journey into rye breads with Hamelman's 40% Caraway rye but I chickened out of the 40% reducing it to 30% for this first try(double anything I have made before).

Last night I mixed the rye levain and left overnight on bench.

300g rye meal flour

100g Hi grade (11.5% protein so not quite Hamelman's Hi gluten flour)

332 g water

20 gm starter.

This morning I added 600 g Hi grade flour

348g water

17.5 g caraway seed

18 g salt and 4.2g instant yeast.

Not quite a year ago Lucy took a shot a sprouted SFSD that had a bit of sprouted whole grains here

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/41346/sprouted-sourdough-white-bread

I tried posting this one yesterday and tfl blew up on me when I pressed save. I got a black screen with lettering in white saying page not available. Will try this again.

This spring, things were going nicely. Fatherhood had settled into me, and I was regularly baking breads and cinnamon rolls, with some breads even getting posted on this blog. In June, I fell off my bike, breaking three bones (right elbow, hand, pinky finger) and whacking my head hard enough on the pavement to give me a concussion and require several stitches. Bread baking and starter maintenance abruptly slowed to a minimum. I even walked a friend through the process of making a bread in my kitchen one weekend so we could have some for a BBQ.