Blog posts

I'm having fun finding new, yummy add-ins for my standard Pain au Levain (see the Sage & Onion blog post for the formula). Today I made some loaves with roasted garlic, parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes and a bit of chopped rosemary.

Last year's garlic is starting to sprout (and sadly, this year's won't be ready to harvest until July), so I'm using it up. The sun dried tomatoes were soaked in hot water for a few hours then chopped, and the rosemary was fresh out of the garden.

Lovely dough, as always, after a few stretch & folds:

Today I tried to bake bread on a three-phase sourdough. Breads recipe is different from the classic recipe that is described in the book of Handbuch Sauerteig (M.J. Brand). But the result is still delicious!

The first version had King Arthur and Winco Hi Gluten flours, 50/50, for the half of the flour that wasn’t whole and sprouted whole grain flour.  That bread turned out very well, open, soft, moist crumb, good spring and bloom with a well browned, thin chewy crust at a bit under 80% hydration.  The best part is that the 6 whole and sprouted grains really pumped up the flavor.

I have a bagel recipe that calls for 2 tsp. maple syrup, but I'd like to use non-diastatic malt powder instead. What would be the equivalent amount of malt powder to replace the 2 tsp. syrup?

Hi guys, please check out my boule from Artisan bread in 5.  

How do I accomplish a softer crust?

Basically, it's a no knead dough, master recipe from the book - with 1 day fridge storage.  I plan on using these for my panini's and salads.  One of the things I'm finding is that the crust is really hard and probably will be too hard to pull and enjoy a sandwich.  

take advantage of Leap Year and get shopping .

  Hello all at The Fresh Loaf.  Here is yet another installment I have written from another site I use and share valuable information.  I am happy to share with you all and welcome your input.  This it the article written after putting my big boy bread britches on, sucking it up... and buying a book.  

The Quest for Better Bread part 2 (and book review)

Weizen Brotchen - German everyday wheat rolls.

  Hello my friends at The Fresh Loaf.  T here with another idea for you to try with your favorite pizza dough.  This article was written back in 2012 and I have since become a much better bread baker, but don't be surprised that I used Store bought Pizza dough *GASP*!!  I hope you enjoy!!

More bread than banana, this one. It contains a bit of everything in terms of the flour, dark rye, whole spelt and whole wheat. The banana flavour is very subtle.

Being so soft and moist from the fruit, it did not keep its shape and spread out a bit. From one of my favourite bread blogs https://www.ploetzblog.de/2015/12/19/bananenbrot/

If you are an Elvis fan, you will enjoy it with peanut butter.