Blog posts

Well just because I haven’t been blogging doesn’t mean I haven’t been baking.

There’s just been a lot of “stuff” happening in my life and I haven’t had the energy (or time) to pretend I care about photography at all – and I know that’s what everyone wants – the pictures.  But with winter fast approaching, I’ve got a little relief from the yard work – and a little more time.

I’ve been working hard on my croissants and if I’m ever happy with them, I’ll let you all know.

This Remberance Day weekend I have reminded myself of how to bake bread.  It's been a little over a month and a half since I baked.  Having the business transferred from my parents to me takes a lot more paperwork, legal and technical work than one would imagine.  Quite draining actually.  Now that things have settled down, I decided to tackle a challenge that I have had in the recent past with whole wheat loaves.  Those of you who helped me, know of my frustrations with higher percentage whole wheat bread attempts.  Looks like I was simply over proofing and ov

As we come upon the last weeks of the market I have now missed a few but next week will be 20. Had all plans set to make an olive bread but the cost of nice olives made me bail on a large batch and simplify.  Maybe had I thought ahead I could get some wholesale prices but I didn't.  So I threw together a formula for a Spelted Sourdough that I'm quite pleased with the results.  The dough is lovely smooth but quite slack and was just super fun to shape.  I also continue on my quest to learn and make 100% ryes which may or may not be going so well.

This Friday’s bake started out as 2 bakes which were originally to be completed while we were smoking some brisket and pork sirloin over 12 hours.  Neither bread was to be  retarded but completed within 12 hours – not including the time it took to build the SD and YW levains.

After my white bread I decided to bake another load with higher whole grain content. 

this is based on peter Reinhardt cinnamon sticky bun, I charge it to 25% wholewheat and sub part of the yeast with sourdough. 

did a 6+ 4 slap n fold and 3 s&f over the initial 2 hours of bulk fermentation, total 3.5 hours till double in size.

I used water wash with bran topping which added nutty flavor from the side it looks like a shreddable crumb. A crumb shot with filling will be posted tomorrow 

Since I had a disastrous attempt at pumpkin sourdough, which ended up in the bin, a straight dough would be perfect for saturday bake.

this recipe is borrowed from Folkish - flour waster yeast and salt Saturday white. But since it is a straight dough I added 10% of whole grain to give it some flavor ( rye 3%, wholewheat 5% and corn flour 2%) And increased the hydration to 76% to compensate the whole grain flour water absorption.

  I was asked to make some rolls for Thanksgiving again this year so I decided to try to turn my Sweet Potato Maple Pecan bread into rolls.  In the original bake I had discovered that I used way too high of a hydration in the dough so this time since I was making rolls I cut down on the hydration considerably.  My calculations say 53% total dough hydration and 78% with the add-ins but since the sweet potato variety I used this time was a red variety with white flesh I think the moisture content of the potatoes may have been less than calculated.

it suppose to be a pita bread, but it didn't puffs up all the way though, maybe the roasted garlic blocked the puffs somehow. But this bread is very soft and taste like a naan. 

These days I've been trying hard to my baguettes.  (still working on it...)

a few days ago, I got an idea to add a little beauty and fragrant to the dough--- the dried rosebuds from the rosebuds tea... For the flour, I just randomly mix what I have in hand.  The smell of the rose baguette is so beautiful when it's baking and after it's done^^~. 

poolish: (room temp. 12-16 hours)

200.5g of organic artisan breakers craft plus malted flour + 100 T55

yeast 1/8 tsp

water 300.5g

the dough: