My last minute (and a first ever) attempt at pandoro: where are the raisins? :-) And of course baked in a totally unorthodox fashion in a panettone tin - didn't get hold of the star shaped one in time.
Good: no orange peel, dough doesn't ever want to collapse, divine toasted and buttered.
Bad: where are the raisins?
Happy Christmas to all the bakers!
I've been experimenting with using chia seeds in my regular "low hydration" sourdough. I tried incorporating them in three ways.
1. Pre-soak 2 tablespoons of chia in 8 tablespoons of water. "Dimple" into the pre-dough along with the levain/starter.
decided to make 3 batches of dough - and really pay attention to my gluten development and shaping. Each batch was enough for 2 small loaves. I made Ru's butternut squash recipe again, my favourite multigrain and NW sourdoughs potato water SD. I have made the multigrain recipe countless times but I reworked the recipe using the BBG spreadsheet.
Finally, I took some time off from baking for customers (at least cut down my baking days) so I have time to do a few more things, like getting ready for Christmas. I figured this was a good time to try the no oven challenge.
I've been thinking of making a fig and walnut loaf for awhile and finally got around to trying it this week. It turned out very well and it's a formula I'd like to tinker with again.
Notes:
I have been working at using a higher hydration dough and went back to the basic country loaf recipe from Tartine Bread. The other day I was preparing to bake and made a leaven and left overnight. I did the drop test when I was ready to start making the dough and was disappointed that the leaven dropped a bit in the water. I decided to go ahead anyway to see what would happen. I let the flour and water plus leaven autolyse for approximately 4 hours, did a slightly longer bulk fermentation with 4 sets of folds every 30 minutes and 2 sets of folds every hour.
So I am a very busy college student, and like any other student, am in need of some $$$ to have on the side. While I don't have much time for hobbies, I enjoy baking above all (of course, why else would I be here?!). I am so glad to say that I have found a part time job at a bakery. Our university has a dining service, which includes several cafeterias, restaurants, coffee shops as well as catering. There is a central bakery that provides for these locations. Here, I have learned so much.
Note to self: Don't bake bread in your Weber Charcoal Grill when it's 25 degrees outside!
Since picking up those 20#s of semola rimacinata from Laurenzo's, I've been on a semolina baguette tear. After baking a bunch of baguettes and batards for the Laurenzo's I've had a few more bakes. Mostly out of want (wont?), or is that desire? Dunno. But I've moved the dial a bit. Instead of my typical 350g - 375g baguettes, I bumped them up to be "gros baguettes" - big boys weighing in 100g heavier each. So all of these weigh in at about 450g-475g.
