Blog posts

Haven't been posting anything lately because we've been busy baking gifts for friends and family. Been sticking to the things I know well: my "go to" sourdough, tried and true biscotti, and Grandma's Welsh cakes. The last of the sixteen mailings of bread and cookies went out the door today. Now it's time to turn to the community cookie swap--we're the only ones who also share bread. Today I baked five loaves of sourdough: two 1-1/2 lb. loaves to restock our bread-empty freezer, and three 1 lb. loaves to share.

About two months ago, I decided I wanted to try baking bread.  I began perusing allrecipes.com, a site I have begun using quite extensively since I really began cooking a lot a half year ago.  I found a recipe for "Amish White Bread", and as it had good reviews, I decided to try it, just for a sandwhich bread.  It went very well, considering the fact that I hadn't really taken much time to learn about bread baking.  After the bread had undergone its first rise, I discovered that the outside of the risen dough was a little dry.  After it had proofed, the outside of t

As the holiday season rapidly approaches I decided to squeeze in what’s likely to be my last ‘real’ rye bake of the year before concentrating on the light and sweet Christmas goodies.

These were tasty, I enjoyed the chewy butterscotch and chocolate. I have to agree that I liked them just as much without any chocolate at all. I think if I were to do it again, I'd get some orange-infused bittersweet chocolate for them - my 66% bittersweet/33% milk choc. was too sweet IMO -- I liked the Mohn bars better.

Baking Notes:

Schmaltz and salt poppy seeds and sesame....

I actually followed the recipe on the Smitten Kitchen site...Bialys are a treat for me. But one crucial item is the Schmaltz. I use it in many items that I prepare from soup to chicken..but you have to use it in cooking the onions to get the right flavor.. the recipe that he has on his site only makes a small amount...like six. But it is a great one to start out on.. Get your schmear ready!

Knowing these would be good after reading the recipe from Reinhart's Bread Baker Apprentice.  I am a seasoned Hummus maker for many many years. These are a wonderful addition to the Hummus lineup. I even used black mustard seeds in addition to many other seeds.  I also feel and have learned it is not proper to post the recipe.  Purchase the book, but there are many recipes on line . 

It is 4:45am on a quiet and cool Sunday morning.  I am taking my time … a cup of tea while listening to the birds. I can smell mangos on the table next to me.

Nat and I packed a lot of effort into yesterday. The yard work is done, and in between all the mowing and trimming necessary after summer rain I managed to put a few loaves of bread through the oven.

Continuing my journey though The Bread Bible, I finally had both the flour and the time to move on to the third recipe, onion rolls. Since the basis of the rolls are the previous French white recipe, which with I've had repeated success, I'm not going to bother explaining that process. If interested, you can see my first attempt at that pain ordinaire here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/25195/pain-ordinaire-bread-bible

I like experimenting with different flours to see the nuances they bring to breads.  Here is a recent bake using a small amount buckwheat flour.  It is a large batch that I built for the amount of starter that I had made the night before using the Hamelman method for Vermont SD.  It made 4 loaves that averaged about 750 gm after cooling.  Besides the beautiful color it brings to a loaf, it adds a nutty flavor that, it turns out, works surprisingly well with brie and camembert cheese spread on it.  The crumb is moist and chewy and the crust has a great crunch. 

Making a Panettone - using recipe from Peter Reinhart's Bread Baker Apprentice.  Have my seed starter going for 5 days, getting ready to make the Barm.  Panettone to follow in a few days.  

Any pointers / suggestions from the group is appreciated.

Adam