Having found a good source for solod (the fermented red rye malt), I have been baking several different rye loaves recently. This one is a Lithuanian bread based on a recipe from Stanley Ginsberg (http://theryebaker.com/black-rye-breadjuoda-rugine-duona-lithuania/).
I'm going to be on vacation and away from my starter for almost a month. So no baking while on vacation. So this is what I am doing to ensure my starter, John Dough is healthy and ready to go when I return.
To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here.
It must have been nearly a decade since I bravely "declared" to take up Michael's 100% spelt @ 100% hydration challenge. I haven't forgotten about it in all these years, but I haven't done anything about it either. Well, until now.
Wow. I haven't milled anything since fall 2020. The pandemic, moving during the pandemic, and life's hassles.
Milling is currently a 2 step process for me:
If I don't crack the grain first, the grain scratches and clouds the plastic container, takes longer to grind, and heats up more.
Jan. 24, 2022. 82nd bake.
Denisa's rye, take 2. First bake for the Rye Community bake.
Her formula here:
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/67054/100-whole-grain-rye-sourdough-bread
My previous bake of it here:
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/69634/78th-bake-01062022-100-rye
The goal is to divide her formula by 3 and make one loaf of about 835 g.
What can you do with brioche breads? Transform them into amazing desserts.
Last month I shared a bostock (brioche with an orange zest frangipane)
This month I share a dessert my wife remembered enjoying many times in her younger days with her sister in Japan. It's simple but the process transforms the brioche into something completely different. She had no name for this. If anyone does, let me know.
INGREDIENTS
Recently I posted about baking the Borodinsky 1940 bread. This bake is the Borodinsky Supreme based on the recipe in a TFL post from February 2014.
I have been struggling with crumpets for a while. I've tried several recipes and always ended up with blind crumpets (no holes).
So I gave up for a while but not liking to be beaten, I decided to have another go. This time I tried Andy's (Ananda) TFL recipe from way back.
To my surprise I had success! Nice tasty crumpets with open holes, crispy exterior and good flavour. One thing that stands out with Andy's recipe is the large amount of yeast used - 6%! But it does seem to work.
Inspiration
My wife saw Yippee's stunning kouglof and she asked me to bake one.
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/69728/20220117-le-cordon-bleu-lemony-kouglof-clas
Having no experience with this kind of bread, I chose a simpler instant-yeast-based version to see if I could pull it off.
Modifications
I modifed the recipe as follows
