Blog posts

Today is the day that all the Star Wars Stuff goes on sale.  We thought it would never arrive.  Now you can buy a Hans Solo action figure as 70 year old, retired, wannabe Jedi Knight.  Lucy was just besides herself.  I think she has a thing for older Jedi’s, even if they aren’t but you have to admit, Hans has a little bit more going for him than Jar Jar does.

I got some fantastic ideas from several Fresh Loaf members (Alfonso, AbeNW11 and dabrownman) since my last post comparing Tartine vs. Forkish process. I’ve followed their recommendations and thoroughly embrace the approach of no discard of sourdough starter and levain. I’m sure my starter, which remains nameless, appreciates that it gets to stay in my refrigerator perpetually. In addition, I refresh the starter these days following the three-stage builds that Alfonso recommended, discarding a small amount in the second build to make it quicker.

Nothing new this week, but two of our current favorites, baked yesterday and today.

San Joaquin Sourdough Baguettes. The left-most as an Epi.

We had finished off the last batch of these for dinner the night before - Sandwiches of Smoked Chicken/Apple Sausages with spicy brown mustard. Last night, we had some of the Epi, still warm, with a beet, fennel and blue cheese salad and cold roast chicken.

One of my favourite recipes on TFL has always been Floyd's blueberry cream cheese braid. I used a batch of pulla dough I had on the go for a half batch of the recipe. The fruit filling was 1/2 cup diced strawberry, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup diced raspberries, 2Tbs lemon juice, 1 Tbs icing sugar, 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar and 1Tbs corn starch. I cooked it down until it was a syrup and otherwise followed the published recipe. What can I say but YUMMM!!!

Happy baking, ski

My summer project has been to learn the batard shape and actually achieve an ear. So far, very mixed results, with a sort of ear on this bake. Getting the right timing on both bulk and proofing stages so that I can actually score with a lame has been surprisingly difficult with more failures than successes. I would go back to baking Forkish style boules, but my seams likely won't open. hmmmmm.

Carissimi Amici,

dopo una pausa forzata dovuta ad innumerevoli impegni professionali ed un caldo insopportabile che non mi ha consentito di accendere il forno nella mia cucina, faccio il mio ritorno con un prodotto che io preparo spesso e con molteplici ricette, proprio perchè adorato da tutti in famiglia e dai nostri amici....i Bagels.

Mi presento non con una ricetta qualsiasi, bensì con una che mi ha regalato sempre grandi soddisfazioni in termini di gusto ed esecuzione, è una ricetta del Maestro CIRIL HITZ.....

Just realised that I have not been posting anything for more than a month now. Am still baking a couple of times a week but have been so caught up with my recent busy schedule, hope all TFL members are well. 

Abe had shared about his Tomato SD recipe about 3 weeks ago and I promised to post should it come out looking ok. (thanks for sharing, Abe)

Berry season. Strawberry Focaccia for brekky. It melts in the mouth.

I really love creating boules and batards. But there are times that a standard loaf shape just makes more sense. Metal loaf pans never did what I wanted, but a few months back I received the Emile Henry Loaf Baker and today I gave it a try.