Blog posts

Bagels, pretty good ones

Description: The original recipe asked for barley malt syrup. I found that did not help the recipe. In the year 2013 I read about diastatic malt powder and non-diastatic malt powder and how to use these in bagel making. Now I can produce nice crunchy crusted bagels with soft chewy interiors. I make plain, sesame topped and poppy seed topped and onion bagels. I egg wash them for a nice sheen and the wash allows the toppings to adhere.

1 1/2 cups spring water, warmed to 105-degrees

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

This was an experiment I thought turned out worthy of sharing. I keep trying to increase the depth of flavor and wean myself off store-bought white flour. So, here is my 90% hydration 60% whole-wheat, 30% rye, and 10% spelt sourdough, made using the Tartine method.

Formula for two 1000g loaves:

200g Levain

600g organic whole-wheat

300g organic rye

100g spelt

900g water

20g salt

3.5 hour bulk rise, 2 hour proof at room temp after shaping

This is a loaf that I tweak from TARTINE COUNTRY LOAF. I have been working on Tartine No. 3 for the last couple of weeks, but I havent had much like with it (which largely due to the fact that I follow the clock instead of dough. Sigh!) 

Last weekend, I have planned my bake beforehand including considering the time Im gonna spend at home, room temp and adjusted dough temp. Heres the formula I tweaked:

Hello guys, hello gals,

It's been a long while, hasn't it? Well, I can tell you now that I've been busy. Very busy. Soon I'll be opening my own sourdough (micro) bakery in Cambodia, a country situated in Southeast Asia.

Spectacular, isn't it? Or perhaps crazy considering that I've no prior working experience in a bakery.

I found out this week, that I already own a Pullman tin.  I was using it to store bookmaking supplies, thought it was an old icebox.

It is aluminum, 4x4x11, and my new/old pride and joy.

Last weekend, I've thankfully managed to squeeze in a bake in the midst of a hectic family, and professional commitments, Phew!

I've been wanting to bake the High extraction Miche in "Whole grain breads" ever since i saw it, but the idea of sifting whole wheat flour (Oh the horror!) deterred me. Until, that is, i realized that the flour is abundant in Dubai, and UNDER MY NOSE!. In fact, there are several mills in Dubai that produce the flour "Chakki atta" and many  available in supermarkets, but i've settled for what i think is best in terms of refinement and quality.

Pane Valle del Maggia

February 23, 2014

 Several bakers on The Fresh Loaf have shown us their bakes of “Pane Maggiore.” This bread comes from the Swiss Canton of Ticino, which is the only Swiss Canton in which Italian is the predominant language.

While the Ticino Canton has Lake Maggiore on its border, the name of the bread supposedly comes from the town of Maggia which is in the Maggia valley, named after the Maggia river which flows through it and enters Lake Maggiore between the towns of Ascona and Locarno.

This is my take on the 5 grain loaf as described in "The handmade loaf:  Contemporary recipes for the home baker" by Dan Leopard.  

A book which I certainly recommend, if only for the sheer variety of the recipes and the accessibility for the average amateur baker.  I usually 'roll my own' but when following recipes and preparation descriptions  they invariably turned out well.  Plus, they're beautifully illustrated.

I'm not sure about copyright restrictions so won't post the detailed recipe here but in general terms, preparing it involves:

Yesterday I made FWSY Overnight Country Blonde (with chopped olives), and started too late in the day. I put the dough to rise - in a large bowl covered with plastic - in a back bedroom that is around 65 degrees during the day. At 8PM, I suddenly realized that it would be midnight when I should divide the dough, shape the loaves, and then have to let them rise another 4 hours. Not happening!