The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Cinnamon Swirl with Raisins and Walnuts

loaflove's picture
loaflove

Cinnamon Swirl with Raisins and Walnuts

Bench resting.  Crap I forgot to put the cinnamon sugar inside.  I guess I'll just have to sprinkle it on top of the loaf before it goes into the oven. It won't be a "swirl" anymore.  I can't wait to bake this loaf.  The fermentation of the walnuts release a pretty purple hue into the dough around it.  

Comments

loaflove's picture
loaflove

Right now I feel like the only sourdough book I need is "Artisan Sourdough Made Simple" by Emilie Raffa.  Really simple recipes that taste as good or better than local artisan bakeries.  

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

might burn if baked above 200°C.  How about cinnamon sugar in a shaker and after toasting, sprinkle over a layer of melting butter?  :)

loaflove's picture
loaflove

You read my mind mini oven.  I sprinkle cin sugar on my mini bagels that bake at 425 for 18 min or regular bagels that bake at 410 for 25 min and haven't had a problem with it burning but worry if it is 450 for 20min (covered)  then 420 for 30-40 min uncovered.   Better safe than sorry.  thanks for the tip.  I have another question while I have your attention.  I shaped that loaf and stuck it in the fridge to retard about 2 hrs ago.  That's what i usually do but i bake it no more than about 12 hrs later, straight from the fridge.  I was going to give the loaf to my sister later today but now I'm thinking we may not visit her until tomorrow.  Do you think it'll be ok in the fridge for about 24 hrs or so before baking? Thank you,

Benito's picture
Benito

It will totally depend on your fridge temperature.  If it is below 5ºC then 24 hours should be fine.

Benny

loaflove's picture
loaflove

Thanks Benny!

loaflove's picture
loaflove

Hahaha! I just told my sister that I was so disappointed in my scoring of her loaf, explaining about the ear to her so she replies so my loaf is deaf, no ear? IDK is that an old joke?

loaflove's picture
loaflove
loaflove's picture
loaflove

messy scoring.  messy ear

Benito's picture
Benito

Actually I think you got quite an amazing ear LL.  Your shaping of this loaf looks excellent and the crumb does as well.  Lesson learned, it will need longer in the oven next time.  As Mini said, if parts are looking too dark, yet other parts too pale, drop the temperature and bake longer.  If you don’t like a dark ear, I actually do, then use some aluminum foil to protect the ear, or even just place a cookie tray on a shelf above the loaf to shield it.

There are lots of positives from this bake, don’t forget the positives.

Benny

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

That is a good loaf to learn from.  First pointing out the "underbaked" crumb.  Now that's a bit too picky but if you want to bake longer, turning down the temp and baking a little longer and maybe a little tent cover might help.  Pushing surface raisins in deeper or pulling off and tucking raisins deep into ends or the bottom seam is also an option which protects them and allows for a longer baking time.  I think the oven was too hot for the dough, can this be?

So it was chilled after shaping.  Well, after a rest before chilling, could have gently stretched out the dough and gotten that cinnamon swirl into it. But I bet the bread is just as tasty without it and there's not much left to it.  :)

loaflove's picture
loaflove

When it was bench resting I had remembered about the cinnamon but I was too scared to touch the dough again. It looked so happy and puffy and strong.  I was thinking I could pull it flat put the cinnamon in then re shape it since some bakers do a preshape anyway but nope I was too chicken 

oh and yes my oven is too hot sometimes.  I actually have to bake my bagels 15 degrees lower than the recipe says. For the bread recipes it says 450 for the entire bake but I drop it to 420 after removing the lid.  

loaflove's picture
loaflove

Thanks guys for the comments! I did bake it 10 min less than the recipe instructed bc I was getting nervous about the top burning and had turned the oven temp down a couple of times already, but I took a loaf reading and it was over 205.  Wonder if my thermometer is off. 

with each bake I get a bit experimental and this time I threw an ice cube in the DO before I threw the lid on.  I noticed it got a more blistery top , looked almost like I deep fried it.  Probably can’t tell in the pic.  So fun and interesting. 
I was also researching to see if there was a product that can be used in lieu of parchment to lift the dough into the DO.  I was hoping for something like parchment ( round or oval) with a lip around it, almost like a rim on a tray you can grab and is flexible enough for the dough to push down and not hinder the loaf from expanding.  And preferably reusable.

 

 

Benito's picture
Benito

I never bother with taking bread temperatures, I know Jeffrey Hamelman has posted that he doesn’t believe taking the bread temperature is an accurate way of knowing if it is done.  I know that there isn’t a perfect method I still just percuss the bottom crust and if it sounds hollow and the crust looks good then I’m happy that its fine.

I noticed that you did get very good blisters which are great.

Is there something about using parchment that you don’t like that you’d like to improve upon?

loaflove's picture
loaflove

Good to know about the temperature taking.  

Well,  i was hoping for something reusable and that i don't have to cut all the time.  i guess it doesn't take a lot of time to cut paper, and i suppose i can trim it nicer around the loaf

Benito's picture
Benito

Is there a reason that you cut out around the bread?  I just use the whole rectangle.  I crumple the paper so it isn’t as stiff when it goes into the dutch oven and then just use a wooden spoon to flatten it to the sides of the dutch oven.  Works alright and doesn’t deform the dough.

Benny

loaflove's picture
loaflove

so the corners don't burn i guess.