English muffin with raisin yeast water plus alcoholic raisins
English muffin with raisin yeast water + alcoholic raisins.
Updated 5/9/2011 I found out that skipping the first proof had a good result of English muffin shape and more flavor . Thanks to everybody who left some notice on my English muffin, I could find the difference. Thank you, Syd and Kimmy and Larry and Daisy and Ron and everybody! When I use the first proof, the muffin inflated like a balloon. The taste was weaken.
I tested this English muffins without the alcoholic raisins, it came out flavorless. They are one of our breakfast menu once a week.
I also leave the method to make raisin yeast water here for reference. Alcoholic raisins are in the raisin yeast water.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/23809/how-i-make-and-maintain-raisin-yeast-water
Ingredients:
( 7-8 English muffins)
Levain:
- Raisin yeast water ( from refrigerator) 65g My refrigerator is set up 6℃
- KA AP 65g
------------------------
Final dough:
- Bread flour 300g
- water 170g ( DDT 76F)
- Honey 8g
- Shortening 12g ( Shortening - Soft crust / It is easy to bite off-- I like this better, Vegetable oil-- Chewy crust)
- Salt 5g
- Corn meal and 50% KAAP/rice flour for dipping * I dip 50% KA AP/ 50% rice flour mixture for the top, white corn meal for the bottom.
Method:
1. To make the levain----Put the raisin yeast water and alcoholic raisins in a container.
2. Add the KA AP and mix with a plastic spatula and leave it at room temperature at 70-74F for overnight.
3. Next morning( 12 hours later) : My levain rose tripled in bulk.
4. Put the levain in a food processor and run for 30-40 seconds until the raisins are smashed well.
5. Mix the levain and final dough except the salt and the shortening( Sorry this picture is old -I used 12g vegetable oil at the time)-- Autolize 20 minutes-- Spread the dough on the surface and add the salt and the vegetable oil in the dough and combine well and knead until you pass the window pane.
6. Divide it into 7 or 8 pieces. ( About 7 for 70g each /8 for 83 g each )--- Bench time 15-20 minutes ( Cover them with saran wrap or dump towels)
7. Shape and Proof: place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet. ---Proof :3-4 hours
I dip the bottom in some white corn meal first,
and ,dip the top in some 50% KA AP /50% rice flour.
----Preheat the oven at 350F 20 minutes before baking.
8. 4 hours later.
Note: When you transfer the dough, You might find out it is difficult.. I do this way:
OR
9. preheat the hot plate at 350F. Cook one side for 2-3 minutes until yellow golden and flip over the other side to cook 2-3 more minutes until yellow golden as you achieve the crust color.
10. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes and cool them on the rack.
Note: My yeast water's strength --100% yeast water levain : flour = 1: 2 is fermented in 6 hours. I bake these English muffins in 5 hours after finish kneading the final dough. * 6 hours -1 hour =5 hours. I am trying to bake them 1 hour before it is fully fermented. I got the kind of idea from Mini oven. Thank you, Mini !
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* I used 177g water instead of 170g water on the final dough in January.
Best wishes,
Akiko
Very nice Englisnh muffins, both.
I notice that you didn't use baking powder in your recipe. Many have, along with the yeast. I wonder what the baking powder is for.
Thank you for your compliment, wildeny. I am thinking of the effect of using baking powder and dry yeast...Your point reminds me of Naan which I make with baking powder and dry yeast. The naan has a big hollow between the top and bottom's and has a lot of holes on the crust like English muffin. I use some yogurt for the naan to make more moist and softer crumb though. For English muffin, we call the structure" Nook and Cranny"? You told me a good lesson! Thank you! I have never used baking poweder in my English muffin when I use dry yeast. It might be good to get nook and cranny crumb?
Best wishes,
Akiko
Hi Wildeny,
I used BP in the English muffin with dry yeast water that I replaced the raisin yeast water to water.
Poolish: DDT70F
Final dough:
Direction:
I proofed for 4 hours when I saw the dough rose almost doubled... However, They were tasty.
Thank you for the tip. It works!
Cheers,
Akiko
Beautiful English muffins, Akiko. I particularly like the crumb structure of the ones made in January. For me, that is the perfect crumb structure for English muffins.
All the best,
Syd :)
Thank you, Syd! I am happy to hear what you like the muffin that was made in January. I better make them in the same to time to compare the taste of the muffins.
Best wishes,
Akiko
it's a serious questions - I really don't know what U mean. Thanks
Hello subfuscpersona,
The alcoholic raisins are in the raisin yeast water ( wild yeast)
Here is how to make and maintain raisin yeast water:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20460/banana-saga-%E9%95%B7%E7%AF%87%E6%95%85%E4%BA%8B#comment-142813
I keep my raisin yeast water with the alcoholic ( fermented) raisins in a refrigerator when I store. Why? It is very important to keep ( leave) some sugar in the raisin yeast water not to get hungry much. Too hungry yeast water make your bread sourer and might have a rising problem. I think that is the same thing happen to sourdough starter, too.
I hope that is helpful to you.
Best wishes,
Akiko
...for taking the time to reply. Your response was helpful and I appreciate your inclusion of the link.
Because of your posts, I'm inspired to try this approach.
Hi subfuspersona,
I am glad and happy to hear from you that was helpful. To maintain yeast water is much easier than sourdough starter from my experiment.
Thank you for reading my posts, too :)
Akiko
on the ease of maintaining a water yeast compared to a sourdough starter. I tried it once and it was a complete flop. You post has inspired me to give your method a try. I have a bread book that recommends feeding it with a tbsp of flour and 1.5 tbsp of water plus half tsp of brown sugar twice a day when the water is ready but I prefer your method of keeping the water in the fridge and only adding flour to make a levain when I'm ready to bake. I can't wait to see the result of my experiment. Judy
:) There are a lot of method of yeast water all over. I, the one who has also confuse with yeast water when you asked me. I looked up more methods of making raisin yeast water that other Japanse home bakers use. There are really making me crazy... :P... You are not only one who got confused, Judy. I understand how you feel now.
When I refresh my yeast water, I shake the jar to combine well, and close my lid ( not too tight, not too loose) to ferment for 12 hours or so. I use a tea spoon old yeast water to make another one right now because my yeast water smells strong when I refresh at night. I add Raisins =R and 1 tsp old raisin yeast watwer and 3xR volume water. It always works fine.
Please let me know how your result turns out. Ron and other TFL members who has the experiment will help you if you have trouble with it besides me.
Very best wishes,
Akiko
Akiko,
I like your “without first bulk fermentation batch”, they looked real good to me. Did you notice any differences in taste at all for both batches? I’m thinking to do English muffin as my first trial when my yeast water is ready. Thank you for the clear step by step pictures.
Kimmy
Hi Kimmy,
Thank you for your opinion that is useful. Hmm.. I don't remember the difference of the taste.LOL I will let you know when I made two of them in the same time.
Best wishes,
Akiko
Wow, Akiko- they look as good or better than any I've seen posted on TFL - or anywhere else. ;-)
Ron
That is a big compliment, Ron!!! Do you know that your soudough cracker is the best??? I am making more yeast water levain to make more your sourdough crackers, not for making bread. LOL
Cheers,
Akiko
Akiko, if you lived closer, I'd offer to make all yeast water levains for a batch of your English muffins once a month... (^_^)
Ron
Ron, You just made me smile :) I will share my English muffin with you if you are my neighbor once a week!!
:)
Akiko
Akiko, that offer makes moving a tempting thought, however, I would have to clean the basement, in order to sell the house, and that ends that idea- ROFL
Ron
For my English muffin ? LOL...
Akiko
I'm with RonRay: as nice as anything I've seen, on this site or elsewhere.
We make on average about 100 muffins per day where I work. Your recipe isn't so far removed from ours (though we don't use raisin water and we do add a small portion of yeast), but we only do a bulk fermentation of 1 hour, and then another hour after shaping. After shaping we place them on sheet pans with 1/2" sides and then cover with plastic wrap to spread the rising dough out.
We cook on an oiled skillet for about the same time as you.
As far as flavor goes, I find that the high porportion of levain gives them a nice 'bite.'
Nice bake!
Larry
I think I shall take that idea and make it one of mine,,, LOL
Ron
Ron - I should have added that we also spray the tops of the muffins with a Pam-like bake spray; otherwise you have dough sticking to the wrap when you remove it!
Larry
Whenever, I use Food Service Film, I lightly spray, or place a few drops of Grape Seed Oil, on the surface of the FSF and spread it about - on the side that may, or will be touching the dough. It takes much less oil that way. Of course, in a production environment, time is money, and your method would be much faster.
Glad you pointed that out though, for those that might not have though of the "potentially sticky" problem... LOL
Ron
I am so happy to hear that from you who I respect as a professional baker.
Professor Calvel also uses high porpotion of levan to make good bread. I learned this from him. In his book, he also adviced a baker to increase the levain to make fine bread as I remember. Please let me know if I am wrong. I want to learn bread baking from you who have a lot of experiences.
Thank you again Larry,
Akiko
Hi, Akiko:
You've always introduced new ideas of baking to us. Very, very nice English muffins. Thank you for sharing!
Yippee
Your welcome, Yippee :)
I am happy to hear that from you:)
Akiko
All day today I have been gathering recipes of yours to use with my new raisin yeast water and tonight I found yet another one!
You are a hard baker to keep up with! I don't know how you have time to do so much baking and then recording of it all here for us to follow WITH your great pictures that make is so easy to see what you are describing.
This one looks great too and I really like that you used RWY so this recipe is being added to my 'to bake' list too :-)
Thank you so much for taking the time to post yet another wonderful, mouth watering recipe to try :-)
P.S. I saw the gopan too and will have to try that one now since I love mochi and eat mochi every day!
Janet
Hi Janet,
I don't know what to tell you how much happy I am because of your comment. I think that raisin yeast water is easy to maintain. I am lookng forward to seeing your result of bread with your yeast water. It is really fun to try a new thing and more fun to get a good result. :)
I am happy to share my Gopan and other formulas with you, Janet :) I am a mochi fan!!
Akiko
Hi Akiko,
What amazing texture.
I have again raisin water going and will try your muffins on the weekend.
Juergen
Thank you for your kind word, Juergen! How is your baking experiment? I hope that you are doing well.
I hope that you will be sucessful. I updated this recipe little bit.
:)
Akiko
... and I find more and more things I want to try (I have a notebook now, that's a good start to more order;-))
I got Carol Field's book and compared with the pugliese formula from my course. The big difference is hydration: The course formula says 68%, the book says 74%! I made a 70% hydtration pugliese today, which came out nicely, with a more even crumb.
I also tried out a recipe for "Hokkaido Milky Bread", soft and sweet.
We will have your muffins for tea on Saturday, if we are at home, and I'll let you know how it went. My fruit yeast seems to be happy at the moment.
Thank you for your wishes,
Juergen
Hi Juergen,
Thank you for the tip! I will increase the water amount when I make your pugliese! Thank you!
Hokkaido Milky Bread. Is this recipe that you used.
http://schneiderchen.de/237Hokkaido-Milky-Loaf.html
That is great to hear that your raisin yeast water is healthy! Good work, Juergen!
:)
Akiko
Quite rich.
And I overbaked the first lot ...
But it didn't last long.
Juergen
It might taste between brioche and white sandwich bread like?
That sounds very delicious,
Akiko
on Saturday.
They were very popular with my family; I made them slightly too big (100g). After eating one of them (with cream cheese) my 5 year old asked for a second one ...
Here's a picture, I cut them because I overcooked them a bit so they didn't tear open properly.
Very nice taste, and they had a lightness and springiness which must come from the yeast water.
This will certainly become a regular in my repertoire.
I will try the hokkaido bread again soon, and keep watch near the oven. The taste of this bread reminded me a bit of a milk bread we had in Germany when I was little, it was called "Einback", which means "baked once". (I am hoping to find a good recipe one day, the hokkaido bread comes closest so far) In Germany you can get rusks called "Zwieback", which means "baked twice". To make Zwieback you take slices of fresh Einback and roast/dry them until they are golden brown.
Usually they are food for sick children, but they are also delicious with butter and honey, and they keep for ages (years).
I have got a good Zwieback recipe (will post after the next batch), but the Einback version of that is not quite satisfying. I shall compare the formulas and try double-baked hokkaido bread.
Thanks again for your great inspirations!
Happy Baking,
Juergen
Hi Juergen,
It is very nice looking English muffin, Juergen!! I am so happy to hear the good result, and that is your effort. You have had a lot of bread experiments and you must learn about dough.
I am also very glad that your family and your 5 year old child enjoyed it. My daughter is 5 year old , too! She likes to put strawberry jam in it. :) She has a sweet tooth anyway.
Thank you for Zwieback information! I don't know any Germany, but I learned the one right now! Hokkaido bread is similar to Zwieback.... Interesting. Thank you! I'd like to try the Zwieback recipe when you post, of course! And, when my daughter gets sick, I will make it for her. :)
It is really very nice crumb! Great work!!
Akiko
Thank you Akiko,
for your praise.
As for zwieback, that might be similar to roasted hokkaido bread - I'll try it out over the weekend.
The hokkaido bread is similar to what our baker sold as "einback" - single baked bread.
Juergen
Juergen,
When I reread what I wrote above, I made a big mistake: I wanted to say " You must have learned a lot of baking experiments" instead of you must learn.... Sorry!!
Thank you for more detail of Zwieback ( roasted hokkaido bread) and " einback" ( hokkaido bread), Juergen. I got it.
:)
Akiko
and I don't deny that both is true;-)
Juergen
I'd like to learn more about baking bread. And, Your experiments helped me a lot, Juergen!
Akiko
Wow those are just beautiful. So beautifully shaped. I have made them before but they never looked as good as yours. I will have to have another shot. I am anxious to hear the difference in taste in raisin water and dry yeast. Thanks to you a whole new field of baking has opened up.
You are so amazing.......
P.S. Friday is my 72nd Birthday, could you just send me a birthday present of muffins. haha just kidding of course about the miffins...unfortunately not about the 72.
Thanks again for a fun post.
Hi RuthieG,
I hope that you had a good birthday, RuthieG. Your loaves look very soft and moist.
I am looking forward to seeing your another experiment! I respect your work that you tried a new thing.
Thank you for your kind words, RuthieG :)
Akiko
in making this raisin yeast water, you say you add "alcoholic raisins". I am puzzled by this as I've never heard of alcoholic raisins. Are they a special type of raisin that you can buy at a supermarket or is it something that is done to them by the consumer to make them alcoholic? I would really like to try this method of using raisin yeast water to make baguettes, but I am somewhat bewildered and would appreciate some clarification.
Thanks
Hi Tory,
Thank you for another kind word on my English muffin too.
Alcoholic raisins are in the raisin yeast water when I make. I left a comment on my favorite baguette about raisin yeast water, but I will leave the method here for reference.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/23809/how-i-make-and-maintain-raisin-yeast-water
Thank you for asking this, Tory. I will update to add the method on my English muffin post too.
Akiko
Hello,
I am trying to figure out something with dough rise. I am trying to make dough using raisin yeast water. However, I am finding that the dough does not rise much at all. I am wondering if this is normal or not? Before I tried using raisin yeast water, I used instant yeast and got much better rise out of my dough than I am getting using the raisin yeast water. So I guess I'm not sure if something is normal or wrong.
Anyone who can offer some insight on this, I'd like to hear from you. Thanks.
Hello quickquiche,
I am glad to hear that you tried the English muffins with yeast water and dry yeast.
Yes, You are right about the dough .. It is difficult to see how much the dough rises... but I know when it is ready to bake... like making bagels. When the dough floats in the water, it is ready although I never put the English muffin dough in the water to test. I can feel it when I fold the dough.
P.S I am sorry not replying sooner.
Akiko
Akiko,
Hi. Actually I did the baguettes, not the English muffins. The crumb turned out nicely, but its very strange to see the dough NOT rising like I expect it to when I use ordinary (commercial) instant yeast. Its as if the dough just doesn't rise at all. Even hours later, its the same as it was when I first put it in the bowl to proof it. Whereas if I use commercially made instant yeast, I can see the dough double in size and its VERY obvious. But for some odd reason, I cannot get the crumb to turn out the same with commercially made yeast as I do with the raisin yeast water. When using the raisin yeast water, the crumb is open and airy. With commercially made instant yeast, its usually kind of dense with minimal open crumb.
Thanks though for the reply.
Tory