The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Raisin and Rosmary loaf #2

Sheblom's picture
Sheblom

Raisin and Rosmary loaf #2

Hi

A while back I baked a raisin and rosemary loaf and it came out quite well, and the flavour was quite excellent. I have only been baking for a year now and from that year I have gather one opinion. I have still lots to learn.

So I am going back to basics. Just have one simple recipe and tweak that recipe to learn all the ins and outs of getting a decent loaf of bread. Don't get me wrong I will be baking with different recipes that I find here on fresh loaf and in Various books. My major aim though is to stick with one basic recipe and learn all the ins and outs. What temperature to bake at, when to add the salt, what temperature the water must be, how long to proof the loaf, what will happen if I have a high hydration loaf, etc

This is all in aid for me to learn and know when and where certain elements will happen. So that it will be less hit and miss if it going to be a good loaf and be more certain that a loaf will come out how it should.

The basic recipe I will be following is the same one from the lesson found on this website [LINK]

3 cups of all purpose flour

2 teaspoons of yeast

2 teaspoons of salt

1 1/8 cup water

In the loaf I will be showing today I have added about 1/4 cup of raisin and 2 Tablespoons of rosemary. I just love the combination of these two ingredients.

So now for some pictures:

As always start with the recipe:

Then the required utensils and ingredients [I do all my bread baking by hand as I do not have a mixer of yet]

Add the Yeast to the warm water to activate 

Add the flour, at this point I have held back the salt and let the flour and water and yeast sit for about 10min to Autolyse

I then add the salt and then Knead for 10 - 15 min, I then leave the dough to rest for about 15 min

While the dough is resting I cut up the fresh rosemary to be added to the dough

I then add the raisins and rosemary and knead for another 5min. I then tighten up my boule and let proof for about 45min. I then fold the dough and least proof for another 30min

After it has proofed, I then punch down and reshape into the final boule shape. 

I preheat my oven to 230c and place in my pizza stone to heat up as well. I also place an old roasting dish to water up at the bottom of the oven.

Once the loaf has been proofing for about an hour, I place the boule onto the pizza stone and slice in a cross. As I place boule in the oven I reduce the heat to 200c and though some ice blocks in the heated roasting dish to create steam.

I bake the loaf for about 15min then turn the loaf and back for a further 10 - 15min. 

and here is the end result:

and crumb

I am quite happy with how the loaf came out, the crust was nice and crispy and the flavour was good. I think the crumb is still a bit dense and spongy. This might be due to the salt being added later. Aslo it looks like it "blew out on one side, I am not sure why this happen, maybe my slicing was not up to par.

Next I will try this recipe without the raisin and rosemary and try it with out the autolysis and a different slicing pattern and see what will happen. Hopefully this will rectify some of the issues that I have had.

Please let me know what you think or if I must try something out at different stages of my bake.

Thanks

Please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes, it is not my strongest strength.

I have also submitted this post to YeastSpotting : http://www.wildyeastblog.com/category/yeastspotting/

Comments

PiPs's picture
PiPs

The raisin and rosemary sounds like a really nice flavour combination.

Your photos are lovely - great progression through the bake.

I can't see the blowout  - I gather it wasn't where you scored it? Could be a few reasons maybe - Dough not developed enough (knead it more), underproofed (needs longer final rise), not enough steam in the oven (is the oven fan forced? Can you turn the fan off?)

Look forward to your next bake.

Cheers,
Phil

Sheblom's picture
Sheblom

Thanks alot man

With the blow out, it might not be a blowout but my crappy  scroring. And with the steam, I am still looking for the best way to introduce steam into my oven.

Thanks agian for you kind words!

Cheers

PiPs's picture
PiPs

No worries,

Is your oven fan forced? Because that used to drive me bonkers until I worked a way around it.

Cheers,
Phil

Sheblom's picture
Sheblom

As far as I know my oven is not fan forced. It quite an older model. I think it does run hotter than whatever temp is set on the oven. Planning on getting a oven thermonitor soon. Do you use a pizza stone or anything with you breads? As yours alwasy look like they come out realy nice!

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

a loaf pan 1/2 full of water on the lowest rack position to the left and a large cast iron skillet, 12" next to it on the  right.  The rack just above is where I put my stone.  I fire up old Betsy ( my GE oven) to 500 F and let it sit there for at least 45 minutes.  I usually proof my non loaf bread on parchmentt, right on a peel , and slide the bread and peel on the stone.  Then I throw 1 cup of hot water in the skillet and shut the door for 10-20 minutes as I turn down the oven to the temp prescribed in the recipe.  This seems to work best for my steam requirements.  Or you can cloche too like I do with my Wagner Ware  Magnalite Roaster .

 

Happy baking

hanseata's picture
hanseata

this is a very nice loaf!

Happy baking,

Karin

Sheblom's picture
Sheblom

Tganks you, and I am hoping to carry on!

spsq's picture
spsq

You inspired me on the last one - couldn't wait for the posted recipe.  I guessed!   I added rosemary and raisins to my fav loaf (Tartine 70 % ww) - adding a little dry milk and sugar.  Turned out beautiful and DELICIOUS.    I thought your first loaf looked softer and sweeter - that's why I added the milk pdr and sugar, next time I won't.  Other than that (and the ww) the techniques (autolyse, adding salt later, adding rosemary later) and formula I used were very close to yours.

Yummy!

Sheblom's picture
Sheblom

HAha good on ya. I am hoping to get the Tartine book real soon. As I have seen some real fine loafs coming out of there. I see you have gone almost an italian root with adding the milk powder. I havnt tried that yet, but its defiantly in the cards of what to try and how it comes out!

I hope to see some of your baking oh here sometime soon...?

Thanks again

Cheers

spsq's picture
spsq

Incidently, if you want a less dense crust, I would suggest the "stretch and fold" method over kneading.  Once you catch on, it makes for an airier loaf (esp. when using ww - think there's less cutting of the strands of gluten).  Tartine demos it well for novices - others will recommend other books.  Tartine also has an easier (I think) method for steaming.  I recommend getting the book at the library first - not sure you wanna bake all your loaves with that method!

Sheblom's picture
Sheblom

Thanks for the advice! I think I will have to try that, But I reckon I might have to up the hydration as this dough was not as wet as it could have been. I had to really work at it to get nice and smooth. 

Tartine is defiantly on my "want list", I am thinking of getting it my next pay check if I have enough cash. I have heard and seen many good things coming out of this book. and any easier way to steam my bread would be awesome to know.

Thanks again for the tip!

Cheers

teketeke's picture
teketeke

 It looks very tasty bread, and I like your photograph!

 Happy baking,

Akiko

Sheblom's picture
Sheblom

Thank you very much! and it tasted great!

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

knead for half the time in the recipe, let it rest for half and hour and then do a couple of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart.  You may or may not like the crumb better.  It is a personal choice of what you like.  But, I don't see anything at all wrong with your fine loaf.  The crust is right and artistic! The crumb looks nice; light, moist and soft.

You might even try an Italian variation for fun and comparison.  I sometimes use rosemary, sun dried tomato and mashed garlic in a similar WW bread to bring out a savory side of the WW.  Cumin, fennel and corriander also work well together on the savory, more earthy side.  You can always throw a tsp of vinegar into just about any dough too :-) I think it brightens the flavor.

Yours is a very nice bread indeed.

Sheblom's picture
Sheblom

Thansk for all those tips! I wanted to start with herbs in my doughs soon to bring new flavour notes.

I did not know about the vinegar though. When it the best point of the baking process to add it? From the beginning or after the first raise? 

You loafs look mighty fine as well. and specilly the Limonchello Del Uuomo Morone. I was thinking of making that sometime soon. Is it particulally hard?

Thanks again

Cheers

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

ususlaly in SD breads only, I add it with the. salt.  Limochello, Aranchello (or any chello except the one you play midoc on) are very easy to make they just take time.  I got my Meyer lemons and mandarin oranges from a friends yard last sunday.  I have my own minneolas and oranges.  It is very easy.   Just takes 80 days to get it done. If I can do it anyone can do it :-)  I will post the recipe on my blog.  Made PiPs 40% rye and caraway today.  It was just fantastic as are all of Phil's breads from what I can tell,  His blog is just great too.    There are so may great bakers on TFL. Thank you for your kind words about my bread.  It has gotten much, much better the last month after getting all the great advice on TFL.   Membership has its privileges :-)

HappyBaking!

Sheblom's picture
Sheblom

Sweet man. Amd I am looking forward to the recipe! I have some meyes lemons getting ripe in my back yard! 

And Phil's blog is top class! Will be picking his brain quite a bit in the near future!

And hope to see some more backing coming from you mate! Looking forward to your next loaf!

Cheers