March 6, 2022 - 1:31pm
The end of the world as we know it.
I think? Maybe, the ability to turn flour salt and water into bread qualifies us for a good spot in a survivalist colony? I sure do hope it does not come to that. #Unprepared
The photo is strickly for attention.
Mom's unscaled down Minestra. (Maltese vegetable stew)& Hamelmans peasant bread.
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(Time I had some time alone) is the next verse in that song. I am making winter minestrone today since winter won't leave us alone. Giada's recipe is a staple in our house. No peasant bread for me though because the king of bread is also in the house.
Love seeing your baguettes Don, as I’ve said before I’d rather have broken straps than insufficient bloom.
I hope Ming doesn't faint from the sight of them. The King Arthur OAP is one off the nicest baguette flours I have used so next time you are down in FL swimming with the sharks you should get your hands on some.
I have a sweet levain bread fermenting right now. I will let you know when it comes out of the oven.
Sorry I’m not familiar with the King Arthur OAP, which flour is that?
As far as swimming with the sharks I have quite a fear of sharks since watching Jaws as a young child. I have yet to step into the ocean while visiting Florida.
OAP=organic all-purpose?
Dang, after I use up my bread flour, I am going to switch to AP again for my baguettes....
Though I wish. The KA APO is one the best tasting and nicest handling flours I’ve ever used for baguettes. The crust is nearly perfect with a pleasing crunch and the burnt ends are exceptional. It feels much stronger than the French T65 or any of the other AP that I have been using so a higher hydration is recommended. It is more expensive but I find it marked down on sales and stock up. My guess is that it is not as homogenized as other flours so some of the taste is from terroir.
Don
Well once I’m down in Florida for several months I’ll have my starter down there with me and hopefully I’ll be able to experience this KA OAP.
Ming, I’ve never used bread flour for baguettes. I find flour with lower protein better for baguettes. Number one the lower protein makes the dough more extensible which is obviously better for shaping baguettes. Number two the lower protein yields a thinner crust which I also prefer. That number two is one of the reasons I don’t use more than 10% whole grain so far in my baguettes because more whole grain seems to yield a thicker crust.
Benny
No wonder my baguettes have been a hit and miss, I blame the flours, haha. Note taken Benny, thanks.
I don’t know about that, the baguettes you’ve posted have all been great to me Ming.
Thanks Doc.
You guys make me spend a lot of money buying and trying different things :) for my newfound hobby, a first world problem, haha. I will definitely stock up some organic AP soon. Thanks for the tip.
Haha Don, look at those ears and curvatures of these things, they look just like those made in Paris. Envious forever!!!
The Minestra looks really delicious as does your bread Will. I hope this isn’t the beginning of the end.
Mom raised seven of us on meals like these. Before That, she raised her six brothers and sisters. That's a whole other story. Smile... Even as adults, her siblings had so much respect for my mom they did not dare smoke cigarettes in front of her. You can scale this down, you can improvise what you like/have on hand. Not as strict as a bread formula!
Thanks for sharing your recipe Will. I love a good soup this time of year.
Benny
I’m guessing Organic All Purpose!
Ah thank you that makes sense.
The cornerstone of any nutritious meal!
I always lovingly enjoy chopping up many hundreds of grams of onion, celery and carrot when making slow cooked dishes!
Beautiful chopping. I might not claim to enjoy chopping onion!
Thanks Jon.
There exist many dubious tips regarding how to prevent weeping over onions, but few really work unless you're prepared to don some fetching goggles!
I know avoiding standing over the onions too much and getting them copped pronto can prevent me from welling up! Perhaps even better is to chill the onions before chopping them...
Wetting the knife with cold water also helps a lot!
And of course simply having an actually sharp knife is highly beneficial also...
thank you so much for the recipe! it looks wonderful!