Bread

Question about Laurel's Kitchen Petaluma RyeSubmitted by Bhamster on May 24, 2013 - 10:43am. I'm brand new to this site and a relatively new bread baker. Started with Artisan Bread in 5 recipes but gave up after a few years because I couldn't get good sandwich bread in loaf pans. Have bought a Bosch Compact Mixer to take care of kneading (I have arthritis in wrists) and have successfully made King Arthur Flour's pain de mie recipes, but I'm trying to find a good pumpernickel and a good rye bread recipe for loaf pans.Checked out Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book from the library and would like to try the Petaluma rye recipe but I have two questions: does anyone know if this will work in loaf pans? What size would you recommend? What temp and time for baking?Second question is that there seems to be an error in the recipe: she says something about adding "remaining flour"--but there's no indication anywhere that the flour should be divided up. If you've made this recipe, how do you work around that?I appreciate the help! And if you've got an easy pumpernickel recipe that would work for loaf pans, I'd appreciate it. (By "easy" I mean that I don't want to make altus or anything like that.)

Multigrain SD with Japanese Black Rice, Seeds, Prunes & Dried Edamame Submitted by dabrownman on May 24, 2013 - 10:23am. After Evon’s post of her bread with Japanese Black Rice in it, we knew it had to get to the top pf the bake list like Hanseata’s Wild Rice bread did when it appeared.  We had run across some of this rice a couple of months ago at Sprouts and had cooked it for dinner.  We knew it would end up in bread eventually and Evon’s post was the impetus. The question was what kind of bread to put it in?  My apprentice went back and looked at our take of the Karin’s wonderful Wild Rice Bread and quickly knew that we would do something similar to it, perhaps not as dark or complicated. Since I started medicating my apprentice with Sylvia’s Dog Bones, she isn’t as determined or anal as usual - even though she has taken to licking the glow in the dark, black light intensified picture we have of Elvis performing in Las Vagas.   Here was that bake: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/28806/hanseata%E2%80%99s-wild-rice-sd-w-yeast-water-multi-seeds-prunes-beer-and-sproutsHere is Karin’s original post : http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/24092/wild-rice-sourdough-bread-ended-cold-warHere is Evon’s inspirational bake, if a little dark, : Sprouted Organic Wild Black Rice SD Bread It isn’t often we have a new bread ingredient like Japanese Wild Rice but Evon’s bread also had edamame in it – a second ingredient we have never seen used in bread before.  And as luck would have it, we had 3 kinds of edamame in the pantry and freezer.  We had fresh shelled edamame in the freezer. Wasabi dried edamame (my favorite after a few beers) and regular dried edamame. You can tell we eat it a lot around here since it is my daughter’s favorite veggie.  We decided to be our normal conservative self when it comes to baking, as opposed to my apprentice’s solution for cleaning tile grout or magnesium rims on fine, if old, motorcycles.  So, we went with the non Wasabi dried edamame even though the black rice is Japanese.  You just can’t make apprentice’s think after leading them to water.  We sprouted the black rice and thought we had killed it when we forgot it was soaking and let it go for 8 hours before draining and putting them between damp paper towels.   But the rice loved it and after 2 days had sprouted well.  My apprentice was especially thrilled since this was her first time sprouting any kind of rice.  We did the standard (3) 4 hour levain build by putting all of the whole multi-grains in the levain.  Since it was white flour in the dough, we autolysed it for 1 hour only with the VWG, Toadies, red and white malts.  Once the levain and autolyse came together we did 10 minutes of slap and folds.My apprentice sang one of her favorite tunes while doing the S& F’s - an Oriental cowboy song called - ‘Yippee Oh Kiyae, I am a Japanese Hot Dog, Bun Making Sandman.’  I reminded her that we wouldn’t be making hot dog buns till later in the day but she was in the groove and just wouldn’t be stopped with her being a hot dog and Japanese rice in the mix.  I’m guessing it won’t be the last time I hear this odd tune today. After a 15 minute rest we did 3 sets of S& F’s on 15 minute intervals and added the edamame, black rice sprouts, ground non aromatic and aromatic seed variety and prunes on the first set.  By the 3rd set they were well distributed.  After another 15 minute rest, we divided the dough in half, shaped each and placed them into rice floured baskets and then into used plastic trash can liners. After a 30 minute rest on the counter the baskets were placed into the fridge for an 18 hour retard.  By the next morning they had risen well in the fridge.  They came out of the cold for one hours to warm up before we fired up Big Old Betsy with Sylvia’s and David’s Patented Steaming Combo. It took 45 minutes for the oven to get to 500 F including the 20 minutes for the top and bottom stones to get to that temperature lagging 20 minute behind.  We really cu

Storing fresh baked breadSubmitted by sarahanne54 on May 24, 2013 - 9:17am. hello everyone,this is my first post on this site, I hope I am putting this question in the right place. I am looking at making some challah this weekend and I was wondering how long fresh baked bread lasts for. Is there anything I can do to make it last longer? Thank you for your help!

My Current Projects: Gluten Free / Bread for a "Treasure Island" fairSubmitted by Juergen Krauss on May 24, 2013 - 1:31am. At the moment I am pursuing two totally different themes in my baking: Gluten Free bread and bread for a school summer fair themed "Treasure Island".This blog post is intended as a journal for my thoughts and ideas, nothing is final yet.The photo above is my take on "Pease Bread", the 18th century wheat-free alternative. See below.Let's start with Gluten Free (GF) bread:After my initial success with a Buckwheat-Millet Sourdough I am aiming to understand more indepth how GF flours behave. I will be using Psyllium husks as a gelling agent, avoiding all processed ingredients like gums etc.My plan is:To determine the optimum amount of Psyllium needed for several GF flours. I will use a 60:40 flour:starch mix and instant yeast for these experiments. I will aim to adjust hydration in a way that makes the doughs feel similar. To determine the fermentability of the individual flours Plus Psyllium  using Raisin Yeast Water, Rye Sourdough and Yeast.To develop a reliable GF StarterTo work on flour combinations and tasteThis is a lot of work, but i am really excited to do this.Having spoken to several people with food allergies it is clear to me that it is almost necessary to design a bread for an individual person and their specific sensitivities. "Treasure Island" baking:My son kindly volunteered me to have a bread stall at their school's summer fair. This fair is meant to be organised by the children, and the theme is "Treasure Island". It took me a few days to figure out what I could do within this frame of reference, and the pieces are starting to come together.I looked into 18th century baking, and Andy (ananda) generously pointed me to an article about the history of flour usage in Britain.I will have a group of children do most of the work on the day before the fair, using the school kitchen.And this is what I intend to bake with them:Ships Biskets (Hardtack): the staple food of the sailors; this will be more for curiosity. Wholegrain Wheat flour 100%, Water 50%, Salt 2%, Mix until evenly hydrated, rest for 1 hour or so, shape flat palm-size biscuits 4oz each, dock, bake until completely dry, but not brown (I have to figure that one out). 4 of these was a sailor's daily ration.Pease Bread (see the picture at the top): The staple food of the very poor, or in times of bad wheat harvests.This is my take, quite tasty: Ground Haricot Beans: 30%, Ground Pearl Barley: 30%, Oatmeal 30%, Water 80%, Salt 2%, Rye Sour (100% HL) 20%. DT 28C. Bulk fermentation 2 hours, proof in basket 1 hour, long bake in falling oven.Maslin Bread: This would have been the staple bread of the lower classes in south England. My take on this: Wholegrain Rye: 50%, High Extraction Wheat: 50%, Water 75%, Salt 2% Rye Sour 20%. DT 28C. Bulk fermentation 2 hours, proof in basket 1 hour. Bake in falling oven starting hot.Manchet Bread: This is what the Squire, Doctor and Captain would have eaten. There are several historical recipes about, this is my first take. Everybody loved it: Stoneground White Strong flour: 100%, Water 54%, Salt 2%, Instant Yeast 0.7%. Mix, knead and beat the living daylights out of it with a rolling pin, until very silky. Get those carotenoids oxidized. They want WHITE bread!  Proof 2 hours. Shape into batard. Proof 40 minutes. Bake at 210C.I will try out some other recipes for Manchet, and I intend to use ale barm - this afternoon I will pick up some from the brewery.Here is a picture of Manchet and Maslin breads:And here is a crumb shot of Maslin, Manchet and Pease Breads:I am off to my kitchen now...Cheers,Juergen

EVERYONE knows how to make potato salad and coleslaw, right? …Right? Surprising how many folks still resort to the supermarket deli section for their cookout sides. Trust me: you can do better. Here’s how. My Irish grandma was a good “plain cook.” Meat and potatoes. Sandwiches and potatoes. Potatoes and potatoes. You get the picture. So it’s no wonder she knew how to make potato salad – at the drop of a hat. Or the drop-in of a family member, more like it. When we visited Grandma, the coffee was always perking, and we could rely on the table being fully laden with goodies. Sandwiches were a given; turkey, or ham and cheese. But every now and then, to the consternation of us kids, Grandma would make crab cakes. CRAB cakes – ewwww……. We’d arrive to find fat, golden, potato-shaped cakes, loaded with fresh crab, heaped on a plate in the center of the table. On each side, a large bowl: one with potato salad, one with coleslaw. No way would I touch crab cakes as a kid – one of those prejudices I regret, wishing today for a do-over. But potato salad? Coleslaw? YES, please! Grandma would make me a special sandwich, over my mom’s protests that I should eat what was set in front of me. And I’d enjoy that sandwich with coleslaw, potato salad, potato chips, and a bottle of pop from the wooden case in the cellar. Heaven. Grandma is gone, along with her crab-cake recipe. But thankfully, her potato salad and coleslaw live on. If you’re willing to forgo the deli line, and are looking for recipes for these signature cookout sides – you’ve found them. For me, coleslaw begins not with a cabbage, but with a bag of “coleslaw” – chopped purple and green cabbage, and carrots. For those of you who enjoy chopping your own coleslaw veggies, more power to you. Call me lazy, but when I can grab a ready-to-go bag for $1.59, I’m there. Along with 1 pound of bagged coleslaw or chopped cabbage, you’ll need the following: ¼ cup sugar ¾ cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon ground mustard 1 teaspoon celery salt 2 ½ tablespoons white vinegar Whisk the dressing ingredients together until smooth. By the way, this makes a delightful “coleslaw dressing” for any type of salad. Refrigerate the dressing until just an hour or so before you’re ready to serve the coleslaw. When you’re readying the burgers and dogs for the grill, place the cabbage in a large bowl. Add the dressing, stirring and tossing to coat. Set aside for an hour or so. Serve to great acclaim. Yup, that’s it. Easy, right? Yes, you in the back there – you have a question? “I’m going over to someone’s house for a cookout. Can’t I make it all ahead of time?” You can, indeed; just be aware that after a couple of hours, the slaw will shrink way down, and eventually start to become watery. I’ve done the tests; this coleslaw’s at its best within 2 to 3 hours of the dressing being combined with the cabbage. So plan accordingly. Or just accept that the 6 cups or so of slaw you started out with are now down to about 4 cups. This recipe serves about 6 people. Cooking for a crowd? The recipe’s easily doubled. OK, that was the “hard” recipe. The potato salad is even easier! Potatoes. Mayo. Italian salad dressing. How much of each? Depends on how many people you’re serving. I find about half a pound of potatoes for each person is sufficient. For purposes of this blog post, I started with 3 pounds of potatoes – which yielded about 7 1/2 cups of potato salad. Since I don’t peel the potatoes (the skins are full of fiber), I like to use a red variety; they make a pretty salad. Whatever you use, make sure it’s a boiling (not baking) variety: e.g., red, white, Yukon Gold, chef’s, etc. Not russet. Cut the potatoes into cubes; about 3/4″ is the size I like. Put the potatoes in a large kettle, and add water until th

my modified banneton for perfect placement of boule in dutch ovenSubmitted by beakernz on May 23, 2013 - 9:16pm. Just thought I would share my banneton tweak.  I have a big dutch oven and often wrestled with getting the boule into it without disturbing it's shape.  This is the best tweak I've made.  I can now easily drop the boule in and get perfect shape.   Total cost of the mod about $3Results:

Mistake BreadSubmitted by varda on May 23, 2013 - 5:29pm. It was late.   I had three breads to prepare for.   This meant two starters, two soakers and a biga.   My eyes drooped.   I was almost done - once I made the second soaker, and then the biga, I could go to sleep.   Yet something was wrong and I didn't know what.   I looked down.   Instead of holding a bag of whole wheat flour, I was holding a bag of whole rye flour.  And I had already made the biga and the soaker for whole wheat sandwich bread with rye instead of wheat.   No rest for the weary.   I placed the mistaken soaker and biga in sealed tubs in the back of the refrigerator, and made the biga and soaaker again - this time with wheat.    What a difference a day makes.   My three breads prepared, I thought, hmmm.   Wonder what I could do with that rye soaker and biga?   I had extra starter.   That's always a good place to start.   But isn't it the case that wheat doesn't raise rye?   That's what I have believed for the last three years.   And yet.... extra starter, misbegotten biga and soaker.     I pulled the rye soaker and biga out of the refrigerator.   They both had taken on the texture of cement during their overnight stay.  Not very promising.    I'd probably be throwing good flour after bad.   But really, what did I have to lose?So I mixed up the soaker, biga, starter, added some extra bread flour, salt and water for good luck, and had a dough of some sort, not sure what.   Then went through sort of half rye, half wheat bread steps, as I wasn't really sure what I had.    Then baked it.   It came out of the oven looking surprisingly pleasant.   As it cooled, I finally sat down to write down the formula of what I had in front of me.    More rye than wheat, percentages reasonable given that I did all the computations in my head at the counter.   And not enough rye that I had to wait until next day to cut.   All it needed was to cool down. I cut.   Hmmm.  Really not bad that bad looking.  I tasted. Pleasant, mild, rye bread, without the sour tang that comes from leavening with rye sour.   A bread that many people might enjoy.   A bread that I would like to make again.  But on purpose next time.Weird.Formula and method:Mistake Bread     5/23/2013                   Final       Starter       Soaker          Biga          Total        BPKAAP10560  16544%Rye  10610621156%Water8840 7920755%Milk  92 9224%Salt5 2 71.8%Yeast   110.3%Starter100     Soaker199     Biga186            Total Flour376     Total Dough683     Hydration80%            Scald milk      Make biga and soaker night before and refrigerate  After 15 hours mix all.     Dough is pasty but relatively firm    BF 1.5 hours      Shape into boule     Proof 1.5 hours     Bake at 450 with steam for 40 minutes

Don't understand difference between Strength & TensionSubmitted by Bread Head on May 23, 2013 - 2:54pm. In the Tartine book under Shaping and Bench Rest (pg75)I don't understand what he means with this statement;"Should I give the dough a long bench rest to develop more strength, or should I shape the dough twice to give more tension?Can someone explain to me in the most simplest terms what he means by this? Thanks for you time!

Bagels and Pate Fermentee question.Submitted by SadieBear on May 23, 2013 - 2:38pm. Hey there everybody,I've made Jefferery Hamelman's bagels many many many times  with great success.  But, yesterday, for the the first time I noticed that at the bottom of his recipe in Bread it reads, "note: 20% of the overall flour can be pre fermented in a pate fermentee".  I can't exactly figure out why this confuses me so much.  I've never baked with pate fermentee, only poolishes.  I guess my questions are...Would I make a 20% scaled down version of the recipe and then add that to the dough next time I made bagels?  And then reserve about 20% of the full recipe once finished?Really, if someone couple explain this to me like I'm 5 years old that would be great.Thanks a bunch everybody.

Baking time of Boule vs. BatardSubmitted by HairyBeast on May 23, 2013 - 11:20am. I only have 2 oval bannetons to make batard shaped loaves, but Hamelman's 90% sourdough rye calls for a boule shape. I would have thought that batards would be quicker to cook through to the centre due to their larger surface area and the shorter distance to the centre of the loaf, but I'm not sure whether I am over complicating matters. My gut instinct says it should make a difference but I can't find any info on the subject.Does anyone know whether it is necessary to adjust baking times when varying the shape of the loaf from a recipe? I don't have anything round to prove in and I don't think I could actually fit two boules in my oven at the same time...