PatrickT

First focaccia. I would have preferred a more consistently airy crumb, but the flavors are just outstanding. This is roasted garlic, green onions, black cherry tomatoes, black olives, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, olive oil and basil. The tomatoes and basil are from our garden.

Did NOT expect the swirl! Very cool - thank you. The dough looks pretty much the same as the vid to me. Might have to try this sometime!

I wonder if this might be a loaf version of "Bulochki" - a Russian sweet bun made with raisins? I found this recipe on YouTube for Bulochki. When you have a chance to cut it and taste it, I'd be curious to know if it sounds like this might be close to the dough in your bread.

🤣 Thank you! And is that an egg wash on that, do you suppose?

Looks and sounds delicious! 😋 Can you please post a pic of the crumb when you slice it? Curious to see how dense it is.

Literally just saw some of these pans in an antique shop. Wish I would have bought them now! 😂 Another great bake @Ann_T!

Thank you @Ann_T!

This morning's bake - Moscow Mule and Gochujang loaves (this time, I added shredded pepper jack cheese to the Gochujang). No crumb pics because they are gifts to our daughter and her BF. This is Cairnspring Mills Trailblazer flour - my first time using it. I got great oven spring with the Moscow Mule loaf, but the Gochujang loaf profile was a bit flat. Clearly got a bit too carried away with the inclusion percentages. 😂 Hopefully, it will still taste good.

Gochujang sourdough with scallions and roasted garlic, based on a YouTube video by Proof Bread. After using it in this recipe, I've become a fan of gochujang! It has the consistency of tomato paste but tastes very salty, sweet and spicy. I got the mild version and am glad I did. It has just enough heat without being at all overwhelming. I imagine the hot version might leave a mark. 😂 This is one of the most aromatic loaves I've ever baked and is absolutely delicious. I used the last dregs of my Hayden Mills Heritage Blend bread flour for this loaf, which turned out to be a great choice. I will definitely bake this again.

Thank you @Ann_T - still aspiring to your gorgeous loaves and baguettes! PS - love those breadsticks! The smoked salmon and cream cheese was awesome. I can also vouch for Gouda and ham grilled cheese with the dilly bread. Epic. 😂

Will do - thanks! I’ve made a few different loaves with cheeses of various kinds. I liked them all but will say that chunks of cheese are a bit harder to incorporate well.

That is very kind of you to say. I do hope you’ll try this one in the fall. Your pairing idea sounds divine! 😃 Next time I make it, I might add some shredded smoked Gouda cheese to the dough… not that it needs anything else.

Once again, don't judge my rather lame loaf aesthetics here, because the flavor and texture of this bread are king. 😃 This is a straight sourdough conversion of Leona Schnuelle's famous $25,000 Grand Prize winning Dilly Casserole Bread recipe, from Pillsbury's 12th Grand National Bake-Off in 1960. Her recipe has been praised by countless families over the decades since - and after baking this version, I can easily see why! The flavor is simply incredible, the crumb is moist and soft, and the crust is thin and chewy. Unquestionably one of the most unusual loaves I've ever baked and destined to become a family favorite in our home, as well. The table below shows my conversion (my flour could have handled a bit more water) and subsequent scaling to 500g flour weight, which is my preferred loaf size. Please try this bread - either Leona's original recipe or this one. You won't be disappointed!

Thank you @Ann_T - it was surprisingly good and I will definitely bake that one again. You always bring a smile to my face with your Claude bakes. 😃 What great memories he will have to look back upon.

Moscow Mule sourdough - my own recipe. A baking buddy thought my idea for this was insane... and he was right. It's insanely good! 😂 Central Milling High Mountain bread flour 73% ginger beer 20% starter 2.5% chopped fresh mint leaves (would try 5% next time) 2% salt Zest of 1 lime (500g flour weight) The aroma is very limey. The flavor is mostly lime-forward, with a touch of gingery sweetness from the ginger beer. I get a little mint, but not much. Crumb is soft and delicious. Crust is thin, crispy and chewy. Very impressed with this High Mountain bread flour - wonderful flavor!

Love those starters @Ann_T! Beautiful baguettes as well. I made a rye porridge sourdough with Greek olives earlier in the week. Absolutely delicious! Pics below. Today, I’m working on a recipe I developed - a Moscow Mule sourdough, made with ginger beer, lime zest and chopped mint leaves. If it turns out, I’ll post the recipe and pictures.

Thanks! Super yummy! 😍

This morning’s bake. A slightly modified version of Maurizio Leo’s recipe, this is a honey lavender apricot sourdough with toasted pecans. I over-hydrated the dough a bit, but this is actually an incredibly delicious loaf of bread! There is a delightful sweetness from both the apricots and the addition of honey. There is just a hint of lavender - it’s not overpowering at all. I actually find that it lingers on your tongue long after you finish the slice. Moreover, when sliced, the crumb is just visually stunning. The apricots are almost shockingly orange and contrast beautifully with the dark brown pecans. The crumb is super moist and the crust has a delicate crunch. I’m actually over the moon with this from the flavor perspective. I’ll definitely make this again and try to adjust the hydration for a better aesthetic result… but wow. Love this one!

I've been watching some YouTube videos lately from Proof Bakery. They are all fascinating and I highly recommend them - especially the ones that show him baking multiple loaves in his professional ovens in the bakery. He has a very relaxed, easy-going, narrative approach that is easy to listen to, in spite of the length of many of his videos. One video that I watched yesterday included a couple of interesting techniques that others might find helpful in their baking efforts. The first is the rubaud/bassinage technique, which he begins demonstrating in the video at about the 29 minute mark. The second is his batard shaping technique, which begins at about the 54 minute mark. I have to say, this one really interests me and I'm definitely going to give it a whirl with the loaf I'm making today - a honey lavender apricot sourdough with toasted pecans. I'll share my results with that later tomorrow.

Last week’s bake - a cheddar jalapeño loaf. Absolutely delicious flavor - especially toasted! 😍

It was delicious - thank you! 😃

Love it! 😍

No - I used a long skewer to do that. Just pressed it down all the way to the counter 4 times to create the wedges. It was very easy.

Thank you! 😃 I shaped it like a boule and proofed it in a round banneton. After removing it from the banneton, I tied a piece of string around it, as per the instructions. I removed that immediately after baking. And yes - the second pic above is the pre-bake loaf (before I sprinkled on the sesame seeds).

Panis Quadratus - an ancient sourdough loaf from Pompeii - made with 100% red fife, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, nigella seeds and anise seeds. The anise seeds give this bread an amazing aroma. The gluten network that developed in the dough was like something I've never seen. Will post a crumb shot and tasting notes a bit later. EDIT: I’m not even sure how to adequately describe this loaf. The crumb is very dense and chewy, as is the crust - it feels very substantial and hearty as you eat it. Doubtless, this loaf would benefit from a much longer drying time, so I’ll add any interesting changes I observe over the next couple of days. The flavor from the seeds is simply incredible - they are almost woodsy. My thought after my very first bite was “Hmm - I don’t think I care for that” but the more I ate the wedge I broke off, the more complex and interesting the flavors became. I actually REALLY love this one. It’s like nothing I’ve ever had. Might try this again and bake it same day, instead of adding an overnight cold retard. I would also mix and fold the dough in an oiled bowl, so I could more easily remove it after BF and avoid damaging that amazing gluten network.