The Bread Topic (2009 – 2014)

[pkeibel]

Sunday I made this olive loaf from Hamelman's book.

[Anna N]

Did you, by any chance, use a pan de mie without the lid? I don't run across this size pan anywhere else.

It's possible. The tin came from a thrift store and has no markings to indicate manufacturer.

[Ann_T]

Last week's bread.   I hadn't fed my starter in two weeks, so I fed it Tuesday and again Wednesday morning.  I used some of the the starter to make a biga and used it in a batch of sourdough bread Wednesday night.  The dough went into the fridge and didn't get baked until Friday night.  

 

[Anna N]

More 4-hour baguettes (Dan Leadrer).

[Ann_T]

Anna, you have been making some great looking breads.  I can't remember the last time I baked a pan loaf.  Need to do that soon.

 

 

This bread is what I call my standard or regular bread. Not sour dough.  Started this batch late on Thursday afternoon when I realized I was out of bread.  Last two loaves came out of the oven at 10:00 PM.

[DianaM]

Having got my hands on some Italian-made semolina rimacinata, I made sourdough semolina bread. I have also been working to improve my slashes with my makeshift lame (an old-fashioned and dirt-cheap razor blade threaded on a skewer), but still on the upslope of that particular learning curve.

The bread has a delicious flavour, not sour at all, although it went through an overnight fridge fermentation. It has a very pleasant golden colour, and a hearty chew.

[Anna N]

Looks amazing, Diana. What led you to this particular flour?

[DianaM]

Thanks, Anna. I got the inspiration and recipe from here (it is in Romanian, but Codruta's blog is worth browsing even for the bread porn alone ):

http://blog.codrudepaine.ro/2011/11/paine-cu-faina-de-grau-durum/

She also posted about this bread on TFL, here:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/25718/what-i039ve-baked-lately-baguettes-semolina-bread-80-rye-rye-soaker-and-rye-chops

Her breads are awesome, she is one of my bread heroes, Susan from Wild Yeast is the other. Codruta had such high praise about the flavour of sourdough made with semolina, that as soon as I read her post, I knew I had to find this flour, and try the bread.

[Matthew Kirshner]

image.jpg

More 4-hour baguettes (Dan Leadrer).

 

Hi Anna,

 

  I just curious, what is your steaming method?  and what type of bread flour are you using?

[Anna N]

Thanks, Anna. I got the inspiration and recipe from here (it is in Romanian, but Codruta's blog is worth browsing even for the bread porn alone ):

http://blog.codrudepaine.ro/2011/11/paine-cu-faina-de-grau-durum/

She also posted about this bread on TFL, here:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/25718/what-i039ve-baked-lately-baguettes-semolina-bread-80-rye-rye-soaker-and-rye-chops

Her breads are awesome, she is one of my bread heroes, Susan from Wild Yeast is the other. Codruta had such high praise about the flavour of sourdough made with semolina, that as soon as I read her post, I knew I had to find this flour, and try the bread.

Wow! Thank you. Come winter I may have to explore further.

[Anna N]

Hi Anna,

 

  I just curious, what is your steaming method?  and what type of bread flour are you using?

For the baguettes just a/p flour -- whatever is on sale. My steaming method is VERY technical. I put water in a spray bottle and give the baguettes a good sprtiz just as I throw them in the oven. If I think about it I will spritz again in 2-3 minutes. These baguettes seem to be fail-safe. I mix and knead in the Thermomix (old model 21) and let the dough do a first rise in there.

[Matthew Kirshner]

For the baguettes just a/p flour -- whatever is on sale. My steaming method is VERY technical. I put water in a spray bottle and give the baguettes a good sprtiz just as I throw them in the oven. If I think about it I will spritz again in 2-3 minutes. These baguettes seem to be fail-safe. I mix and knead in the Thermomix (old model 21) and let the dough do a first rise in there.

 

I would try switching to a low protein bread flour.  As for the steaming, try this:  go to a hardware store and purchase either metal chains or a bunch of nuts and bolts to fill a loaf pan.  when heating up the oven place the pan either on the side of the baking stone or on the bottom rack.  the metal will help create the steam and you would vent the last 10mins of baking.

 

Personally when I use to do 4-hour baguettes I never liked the outcome until I switched flours. 

[Anna N]

I would try switching to a low protein bread flour.  As for the steaming, try this:  go to a hardware store and purchase either metal chains or a bunch of nuts and bolts to fill a loaf pan.  when heating up the oven place the pan either on the side of the baking stone or on the bottom rack.  the metal will help create the steam and you would vent the last 10mins of baking.

 

Personally when I use to do 4-hour baguettes I never liked the outcome until I switched flours.

Thanks for the suggestions but I am more than happy with my results. Complicating the process or worrying about the ingredients makes no sense to me FOR THIS RECIPE. Its whole appeal is its simplicity. And again, thank you.

[Franci]

Having got my hands on some Italian-made semolina rimacinata, I made sourdough semolina bread. I have also been working to improve my slashes with my makeshift lame (an old-fashioned and dirt-cheap razor blade threaded on a skewer), but still on the upslope of that particular learning curve.

The bread has a delicious flavour, not sour at all, although it went through an overnight fridge fermentation. It has a very pleasant golden colour, and a hearty chew.

 

 

I grew up with durum bread, it's a stable in my area.

Your bread looks beautiful, I love it! Great job.

 

Have you ever heard of "friselle"? They are great for the summer and make wonderful panzanella (although they are not traditionally used for that). You could use the same recipe you used for your bread.

Also if you mix half and half durum and bread flour it's wonderful for focaccia ripiena (with red onions/capers/black olives is to die for)

[Ann_T]

Diana, beautiful loaf.   I need to look for semolina flour.

 

I wanted small baguettes to make French Dip sandwiches for dinner.  

 

 

I had intended to just make a half batch of minis and use the other half of the dough to make full size baguettes. 

 

I liked the mini size so I ended up making 10.   Perfect size for sandwiches.

[Anna N]

Ann_T

What a great idea. I'll be using that.

[Ann_T]

Anna, I think I will make smaller loaves more often.

 

Made a batch of  Ciabatta. Two large and a few smaller bun size.

[rotuts]

Im very interested in that Ciabatta.  esp smaller loafs as i might be able to bake them in the Cuisi-SteamBoy as it has a steam 

 

boost cycle.

 

have you made these loafs in a  "soured' fashion ?

 

my interests seem to be frequently 12 M out of kilter:

 

summer here  86 degrees  ( not too humid yet )

 

but the CuisiSB is easy to take outside and bake in the shade.

 

Edited June 8, 2014 by rotuts (log)

[Ann_T]

Rotuts,  Yes, I have made sourdough ciabbata in the past.

 

I had been neglecting my sourdough starters recently.  Hadn't fed them in almost three weeks. So I fed them both Saturday morning before leaving for work.  One with white flour and one with half white and half rye.  The one fed with rye doubled quickly.  The one fed with white, needed a second feed.  So I fed it again Saturday night around 8:00 PM and used some of the excess to make a biga.  The starter doubled quickly this time.  In less than three hours.  

 

And this is what the Biga looked like at 5:30 Sunday morning.

 

I just mixed up a batch of dough. I added the Biga to 1000 g of flour and added 820 g of water and a pinch of yeast.  I should have left out the yeast.  I put the dough in the fridge before leaving for work and my DH had to knock it down two or three times as the dough kept pushing the lid off the container.

 

Moe took it out of the fridge about an hour before I got home from work.

 

 

It looked like this.

 

I put half the dough back in the fridge to use later this week.

 

 

I baked a pizza for dinner

 

and two loaves of bread.

 

 

Sliced this morning.

Edited June 9, 2014 by Ann_T (log)

[BeeZee]

that slice in front, with the bubble creating a void to allow a shell of a crust...that's my piece!

[Anna N]

I purchased the Craftsy Artisan Bread course with Peter Reinhart and this is my first bread after taking the course. Peter uses the stretch and fold method. This dough contained 10% red fife flour making it wonderfully nutty and chewy.

If you are interested in breadmaking at all this course is well worth its cost. I got mine for half-price by watching for their frequently offered specials. (Thanks to ElsieD for alerting me to these courses).

[CatPoet]

After weeks of making 4 days  Danish bread,  Treacle loafs, potato bread , I just wanted something simple.  So all I baked was a  bit of a ugly semolina loafs.

They taste yummy but doesn't look pretty.  Most likely due to  power going out  mid baking and came back 5 minutes later.

[Anna N]

I would make this again in a heartbeat!

This is Jeffrey Hamelman's semolina bread using a "flying sponge". That's a sponge made with yeast and given a short (relative) ferment. Gotta go for another slice!

[JohnT]

I would make this again in a heartbeat!

This is Jeffrey Hamelman's semolina bread using a "flying sponge". That's a sponge made with yeast and given a short (relative) ferment. Gotta go for another slice!

That looks oh, soooooo good!

[CatPoet]

 

The bread is as golden as  Anna N picture  but my bloody  mobile wont do it and the  SLR wont charge anymore and the  system camera  ( actually both of them ) is stuck in the bedroom where the child is sleeping and when she wakes up one or both loafs will be gone.

 

Anyway, this is a  white bread, made with  starter dough and main.  You start a  very  loose dough the night before and the next day you ad milk and  more flour. The flour this time was plain wheat and  semolina.