The Bread Topic (2009 – 2014)

[Aloha Steve]

Here's the Pumpernickel recipe I use.

Many thanks, copy and pasted and am looking forward to making it soon.

Happy New Year.

Edited December 30, 2009 by Aloha Steve (log)

[Isabelle Prescott]

Here's the Pumpernickel recipe I use.

Many thanks, copy and pasted and am looking forward to making it soon.

Happy New Year.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Happy New Year.

[tino27]

Hey everybody ... some great looking breads on this thread. I just wanted to add a few items that might help some of you new bakers.

First, love love LOVE the idea of creating steam to help with the ovenspring of your breads. Instead of using ice cubes, however, use hot water (as in out of your sink's tap). The problem with ice cubes is that they have to go through two phase changes in order to be useful as steam and thus sap more energy out of the oven than when you just use already hot water.

Second, I cannot recommend using instant yeast enough in almost all of your recipes. SAF Red was mentioned in one of the posts and I either use this or Fleishmann's and have always had success. Given that a 1 pound bag will last you the better part of a year if kept in a sealed container and in your fridge or freezer, it is a bargain compared to buying single packets of active dried or fresh cake yeast. You can get instant yeast locally at Sam's Club or on-line at either King Arthur or on Amazon.

Third, time equals flavor. When doing a classic French bread recipe where the only ingredients are water, flour, yeast, and salt, you need to give your dough as much time as possible to develop flavors through enzymatic action. While retarding the dough overnight in the cooler will give you nice results, I find that a better use of my time is to make a poolish (equal parts by weight flour and water with just a pinch of instant yeast) in the morning before I go to work. By the time I get home it is nice and bubbly. Add that into the remainder of ingredients in your recipe and you will be rewarded with a lovely complex, slightly sour taste to your finished product, whether they be baguettes, batards, fougasse, epi, boules, etc.

If you want to see how a poolish is made and what it is supposed to look like, check out the entry I wrote for the last eGullet Heartland Gathering in Kansas City earlier this year, Focaccia Is Fantastic

Sure, it is focaccia and not French bread, but the technique is the same for both.

Edited December 30, 2009 by tino27 (log)

[Aloha Steve]

Great post tino27.

I have started using SAF red and keep it in the freezer in between baking.

Hot water instead of ice, make all the sense, from no on thats a go.

Developing a poolish is the next thing i will incorporate.

Thanks for the tips!

[dougal]

Just some notes amplifying Tino27's comments.

"Steam". Yes use hot, or better boiling, water. NEVER ice.

Ice produces visible fog - which the gullible think of as the "steam" that you want.

BUT if you can see it, it must be below the boiling point of water (212F/100C at sea level).

You'd like the water vapour to be at oven temperature.

And at that temperature, its invisible. Because, at oven temperature it is in the form of real vapour, rather than a mist of tiny droplets of liquid water (which cannot exist above 212F/100C, sea level, standard air pressure).

So rejoice, don't worry, if you "can't see it" -- that doesn't automatically mean that it has left the building.

"Instant-mix yeast". Its great stuff.

But, if you can, avoid "bread machine" yeasts loaded with 'improvers'. (Check the ingredients listing carefully - ascorbic/ascorbate/VitaminC is benign, and stearate is what makes it mix instantly - anything else is unfortunate.)

And be sure to use LESS of it than you might with "active dried". About 1/4 less. (Regardless of what the US yeast manufacturers say.)

For storage, there's no need whatsoever to keep instant mix yeast in the freezer.

Its storage enemy is dampness. Freezing and defrosting tends to produce condensation. Which is bad.

So store it cool (that's to say not hot), but more importantly, SEALED and DRY.

You can keep your working supply (maybe a month's worth) in a small sealed jar (or snap-lock box) in the fridge, with your stockpile in a different jar (so it only gets opened occasionally). A FoodSaver (or similar VacPac) bag is ideal for the stockpile, but not so practical for your 'using' supply.

"Time".

Fermentation time is an essential ingredient of good bread.

But like any other ingredient, an excess is counter-productive. Bread dough goes flabby and flat with excess fermentation.

Fermentation time and temperature are related (in a very non-linear way).

But yes, longer (and cooler) gives more flavour.

And if you use a bit less yeast, fermentation will take longer at a particular temperature, resulting in even more flavour - and incidentally, bread that goes stale more slowly!

And that takes you towards biga, poolish and sponge methods.

To see where this thinking ultimately leads, read (but don't necessarily live by) Reinhart's Whole Grain book.

Enjoy!

Edited December 30, 2009 by dougal (log)

[Isabelle Prescott]

I have started to paint my risen loaves with water and a pastry brush just before placing them in the oven. This seems to work as well for me as hot or boiling water in the bottom of the oven. Add a second painting of water about 10 minutes into the baking time.

[Aloha Steve]

Made 100% Whole Wheat Rustic Bread from Peter Reinhart's "Artisan Breads Every Day"

It smells like heaven in here. I hope I can wait till it cools properly before tearing into it !

[kellytree]

Bread made this am.

It tastes great.

Last time I made bread I left the little bit of dough (with yeast)stuck on the bowl ... once dry I added some water and used it as a faux starter. Added a bit of water and flour every day for 3 days and then about 1 lb of flour and the water required (and salt) to make a sloppy dough - stuck it in the fridge over night - pulled it out this am- mixed well and then put on a baking sheet - left to rise for about 3 hours - and then in the oven (regular one not the brick).

Despite the big cave between the top crust and crumb I am satisfied with the result.

[Aloha Steve]

Bread made this am.

It tastes great.

Last time I made bread I left the little bit of dough (with yeast)stuck on the bowl ... once dry I added some water and used it as a faux starter. Added a bit of water and flour every day for 3 days and then about 1 lb of flour and the water required (and salt) to make a sloppy dough - stuck it in the fridge over night - pulled it out this am- mixed well and then put on a baking sheet - left to rise for about 3 hours - and then in the oven (regular one not the brick).

Despite the big cave between the top crust and crumb I am satisfied with the result.

Looks great nice bubbles !

[Aloha Steve]

Challah from P.R. Artisan Breads Every Day

Before first proof....

Just out of the oven...

[Aloha Steve]

Challah from P.R. Artisan Breads Every Day

Before first proof....

Just out of the oven...

I usually am pretty hard on my cooking results. With that being said, this is equal to the most successful breads, in terms of what was supposed to happen, including adjusting for a mistake or two on my part, that I've made to date. I have not had mainland challah for about 20 years, although I've had our local bagel place's rendition in the last 6 months.

This is the BEST tasting challah bread I remember ever tasting.

I'm quoting our own Marlene "The Challah bread was a huge hit. Much much better than the recipe in BBA! " And she would know what's good and what's not!

[Blether]

This is the BEST tasting challah bread I remember ever tasting.

It looks totally professional too. I'm impressed.

[Marlene]

That looks fabulous! Bravo!

[Lindsey]

Anyone got any advice for working with spelt flour? I am trying to find a spelt pita recipe to no avail, have made the straight loaf but was very heavy, good flavour though.

[Marlene]

By the way, Aloha Steve, leftover Challah makes really good french toast the next day!

[Kerry Beal]

By the way, Aloha Steve, leftover Challah makes really good french toast the next day!

And really great lemon bread pudding!

[Aloha Steve]

By the way, Aloha Steve, leftover Challah makes really good french toast the next day!

And really great lemon bread pudding!

They both sound delicious.

[CKatCook]

I am sorry I don't have any pictures, but I made jalapeno chedder bread. Turned out like heaven!

[baroness]

Toasted Sesame and Sunflower Loaf, from King Arthur Flour's "Whole Grain Baking" -- definitely a keeper! Next time, I want to add some sort of cooked rice, like one does for Struan.

[Beth Wilson]

Anyone got any advice for working with spelt flour? I am trying to find a spelt pita recipe to no avail, have made the straight loaf but was very heavy, good flavour though.

I am no expert on alternative flours, but I have a couple of books and am going to try. What I have noticed about alot of the recipes is more than one type of flour is used.

If you google 'spelt flour recipes for bread' and a lot of recipes come up. I am planning on trying this one myself - http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/honey-spelt-bread

I admit I have been procrastinating on baking with alternative flours as most people seem to discuss their first attempts as doorstops. Keep on trying, it seems to be a learn as you go process.

[Lindsey]

Anyone got any advice for working with spelt flour? I am trying to find a spelt pita recipe to no avail, have made the straight loaf but was very heavy, good flavour though.

I am no expert on alternative flours, but I have a couple of books and am going to try. What I have noticed about alot of the recipes is more than one type of flour is used.

If you google 'spelt flour recipes for bread' and a lot of recipes come up. I am planning on trying this one myself - http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/honey-spelt-bread

I admit I have been procrastinating on baking with alternative flours as most people seem to discuss their first attempts as doorstops. Keep on trying, it seems to be a learn as you go process.

Thanks Beth, I did, however, forget to say I need the recipe to be no sugar or honey, will persevere and report back.

[tino27]

I have started to paint my risen loaves with water and a pastry brush just before placing them in the oven. This seems to work as well for me as hot or boiling water in the bottom of the oven. Add a second painting of water about 10 minutes into the baking time.

At 10 minutes into the baking process, any ovenspring you hope to achieve will be complete. Repainting the loaves with water isn't necessary at this point. The nice thing about throwing a 1/2 cup of hot water onto a pre-heated pan is that you can do it quickly so as to minimize heat loss in the oven.

[robirdstx]

Simple Crusty Bread - this is the first bread loaf I have attempted in over 30 years. The first one had made a very good doorstop - I had no clue about yeast and killed it very well! I think I did better this time.

We liked the crust but the crumb, though moist, was denser (heavier) than we were hoping for. Suggestions for improvement are most welcome.

[Isabelle Prescott]

Painting with water twice gives me a chewier crust. I don't know that it has anything to do with oven spring. I'm not an expert... just an experimenter.

[Aloha Steve]

Made two completely different types of bread today.

This is call Raisin Rye and it looks great. Looks like a big muffin top !

This next bread is called "Warm Comfort Bread"..its a sour dough, no added yeast bread. So far, I am 3 for 3 for breads using a starter. ALL DUDS.

This would be better called "Round Door Stop Boule"

Oh well can't win them all.