The Bread Topic (2014 –2015)

[mross]

Would cooking these rolls in the convection setting instead of the conventional oven setting produce a more even browning without me having to turn over the rolls half way through?

[patti_h]

Lately I have had flop after flop in the bread baking department- edible, but not what I was looking for. Luckily my boys will eat what I deem mistakes, however I tried a new recipe for their sandwich bread and today I produced an e-gullet worthy loaf (in my opinion!)

The recipe is from here: http://rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com/2009/01/buttermilk-honey-bread-pain.html

The loaves I made a couple days ago got rave reviews. This will be a keeper recipe!

[Smithy]

Very pretty!  What makes those seams?  Was that put together as a half-dozen balls of dough that rose together and were baked (like 'monkey bread', but a different flavor) or did you manage to put a braid into a loaf pan?

[patti_h]

Smithy, yes I braided it and put it in the loaf pan. After so many flops, I really wanted a pretty loaf!

[CatPoet]

I do  2- 3 loafs  a week, it most often something simple as porridge bread or  potato bread.  Do people want to see this?  I never bake any fancy because I bake to fill tummies.

[Ann_T]

Cat, I would love to see your loaves.   Bread doesn't have to be fancy to be good. 

 

~Ann

[JoNorvelleWalker]

As I was beginning my bread this evening I combined all the dry ingredients -- flour, salt, yeast -- however the water was not as cool as I would have liked, so I stuck some ice water in the refrigerator for a while.  And took a nap.

 

Which was a bit longer than I had intended.

 

When I awoke I carefully weighed and added the exact amount of water...twice.  I dumped in the poolish but dough just would not come together.  Eventually it hit me.  I scaled up the flour, salt, and yeast though at that point I could not do much about the poolish.

 

It will be interesting to see how tonight's baguette turns out, and how many beverages before dinner.

[CatPoet]

No bread baking  for me, my oven is behaving weirdly.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I paid more attention to my proofing tonight and my baguette was rewarded with five perfectly even slashes.  Same weird batch of dough as the other night.  I'm about to go find out how it tastes.  Triple crème brie was on sale today.  Thinking some Calvados might be nice...with grapes and apples.

 

If I can stop eating peanuts.

[Ann_T]

Yesterday's bread.  Hand-mixed late afternoon and baked last night.

 

72% Hydration.

 

 

Sliced this morning and toasted for breakfast.

[rotuts]

the above bread says : ' Butter, lots of Butter. '

[Ann_T]

Rotuts,  definitely.  Lots of butter.

 

 

Bagels fresh out of the oven. The dough was hand-mixed. Usually I knead the dough in the Magic Mill, but I had this bright idea that I would hand-mix using the autolyze and  stretch and fold methods.

Turns out this method is a lot easier to do with a dough that has a higher hydration. Bagel dough is a more stiff dough, at 56%.

 

I'm going to run over to the store and pick up some smoked salmon for dinner.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Ann_T (log)

[Ann_T]

Fed both sourdough starters last night and made two sourdough bigas with the excess.   Left on the counter overnight.  Handmixed two batches of dough, one with a white sourdough biga and the other with a Spelt sourdough biga.  

 

Baked both rounds and baguettes.

 

[Ann_T]

Cranberry and Pistachio Baguettes.

 

Dough was hand-mixed last night and left to rise in the fridge overnight.

 

 

[Anna N]

Crusty white bread from serious eats but divided into four small loaves as per Ann_T. None of that marvelous crumb structure that Ann manages to cultivate!

[Anna N]

This is cramique, a raisin bread from Belgium. The recipe is from Nick Malgieri's A Baker's Tour. It is obviously an acquired taste if you are accustomed to North American raisin bread. It is an enriched dough with egg yolks and milk but a mere teaspoon of sugar.

[Anna N]

Simple white sandwich bread again but missed muchly by family while I was on Manitoulin for three weeks!

[Smithy]

Maybe it's good that you went away for 3 weeks. If they'd been taking you for granted, they'll have stopped by now. :-)

[CatPoet]

 

A sesame loaf, the first I bake in a while due to being a bit under the weather,  store bought bread sucks and so says every one in the family.

 

[Ann_T]

CatPoet,  love the look of your sesame loaf.   My husband would agree with you.  He whines when he has to eat store bought bread, even if it is from one of the better bakeries.

 

Yesterday's bread.   Half small rounds and half mini baguettes.

 

The baguettes were made for brisket of beef sandwiches.

 

[CatPoet]

It taste as good as it looks,  I love  breads with seeds and nut toppings,  I am ponder to make a hazelnut loaf after this.

[Ann_T]

The best reason to make home-made bread is for the toast.  

[rotuts]

toast w lots of butter.  piping hot !

[Anna N]

Sandwich bread-- crust brushed with butter as soon as it came out of the oven. Will go home with son number two this evening.

[Anna N]

It is my granddaughter's birthday today so I made her a loaf of bread and a plate of brownies. Not sure which one will win her heart!