The Bread Topic (2015-2016)

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Deryn said:

According the KA article I linked (or was it the one that keychris linked? sorry .. it was one of those about yeast etc. under BarneyDorfman's Starter Yeast and My Bread Machine thread) supposedly yeast has been 'improved' in recent years so that the power of the contents in the new smaller packages is the same as it was in the older, slightly larger ones. I find that interesting when it also comes at a time that manufacturers are, almost across the board, reducing content amounts in packages of just about everything (while keeping the package size the same) in order to achieve savings on their side while not increasing the package price to the consumer. It is a shill game - but perhaps in this case, they are telling the truth - who knows. Or perhaps, as noted above, the baker IS just slightly increasing rise times without realizing it to achieve the same results as they used to.

 

Anyway, your rye bread also looks wonderful, Anna. What adjustments did you make for the TMX method? I brought my TMX with me down south this time so I (thanks to you and Norm) may just try my hand at it too. I can almost smell it from here.

Swedish Rye from Norm Matthews via Farm Journal Bread

Adapted for Thermomix

7 grams active yeast
60 ml warm water

Prove yeast with water in small bowl. 

55 g brown sugar
85 g molasses (not blackstrap)
30 g butter (use equivalent amt of shortening, coconut oil or whatever floats your boat)
355 ml warm water (doesn't need to be boiling)

Place in TMX bowl and mix for one minute on speed 5

Add proved yeast and its liquid and mix 1 minute on speed 5

260 g rye flour

Add to TMX bowl and mix 1 minute on speed 5

425 g a/p flour
2-3 T caraway seeds
30 g salt 

Add to TMX bowl and mix 1 min on speed 5

Knead in TMX x 5 minutes. 

Tip dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead a couple of minutes adding just enough a/p flour to keep it from sticking. Follow the rest of the recipe as given. 

[DianaB]

Last night's sandwich bread.

 

[chefmd]

Just bought this beautiful Emile Henry bread baker.  My baking experience is very limited.  I can make a Saturday loaf from Flou Water Salt Yeast ant that's about it.  But I am determined to change it after drooling over the pictures in this thred. Can someone please recommend a recipe that can be made relatively easily? I like my bread savory, preferably without sugar added.  Olive bread recipe would be great.  

 

Bonus: this baker fits in my Cusinart steam oven.

 

[Anna N]

 

Two "sourdough" baguettes. Why the quotation marks? Well the recipe is called "Simple Homestyle Sourdough Baguettes".  It is by Leslie Land and was published in the NYT.   But if you look up the recipe you will see that the sourdough as it is called uses a minuscule amount of commercial yeast.   Some small percentage of one quarter of a teaspoon.   Still the purists among us would argue "that ain't sourdough".  But I don't care.  As someone who is sourdough challenged beyond belief (I have mixed up and abandoned more sourdough starters than Carter has liver pills) I found this a very satisfactory if long-winded exercise. It requires two 6 to 7 hour ferments and I ended up putting it in the fridge part way through the second.  The proof of course will be in the tasting once these cool down.

 

 

Edited to add: In terms of taste and texture these proved to be an epic fail.  No doubt to something I failed to do.

Edited May 15, 2016 by Anna N
To add note about result. (log)

[Shelby]

I can't believe I'm going to post this picture.

 

I made the ugliest bagels in the history of anyone ever making bagels.

 

There has to be a name for bagels who have lost their holes.  You know, so that it looks like I did this on purpose?  

 

Not to mention how uneven and just damn ugly they  are lol.

 

I told Ronnie to gently discourage me the next time I got the itch to do this.

 

 

They taste good, though.  

[Anna N]

@Shelby

 

 You have my admiration for even making the attempt. Mind you I don't like bagels.

[chefmd]

@Shelby

 

Bialys, you baked bialys!  

[Shelby]

4 minutes ago, chefmd said:

@Shelby

 

Bialys, you baked bialys!  

Ah HA!  I knew I had done something wonderful LOL.

 

Ok, so everyone, disregard my post above.

 

Look how pretty my rustic bialys are.

 

[kayb]

Mine are always just the opposite -- I tend to stretch the holes TOO big. No matter; the taste is wonderful. I really enjoy bagels. I made some flavored with onion and garlic powder that were pretty excellent.

 

H'mmm. May have to put bagels on the menu plan for the week. First priority, though is a sandwich loaf tomorrow. I have a grandchild for the week, so sandwiches are in order.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

11 hours ago, Shelby said:

I can't believe I'm going to post this picture.

 

I made the ugliest bagels in the history of anyone ever making bagels.

 

There has to be a name for bagels who have lost their holes.  You know, so that it looks like I did this on purpose?  

 

Not to mention how uneven and just damn ugly they  are lol.

 

I told Ronnie to gently discourage me the next time I got the itch to do this.

 

 

They taste good, though.  

 

You know what, Shelby, those look like the best ever bagels/bialys for breakfast sandwiches. I always hate it when a warm liquid egg yolk oozes through the hole in a bagel. As long as they taste good, I would very happily munch on them. 

 

Kudos to you for trying, and they are one of the things on my bucket list I want to make as soon as I get a functional kitchen again.

[Shelby]

8 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

You know what, Shelby, those look like the best ever bagels/bialys for breakfast sandwiches. I always hate it when a warm liquid egg yolk oozes through the hole in a bagel. As long as they taste good, I would very happily munch on them. 

 

Kudos to you for trying, and they are one of the things on my bucket list I want to make as soon as I get a functional kitchen again.

I knew I liked you   Yes. That's exactly what I was doing.  The non-ooze bagel.  Lol

[Franci]

100% durum bread

 

 

[Anna N]

@Franci

 

Your bread looks amazing!  I have been learning a little about durum semolina flour which I know is very different than what we know as semolina. I am hoping to source some around here but know I have never seen it in the stores.  In her book One Dough, Ten Breads, Sarah Black calls it "patent" durum flour.   I may need to set @Kerry Beal on the trail of some in the GTA. 

[Franci]

Thanks, Anna. Nobody I know makes bread (or fresh pasta at home) with semolina. Only durum. Semolina will make a very dense bread. Here is pretty easy to find. I buy the Caputo brand but I've used King Arthur in the past.

The recipe comes from Adriano (he is truly amazing!), now I've put some dough on the side to try his second  version of durum bread.

I still think my bread could come much nicer if was not for my oven. I should try in the Cadco (where I've also a steam button, but I couldn't figure out from the instruction how to set  up the steam and my husband is too busy for it ).

Edited May 16, 2016 by Franci (log)

[Anna N]

22 minutes ago, Franci said:

Thanks, Anna. Nobody I know makes bread (or fresh pasta at home) with semolina. Only durum. Semolina will make a very dense bread. Here is pretty easy to find. I buy the Caputo brand but I've used King Arthur in the past.

The recipe comes from Adriano (he is truly amazing!), now I've put some dough on the side to try his second  version of durum bread.

I still think my bread could come much nicer if was not for my oven. I should try in the Cadco (where I've also a steam button, but I couldn't figure out from the instruction how to set  up the steam and my husband is too busy for it ).

 

this?

[Franci]

Yes! Here you can buy on Amazon

They call it semolina which is a mistake for me. On the product you read semola rimacinata. Rimacinata means "re-milled"=finely milled. You have different thickness of semolina in Italy, depending on the location. The semolina , which is called "semolino" in Italian,  is used for gnocchi alla romana, for some cakes or puddings. In Sardinia they traditionally use a flour a little coarser than durum to make some pasta or pie shells but it means it needs to be worked for very, very long time. Durum is semola rimacinata and is what we use for fresh pasta in the south and breads/focacce.

[Anna N]

18 minutes ago, Franci said:

Yes! Here you can buy on Amazon

They call it semolina which is a mistake for me. On the product you read semola rimacinata. Rimacinata means "re-milled"=finely milled. You have different thickness of semolina in Italy, depending on the location. The semolina , which is called "semolino" in Italian,  is used for gnocchi alla romana, for some cakes or puddings. In Sardinia they traditionally use a flour a little coarser than durum to make some pasta or pie shells but it means it needs to be worked for very, very long time. Durum is semola rimacinata and is what we use for fresh pasta in the south and breads/focacce.

Thank you.  Thank you. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've been most pleased with Antoine's Pasta Flour (100% durum semolina).

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Zerega's_Sons,_Inc.

 

 

Unfortunately the store where I purchased it closed around 2000, and I've not found a source for it since.  If anyone can find a source online I would love to know.

[kbjesq]

I've been making about 3-4 loaves of the New York Times no knead bread recipe each week for the past few weeks. I guess you could say I'm on a roll. LOL  I'd forgotten how easy and delicious it is.

By the way, I tried the "new and improved" version of the original recipe, (the fast rise version with 1 tbs of red wine vinegar),  and we did not like it at all. I stick with the original recipe, although I do double it because one small loaf doesn't even last 24 hours around here.

For a double batch, I find that baking with the lid on for 42 minutes and then removing the lid and baking for another 10 minutes at the suggested 450 degrees Fahrenheit temperature produces excellent results.

The odd thing about this bread -  maybe some of you have noticed it as well - is that the flavor seems to improve on the second day. 

[kbjesq]

On 5/10/2016 at 0:18 PM, Ann_T said:

Hand-mixed two batches of dough on Saturday morning. Both went into the fridge for a long bulk rise.  Both 750g at 72% hydration.

 

One batch taken out and baked early Monday morning.

 

Six small boules.

 

Second batch was taken out of the fridge early this morning.

 

 

and netted four baguettes.

 

@Ann_T my dear,  you should be crowned Queen of the Crumb.  I remain ever envious of the beautiful crumb that you consistently achieve!

[cakewalk]

6 hours ago, Franci said:

Yes! Here you can buy on Amazon

They call it semolina which is a mistake for me. On the product you read semola rimacinata. Rimacinata means "re-milled"=finely milled. You have different thickness of semolina in Italy, depending on the location. The semolina , which is called "semolino" in Italian,  is used for gnocchi alla romana, for some cakes or puddings. In Sardinia they traditionally use a flour a little coarser than durum to make some pasta or pie shells but it means it needs to be worked for very, very long time. Durum is semola rimacinata and is what we use for fresh pasta in the south and breads/focacce.

I don't understand the differences between durum and semolina, but it seems that they're more than linguistic differences. I use semolina in bread (I've never made pasta) because I love the texture it adds, but I use just a small amount. (I like to add about 1/2 cup semolina and 1/2 cup rye flour to about 3 cups bread flour.) I usually use the coarser semolina because I like its texture better in the bread. But I did once mess up a Carole Field recipe because she specifically called for finely milled semolina (which I guess is the durum you are talking about) and I didn't have enough, so I added some coarse semolina to it. I buy it at a shop in the neighborhood that sells it by the pound, not in packages, and they carry "semolina" and "fine semolina." Next time I go I will ask for durum flour, without mentioning the word semolina, and see what they tell me. The flour linked to on Amazon is very expensive, but it looks like I will have to give it a try, I'm very curious now. 

[kayb]

I had a strange thing happen tonight with two loaves of Rose Levy Berenbaum's potato sandwich bread. I thought the dough was a bit sluggish in rising, through both the first and second rises. But it shaped OK and looked like about the right volume in the loaf pans. Didn't get a real great rise out of the loaves, either, though they did just peep above the sides of the pan...barely. But when I put them in the oven, they not only got NO oven spring at all, but they actually FELL a little bit! My oven wasn't as hot as it should have been -- I had turned it down to cook something else, and hadn't turned it back up long before I put the loaves in, so it may not have been the 475 she calls for.

 

 

Oddly, the loaves TASTE fine. And the crumb is decent. They're not heavy or leaden the way I'd expected, at least the one I've cut is not. They're just squatty looking things.

 

Any idea what happened? Did the too-low oven temp to start do me in?

Edited May 17, 2016 by kayb (log)

[Anna N]

8 hours ago, cakewalk said:

I don't understand the differences between durum and semolina, but it seems that they're more than linguistic differences. I use semolina in bread (I've never made pasta) because I love the texture it adds, but I use just a small amount. (I like to add about 1/2 cup semolina and 1/2 cup rye flour to about 3 cups bread flour.) I usually use the coarser semolina because I like its texture better in the bread. But I did once mess up a Carole Field recipe because she specifically called for finely milled semolina (which I guess is the durum you are talking about) and I didn't have enough, so I added some coarse semolina to it. I buy it at a shop in the neighborhood that sells it by the pound, not in packages, and they carry "semolina" and "fine semolina." Next time I go I will ask for durum flour, without mentioning the word semolina, and see what they tell me. The flour linked to on Amazon is very expensive, but it looks like I will have to give it a try, I'm very curious now. 

I have had some epic failures thinking that semolina was the same thing as durum flour. The former is readily available in most supermarkets but I have never seen the flour that Francie is talking about.  I don't even see it on the Canadian Amazon.  

[Anna N]

 

This is pain de mie from Sarah Black's One Dough, Ten Breads.  I really enjoyed making this bread.  All her breads are handmade and while I usually find this very taxing, her method requires very little physical effort.   The end result was excellent also.  I did have to discard some of the dough as my Pullman pan is much smaller than the one she calls for.  

[Franci]

9 hours ago, cakewalk said:

I don't understand the differences between durum and semolina, but it seems that they're more than linguistic differences. I use semolina in bread (I've never made pasta) because I love the texture it adds, but I use just a small amount. (I like to add about 1/2 cup semolina and 1/2 cup rye flour to about 3 cups bread flour.) I usually use the coarser semolina because I like its texture better in the bread. But I did once mess up a Carole Field recipe because she specifically called for finely milled semolina (which I guess is the durum you are talking about) and I didn't have enough, so I added some coarse semolina to it. I buy it at a shop in the neighborhood that sells it by the pound, not in packages, and they carry "semolina" and "fine semolina." Next time I go I will ask for durum flour, without mentioning the word semolina, and see what they tell me. The flour linked to on Amazon is very expensive, but it looks like I will have to give it a try, I'm very curious now. 

 

Hi Cakewalk, semolina is just very coarse compared to durum. As you said, you use just a small amount, mix with other flours,  and that would be ok. The bread I made is 100% durum,  if you  make a 100% semolina bread it will be much denser than that.

Amazon prices are not always the best...and the high price is for the smallest quantity. My local deli repackage it, and I pay $3.29 a pound.