On 3/29/2017 at 8:41 PM, Katie Meadow said:So the main question is this: if a recipe for bread says simply "polenta" what would you do? Personally I would decide for myself whether I liked my cornmeal medium or fine grind
I don't think it makes any real difference in breads. It might be notable in white breads that suppose to be light and fine, but those rarely contains cornmeal anyway. Do make sure to measure by weight and not by volume.
Today's bake shows you the importance of proofing. This slightly weird looking challah bread is the result of me not being able to remove the dough from the fridge in time, therefore it had not enough time to relax, making rolling the dough strands harder, but even worse, leaving me with not enough time to let the bread proof before baking. It had 20 minutes, instead of the planned 60 to 80. I heated the oven to 190dC, and as you can see, the bread expended without being relaxed and stretched enough to contain it. This effect of under proofing is useful with breads which are scored and where a large ear is desired. However in challa, no scoring is made and the dough is forced to expend from the weak spots between the braids, resulting in this very specific look. The inner texture and flavor are still as good. I let it chill a little, then gave it s short second bake to warm and crisp just before serving.
I also baked a raisin loaf and hamburger buns from the same dough, to be used in the near future.
