The Bread Topic (2016–)

[blue_dolphin]

Multigrain bread from David Lebovitz's My Paris Kitchen.  Recipe available online here.

 

I'll have to try this again as I dumped in a random amount of water instead of choosing the cup with the measured quantity.

I was hoping for something with a bit more chew. Makes good toast, though.

Edited July 7, 2017 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Shelby]

In anticipation of BLT's

 

[Shelby]

[kayb]

How are you baking with it this damn hot? I can't do it. Unless it goes in the CSO.

 

[Shelby]

I used the CSO.  My oven is full of my cast iron skillets and I can't be bothered to take them out lol.

[rotuts]

@Shelby  

 

have your tried the CSB outside , weather permitting ?

 

nice !

[lindag]

I bought a pound of deli Virginia ham and sliced Swiss cheese the other day.  I didn't think to buy my favorite deli rye bread.  Today I'm making KAFs  Sandwich Rye.  I've made it before and it's a favorite along with their Jewish Rye.

Now I just have to wait for it to come out of the oven.  

A friend taught me to smear yellow mustard on my ham before toasting the sandwich.

 

edited to fix link

Edited July 14, 2017 by lindag (log)

[liuzhou]

Where's my spade?

[Anna N]

37 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Where's my spade?

 Most interesting. I think I'll still stick with my oven though. 

[kayb]

Fascinating. In Hot Springs, AR, they brew beer with thermal water from the springs. Still have to heat it hotter, but it's already at 145F. Considerable savings on electricity to heat, plus it's damn good water and damn good beer.

[ElsieD]

I baked these brioche buns today, the dough was made yesterday and was kept in the fridge until this afternoon.  This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe for No-Knead Brioche Buns.  It is a richer recipe than the one I usually make in that the dough calls for 1/2 pound of butter and six eggs.  The recipe of course, does not call for the seed mixture but I like them atop the buns so put seeds on half of them.

[kayb]

I'd love to have that recipe, if you have a link, @ElsieD. 

 

It will, someday, cool off enough to bake bread again. I've been buying it at the Farmers' Market.

 

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

I'd love to have that recipe, if you have a link, @ElsieD. 

 

It will, someday, cool off enough to bake bread again. I've been buying it at the Farmers' Market.

 

 

@kayb  I sent you a PM

[lindag]

I 'm just starting up a new sourdough starter (my old one that had been in the back of the fridge had gone ugly)

and I need a  good recipe for Sourdough Rye.

Any suggestions for something not too difficult?

[ElsieD]

 I don't know if this is the right place to ask this but - does anyone have Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.  I am looking to get a book on whole grain breads and thought this might be the one to get, but before I do, I thought I would ask here.  Is there another book in place of this that you would recommend?

[kayb]

 

Buns, rolls, or whatever you want to call them. These are my standard dinner/sandwich roll; I make them big so they serve nicely for sandwiches later on. When they're completely cool, I'll freeze them in packages of two or three and enjoy them for two or three weeks. Hard to beat for a breakfast or lunch sandwich of most any description.

 

Recipe made 11 3.8-oz buns; couldn't remember if I used 3.5 or 3.8 for a dozen out of each batch of dough. Proofed in a warmed oven for 1.5 hours, made into rolls, oven rewarmed, proofed for another hour. I use a full tablespoon of yeast, to 4 cups flour, 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, an egg and 1 1/4 cups 105F to 110F water.

 

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by kayb (log)

[lindag]

I'd like to try the recipe...is that a 9-inch pan?

[kayb]

1 hour ago, lindag said:

I'd like to try the recipe...is that a 9-inch pan?

No, it's an 11 x 13 baking pan. 

 

To clarify a bit on the reicpe and process:

 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, put 2 cups of the flour, the salt, the yeast, the sugar and the butter. Pour in the water. Turn on mixer and mix until it's a batter of sorts, adding the beaten egg along the way. Add the other two cups of flour; you may need a little less, a little more, or to add a little more water. You want a soft dough that is not sticky. Knead with the dough hook for 3-4 minutes. I shape it into a ball by hand, spray the interior of the same bowl with oil, and then spritz the top of the dough, cover with a dish towel and let it rise. Because of the large amount of yeast, it'll rise relatively quickly, and is easy to overproof. I punch it down, shape the rolls, and put three across on a baking pan on parchment. Another spray with oil, cover with the towel again, another hour or so rise, then bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

You could certainly add an egg wash and seeds, etc., if you wanted seeded buns. I've also done these rolls with cheese and herbs added (add with the second batch of flour). They make very good savory sandwich-style roll-ups, cinnamon roll fashion; I've done ham and cheese that are very satisfactory.

[lindag]

46 minutes ago, kayb said:

No, it's an 11 x 13 baking pan. 

 

To clarify a bit on the reicpe and process:

 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, put 2 cups of the flour, the salt, the yeast, the sugar and the butter. Pour in the water. Turn on mixer and mix until it's a batter of sorts, adding the beaten egg along the way. Add the other two cups of flour; you may need a little less, a little more, or to add a little more water. You want a soft dough that is not sticky. Knead with the dough hook for 3-4 minutes. I shape it into a ball by hand, spray the interior of the same bowl with oil, and then spritz the top of the dough, cover with a dish towel and let it rise. Because of the large amount of yeast, it'll rise relatively quickly, and is easy to overproof. I punch it down, shape the rolls, and put three across on a baking pan on parchment. Another spray with oil, cover with the towel again, another hour or so rise, then bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

You could certainly add an egg wash and seeds, etc., if you wanted seeded buns. I've also done these rolls with cheese and herbs added (add with the second batch of flour). They make very good savory sandwich-style roll-ups, cinnamon roll fashion; I've done ham and cheese that are very satisfactory.

 

Thanks so much for the details!!!

[Anna N]

 

Damn. I knew I should've dropped that shelf a bit. Not my best effort but all things considered I'm not too disappointed...yet.  The recipe promised me the kind of sturdy bread  that I have been buying commercially. Until I cut into it only the kitchen gods know if the  recipe lived up to expectations. 

[JohnT]

Na! Nothing wrong with that loaf! It would be termed "a rustic artisan loaf" in a pro bakery. Did you add some diastatic malt to that scrumptious looking boule? It looks a bit "camarlised", as modern bakers would say.  I visualise some nice biltong pâté with a slice of that, on a nice summer evening - of course, washed down with your favourite wine. Ah roll on summer! We are expecting snow on our mountains tomorrow, so a wedge of that with a nice hot vegetable and beef soup will be just the way to go here. 

[Anna N]

 Thanks for the compliments but not nah.  It was a very simple recipe. Here.

I needed to fool around with the time so I used only 1/2 teaspoon of yeast in the starter and it was in the refrigerator for,  give or take, 48 hours.  It has a beautiful taste and I would certainly make it again and again but it did not live up to my expectations in terms of crumb. 

 

I was after a very close and sturdy crumb resembling that that I can buy in a commercial "country loaf".  Not sure how I get there from here.  

 

 

It is a nice fine crumb but not nearly the sturdy crumb I'm looking for. 

[JohnT]

I just went through the recipe you linked to and the hydration is pretty spot-on. Just two questions - did you use a high gluten flour and did you knead for long enough? Those are the only two factors that could, in my mind, influence the crumb structure. It just appears the gluten did not develope fully to keep the crumb together to your expectations.

[Anna N]

44 minutes ago, JohnT said:

I just went through the recipe you linked to and the hydration is pretty spot-on. Just two questions - did you use a high gluten flour and did you knead for long enough? Those are the only two factors that could, in my mind, influence the crumb structure. It just appears the gluten did not develope fully to keep the crumb together to your expectations.

 I used Robin Hood bread flour which I believe is 13 or 14% Protein content.  I can no longer knead by hand so it got five minutes in my Bosch.  I think the loaf turned out as it should but that my expectations based only on the photographs were not in line with the recipe.  

 

I am certain the term "country loaf" has no meaning of any consequence. But the crumb I find in the "country loaf" I buy  stands up well to toppings and fillings, toasts respectably, is not squishy and it can be relatively thinly sliced. 

[lindag]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

 Thanks for the compliments but not nah.  It was a very simple recipe. Here.

I needed to fool around with the time so I used only 1/2 teaspoon of yeast in the starter and it was in the refrigerator for,  give or take, 48 hours.  It has a beautiful taste and I would certainly make it again and again but it did not live up to my expectations in terms of crumb. 

 

I was after a very close and sturdy crumb resembling that that I can buy in a commercial "country loaf".  Not sure how I get there from here.  

 

 

 

It is a nice fine crumb but not nearly the sturdy crumb I'm looking for. 

That really is a good looking loaf, mine don't usually rise up that nicely, they tend to spread more.  What's your secret?