The Bread Topic (2016–)

[Captain]

21 hours ago, ElsieD said:

What do you all use to slash your dough prior to baking?

Just a sharp paring knife. I've given up on trying to be fancy.

[ElsieD]

18 hours ago, heidih said:

Those cheap (unfotunately 9/11 flash back) box cutters work well http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/3784/box-cutter-lame

 

The slashing idea that one poster wrote about was interesting.  He mentioned slashing after shaping but before rising.

[rotuts]

Im a terrible slasher.

 

too timid on such a puffed up dough

 

Ive always thought the slash had to be just before the bread goes into a hot , moist over

 

to get a ' boost ' you might not get on dough that had dried out a bit on the surface during the rise

 

and became a bit tougher than the dough just underneath

 

Im wondering how the ' boost ' works w a slash at the beginning of the rise .

 

 

[lindag]

It's cold today with lots of snow on the ground.  A good day for baking!

I came across this recipe for Texas Roadhouse Rolls 

I've never made these before but the recipe is simple and they sound good to go with my 4 B's Tomato Soup

[Ann_T]

 

Today's Bake.

 

Sourdough Rye.

Fed my starter before leaving for work yesterday morning and made a biga using 80g of the discard.

Moe put the starter in the fridge around 2:00 PM because it had already doubled. And the biga went into a batch of rye bread last night. Dough was given a cold fermentation over night.

Took a while for the dough to come to room temperature and start to rise. Finally went into the oven around 4:00 PM. Two large sourdough rye. Next time I think I will make four smaller loaves.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Tonight's loaves.  My back's been out so I've been forced to make haste slowly.

 

 

 

As a scientist I am ashamed.  I changed at least three variables:

 

For this batch mixing was one minute on speed 1 of the KitchenAid and three minutes on speed 4.  But the poolish was beginning to collapse by the time I started so I added half again more yeast to compensate.

 

Normally for the boule I'd steam bake thirty minutes, per Modernist Bread.  This time I switched from steam bake to convection bake for the final fifteen minutes.  The jury is still out.  Though I must say the crust feels lighter and more fragile.

 

When I finish off my Mississippi punch I'll go cut into the baguette.*  Cheese and wine are waiting.**

 

 

*if I can still stand.

 

**as is a little green apple.

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Baguette at least was excellent.  Nice translucent crumb that is doesn't always have.  Rest will be my lunch for work in a few hours.

 

 

[hongda]

First attempt at no knead focaccia.   Small holes, cakey texture, but it's bread!!!!  Dog and I are happy. 

[BetD]

On 2/10/2019 at 8:30 AM, Ann_T said:

I know that I have mentioned this before.  BUT, I LOVE THE CSO.

 

I had an unexpected snow day on Friday.  Since I wasn't going into work I decided to bake.  I fed the starter and then used the discard in another batch of bread dough.

 

I have been baking one loaf at a time on a stone in the CSO and baking three at a time in the Oster oven.    Although the Oster bakes fine, it doesn't steam, and there is a difference in the crust in appearance.  

 

The CSO creates a beautiful shine on the crust.   And the crust seems to be thinner with a nice crackle. 

 

I started each loaf in the CSO on the Bread steam setting.   Gave each loaf 12 to 14 minutes before transferring to the stone in the Oster.  

Another advantage to finishing in the Oster is I'm no longer worried about the top of a loaf burning in the CSO.  Usually in the CSO I need to slide a piece of foil over the top of the loaf for the last 5 minutes or so, to prevent the tops from becoming to dark or burning. 

 

I'm seriously debating buying a second CSO.  Missed a sale Friday at Best Buy.  The CSO was on for $199. CAD.    

 

 

What temps are you using in each oven? Those are such pretty loaves, but yours always are. 

[Ann_T]

1 hour ago, BetD said:

 

What temps are you using in each oven? Those are such pretty loaves, but yours always are. 

Thanks @BetD  .   Both ovens were set at their max of 450°F.  And I used the Turbo Convection setting on the Oster.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

 

Jury returned and my boule crust was my finest ever.  Once again I must call out Modernist Bread for bad advice.  This was 15 minutes steam, 15 minutes no steam.  Really, no comparison.

 

[Ann_T]

18 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Jury returned and my boule crust was my finest ever.  Once again I must call out Modernist Bread for bad advice.  This was 15 minutes steam, 15 minutes no steam.  Really, no comparison.

 

Look at the beautiful shine on the crust. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, Ann_T said:

Look at the beautiful shine on the crust. 

 

I'm thinking next time to try 10 minutes steam, 20 minutes no steam and see what happens.

 

 

Edit:  even so, as I remember, even full 30 minutes steam is preferable to the bread setting.  I suspect the bread setting doesn't steam for long enough, at least for a boule.

 

Edited February 21, 2019 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[Ann_T]

9 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I'm thinking next time to try 10 minutes steam, 20 minutes no steam and see what happens.

 

 

Edit:  even so, as I remember, even full 30 minutes steam is preferable to the bread setting.  I suspect the bread setting doesn't steam for long enough, at least for a boule.

 

 

@JoNorvelleWalker, I do have to disagree with you a bit.   I've tried using just the steam bake and a combination of steam bake and then switching to convection bake without steam, but I always come back to the bread setting. 

 

I find I get the best crust using the bread setting without having to make any adjustments.    

[JoNorvelleWalker]

9 hours ago, Ann_T said:

@JoNorvelleWalker, I do have to disagree with you a bit.   I've tried using just the steam bake and a combination of steam bake and then switching to convection bake without steam, but I always come back to the bread setting. 

 

I find I get the best crust using the bread setting without having to make any adjustments.    

 

Thanks, I may give the bread setting another try.  Do you preheat your CSO?  I have a half inch steel plate in mine and I preheat for at least an hour.

 

[Ann_T]

@JoNorvelleWalker
  I do. I preheat a stone on the convection bake and switch to the bread setting when the bread goes in the oven.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I didn't bake today, but for a test I ran the CSO bread function and timed it.  From the audio and visual cues it appears the bread function applies steam for the first eight minutes of the cycle.  I question if eight minutes is really long enough to be ideal.  Hamelman calls for steam until the bread colors.  I'm sure there is a discussion somewhere in Modernist Bread about how long to steam in general, though I am still puzzled why MB calls for baking on the steam-bake function.  Not that bread baked on the steam-bake function is bad by any means.  Sad that @nathanm never shows up anymore.

 

Anyhow Hamelman's book Bread is a whole lot easier to lift.

 

Another puzzlement:  although I wasn't baking I was retrograding the starch of a several day old loaf.  I do this often using steam and then convection bake.  What I noticed this time was that the bottom burnt.  No big deal for my dinner as I can just cut the burnt parts off.  But now I question if the bread function is really, really doing the same thing as steam-bake followed by convection bake.  I never recall the bottom having burnt before.

[Ann_T]

@JoNorvelleWalker   I don't know how long the steam function is operating before switching to just bake, all I know is that I've tried the various options and for me, the Bread setting does the best job.   I'm wondering if because the oven is so, so small that

eight minutes of constant steam is sufficient.   It is about a third of the full baking time.   

 

@BetD, a follow up on your question about oven temperatures.   I bought a small oven thermometer this week and tested the temperature settings in the Oster.  I tested first on regular bake and it was quite accurate at all the settings.

 

The last temperature I tested was 450°F on the turbo convection setting and the temperature got up to 500°F which is what I was hoping for.  That is the setting I have been using the most for when I bake bread in the Oster. 

 

I haven't tried testing the temperatures in the CSO yet.  Maybe I'll try that this week.

 

Edited February 24, 2019 by Ann_T (log)

[Ann_T]

Fed my starter again yesterday morning before leaving for work.  And made a Biga with the discard.

The starter went back into the fridge when I got home and the Biga went into a batch of dough last night

and then into the fridge overnight.

 

Moe will take it out this afternoon in time for it to warm up and rise and is destined for pizza tonight. 

[BetD]

1 hour ago, Ann_T said:

Fed my starter again yesterday morning before leaving for work.  And made a Biga with the discard.

The starter went back into the fridge when I got home and the Biga went into a batch of dough last night

and then into the fridge overnight.

 

Moe will take it out this afternoon in time for it to warm up and rise and is destined for pizza tonight. 

 

Looks to be absolutely burbling with pleasure.

Edited February 24, 2019 by BetD (log)

[lindag]

Today's loaf is KAF's recipe for Peasant Bread.

 

 

[ElsieD]

33 minutes ago, lindag said:

Today's loaf is KAF's recipe for Peasant Bread.

 

 

 

Once you have cut into it, can you post a picture of the crumb?

[lindag]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

 

Once you have cut into it, can you post a picture of the crumb?

Will do.

[ChocoMom]

@Ann_T Thank you so much for posting the link to the Kaiser rolls!!!   I was surprised to have some much-needed down time this week, and a need for Kaisers. So....I made them- not once, not twice, but three times this week!!! (There was a fourth time, but I had a temporary memory lapse, and ended up making a round loaf of bread in my Dutch oven with that same dough.)

 

My entire family thanks you, as well!!  The recipe is now engrained in my memory.  

[lindag]

2 hours ago, lindag said:

Will do.

 

Here's the slice...no big holes but very nice flavor.