The Bread Topic (2016–)

[PatrickT]

Panis Quadratus - an ancient sourdough loaf from Pompeii - made with 100% red fife, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, nigella seeds and anise seeds. The anise seeds give this bread an amazing aroma. The gluten network that developed in the dough was like something I've never seen. Will post a crumb shot and tasting notes a bit later.

 

EDIT: I’m not even sure how to adequately describe this loaf. The crumb is very dense and chewy, as is the crust - it feels very substantial and hearty as you eat it. Doubtless, this loaf would benefit from a much longer drying time, so I’ll add any interesting changes I observe over the next couple of days. The flavor from the seeds is simply incredible - they are almost woodsy. My thought after my very first bite was “Hmm - I don’t think I care for that” but the more I ate the wedge I broke off, the more complex and interesting the flavors became. I actually REALLY love this one. It’s like nothing I’ve ever had. Might try this again and bake it same day, instead of adding an overnight cold retard. I would also mix and fold the dough in an oiled bowl, so I could more easily remove it after BF and avoid damaging that amazing gluten network. 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by PatrickT
Added crumb shot and tasting notes. (log)

[rotuts]

#PatrickT 

 

fantastic.

 

how did you shape the round loaf ?

 

is the second pic above the pre[bake loaf ?

[PatrickT]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

#PatrickT 

 

fantastic.

 

how did you shape the round loaf ?

 

is the second pic above the pre[bake loaf ?

Thank you! 😃

 

I shaped it like a boule and proofed it in a round banneton. After removing it from the banneton, I tied a piece of string around it, as per the instructions. I removed that immediately after baking. 
 

And yes - the second pic above is the pre-bake loaf (before I sprinkled on the sesame seeds).  

Edited June 28, 2023 by PatrickT (log)

[rotuts]

so , strings created the indentations ?

[PatrickT]

7 minutes ago, rotuts said:

so , strings created the indentations ?

No - I used a long skewer to do that. Just pressed it down all the way to the counter 4 times to create the wedges. It was very easy. 

[Ann_T]

On 6/28/2023 at 7:30 AM, PatrickT said:

OH MY!!!.  I'm imagining just how delicious this bread is.  

 

I haven't baked recently.  Been too hot to have the oven on.

Started two batches of dough very early Saturday morning, one was 500g of flour and the other 600g. The 600g went into the fridge and the 500g  was left out

for Matt to make pizza. Matt used 500g and with the remaining 350g of dough I baked a small oval.

 

Took the second dough out of the fridge after 8:00 PM and left it out on the counter over night and it was

ready to use by 3:30 AM. Baked four baguettes. 

Sliced one of the baguettes last night.  How is this for shine?

[PatrickT]

2 hours ago, Ann_T said:

How is this for shine?

Love it! 😍

[PatrickT]

2 hours ago, Ann_T said:

OH MY!!!.  I'm imagining just how delicious this bread is.

It was delicious - thank you! 😃

[PatrickT]

Last week’s bake - a cheddar jalapeño loaf. Absolutely delicious flavor - especially toasted! 😍

 

 

[PatrickT]

I've been watching some YouTube videos lately from Proof Bakery. They are all fascinating and I highly recommend them - especially the ones that show him baking multiple loaves in his professional ovens in the bakery. He has a very relaxed, easy-going, narrative approach that is easy to listen to, in spite of the length of many of his videos.

 

One video that I watched yesterday included a couple of interesting techniques that others might find helpful in their baking efforts. The first is the rubaud/bassinage technique, which he begins demonstrating in the video at about the 29 minute mark. The second is his batard shaping technique, which begins at about the 54 minute mark. I have to say, this one really interests me and I'm definitely going to give it a whirl with the loaf I'm making today - a honey lavender apricot sourdough with toasted pecans. I'll share my results with that later tomorrow.

Edited July 12, 2023 by PatrickT (log)

[PatrickT]

This morning’s bake. A slightly modified version of Maurizio Leo’s recipe, this is a honey lavender apricot sourdough with toasted pecans. I over-hydrated the dough a bit, but this is actually an incredibly delicious loaf of bread! There is a delightful sweetness from both the apricots and the addition of honey. There is just a hint of lavender - it’s not overpowering at all. I actually find that it lingers on your tongue long after you finish the slice. Moreover, when sliced, the crumb is just visually stunning. The apricots are almost shockingly orange and contrast beautifully with the dark brown pecans. The crumb is super moist and the crust has a delicate crunch. I’m actually over the moon with this from the flavor perspective. I’ll definitely make this again and try to adjust the hydration for a better aesthetic result… but wow. Love this one!

 

 

[Maison Rustique]

@PatrickT, thank you for posting that. I am drooling!!

[PatrickT]

1 hour ago, Maison Rustique said:

@PatrickT, thank you for posting that. I am drooling!!

Thanks! Super yummy! 😍

[lemniscate]

On 7/10/2023 at 7:09 AM, Ann_T said:

I haven't baked recently.  Been too hot to have the oven on.

Amen!   I'm on a summer sabbatical from bread baking now.   I will patronize the local bakeries for bread for the next couple months.  They can deal with the oven heat better.

[Ann_T]

45 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

Amen!   I'm on a summer sabbatical from bread baking now.   I will patronize the local bakeries for bread for the next couple months.  They can deal with the oven heat better.

Thankfully I always have some baguettes in the freezer.

 

It has cooled off enough to bake.  Started a batch of dough last night and left out on the counter until

3:30 this morning. Last baguette out of the oven before 6 AM. 

 

Baked six baguettes. 

Edited to add Crumb Photo

Edited July 14, 2023 by Ann_T (log)

[Ann_T]

I had made three batches of dough Tuesday morning and two went into the fridge immediately after the last stretch and fold.

One batch (600g flour) was left out and used to make a couple of pizzas.

The larger batch (1000g flour) came out of the fridge Tuesday night

and left on the counter overnight and I baked Baguettes and a round Wednesday morning.

The third batch (600g flour) remained in the fridge until Friday when Matt took it out, divided it in half,

used one half for pizza and put the other half immediately back into the fridge.

Wasn't sure after five days whether this dough would still have some life left in it,

but I took it out of the fridge last night before bed and by 4:00 AM this morning it had more than doubled.

So, I stretched it out, added some shredded cheddar and shaped it into a ciabatta loaf.

I figured I had nothing to lose.

And besides I always tell everyone that bread dough is very forgiving and really difficult to screw up.

I think this little Ciabatta proves the point.

Made Moe a bacon sandwich on toasted ciabatta for breakfast.

[Ann_T]

I hadn't fed my starters in a while. Maybe 6 or 8 weeks.

So I fed them both yesterday, one with my regular bread flour and the other with the Organic Rye that I always use to feed.

I used 55g of the discard from the rye fed starter and added it

to 55g of water and 142g of my bread flour with a tiny pinch of salt and made a Levain.

And I made a second Levain using 142g of flour, pinch of salt, 1g of yeast and 15g of the white starter.

Left both starters and levains out on the counter while I was at work.

The starters more than doubled, and both levains were very active.

Especially the one with the g of yeast and the tiny bit of discard. Blew the top off of the container.

I made two batches of dough last night.

Added the sourdough levain to 1000g of flour, 30g of salt and 680 g of water.

And the Yeast based levain was also added to , 1000g of flour, 30g of salt and 680g of water.

After the last stretch and folds the yeast based dough went into the fridge and the sourdough batch

was left out on the counter overnight and was ready to use by 3:30 AM this morning.

 

Divided and preshaped.

 Finished shaping. And left to proof.

Baked 8 sourdough baguettes.

Sliced one while still warm for Moe's breakfast.

 

Started another levain this morning with 1g of yeast and 15g of the white starter and

tonight I'll make another batch of dough to go into the fridge and will pull out the batch that is in the fridge

and will bake that one tomorrow morning.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Ann_T (log)

[PatrickT]

Love those starters @Ann_T! Beautiful baguettes as well. 
 

I made a rye porridge sourdough with Greek olives earlier in the week. Absolutely delicious! Pics below. 

 

Today, I’m working on a recipe I developed - a Moscow Mule sourdough, made with ginger beer, lime zest and chopped mint leaves. If it turns out, I’ll post the recipe and pictures. 
 

 

[Tropicalsenior]

When I made my Sunday meat buns I wanted something different so I try to recipe from Hawaii called Manapua Meat Filled Buns. Since Hoisin sauce is already sweet it seemed to me that the amount of honey that they added was a bit much. I cut it down by a quarter and next time I will cut it down more because they are worth making again.

I made it with my own light brioche dough so I had a little bit left over for a small loaf of bread.

These are made with pork and they are delicious.

They probably would have been better if I could have used the onion and the garlic but in our house that is The Impossible Dream.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[Ann_T]

@Tropicalsenior, those look so good.   I would love to make something like that, but without the sweetness. 

Do they freeze well?

 

 

Today's bake.

This dough was started with a Levain and the dough went into the fridge Saturday night and taken out last night

and left on the counter overnight.  Baked this morning.

[Tropicalsenior]

14 minutes ago, Ann_T said:

Do they freeze well

They do freeze well although I never seem to have enough left over to freeze.

If you don't like the sweetness perhaps you would prefer the char siu boa that I posted a while back. The dough is very similar to the one that I use regularly for my stuffed meat buns. The one advantage of this recipe is that the filling and the dough always come out even. I've made them from tiny golf ball size, (a real PITA), to croquet size balls and the filling still comes out even. I've also used the same recipe with ground pork and ground beef instead of the diced pork.

Edited July 24, 2023 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[PatrickT]

Moscow Mule sourdough - my own recipe. A baking buddy thought my idea for this was insane... and he was right. It's insanely good! 😂

• Central Milling High Mountain bread flour
• 73% ginger beer
• 20% starter
• 2.5% chopped fresh mint leaves (would try 5% next time)
• 2% salt
• Zest of 1 lime (500g flour weight)

The aroma is very limey. The flavor is mostly lime-forward, with a touch of gingery sweetness from the ginger beer. I get a little mint, but not much. Crumb is soft and delicious. Crust is thin, crispy and chewy. Very impressed with this High Mountain bread flour - wonderful flavor!

 

 

[Ann_T]

On 7/24/2023 at 8:10 AM, PatrickT said:

The aroma is very limey. The flavor is mostly lime-forward, with a touch of gingery sweetness from the ginger beer. I get a little mint, but not much. Crumb is soft and delicious. Crust is thin, crispy and chewy. Very impressed with this High Mountain bread flour - wonderful flavor!

What an interesting combination of flavours.

I love your perfect rabbit. Ears and tail. 

 

I probably did this in the wrong order, but I decided to buy a Baking Steel.  The one I bought

is just slightly bigger than the stone I currently use and have for years.   The stone is 14" X 20, and the 

steel I ordered is 14" X 22" X 3/8" and weighs 31lbs.  I should probably have read the thread on Baking Pizza on a Baking Steel first.

But I was hoping to find a thread dedicated to baking bread on a steel.

 

Does anyone here bake their baguettes/breads on a steel?

 

Mini baguettes, Claude size,  came out of the oven last night.

Baked for my little 5 year old pal. Claude and his mom have been in China for the last two months

visiting Xiao's family.   Promised him baguettes. 

And the small boules were baked early this morning.

 

Both doughs started with a levain with 1g of yeast and 15g of discard.

Levain was added to 1000g of flour, 30g of salt and 680g of water.

Made 12 hours apart, and both in the fridge immediately after the last stretch and folds.

Baguette dough was taken out of the fridge yesterday morning for last night's bake

and the dough for the Boules came out of the fridge last night around 9:00 PM  and the dough was ready to use at 3:30 AM this morning.

 

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by Ann_T (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

@Ann_T, I bake my bread on a steel, but due to health issues I haven't baked in months.

[Ann_T]

7 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

@Ann_T, I bake my bread on a steel, but due to health issues I haven't baked in months.

@JoNorvelleWalker, I'm sorry you are still dealing with health issues. Hope you are back to baking soon.

Thank you for letting me know that you use yours for bread.    I'm excited to get my steel.  Just noticed though that the size I need 14" X 22" x 3/8 isn't the norm

so it is custom made and will take three to four weeks.