The Bread Topic (2016–)

dtremit · August 12, 2019

Late posting of some larger format loaves from last week. Needed a loaf to take along for a weekend away at a rental house, and as an added complication, I was only home for about 36 hours between a short business trip and leaving on vacation. So I decided to try putting my usual 50% WW sourdough in the fridge on Monday evening for baking on Thursday.

Below is the result, baked in a Le Creuset and a Lodge combo cooker. I ended up trying to nudge color development on top with the broiler, and overdid it a little, but the tiny bit of char only affected the looks.

I didn’t see a ton of difference in the dough after the long sit in the fridge, but the sourness was significantly more pronounced, almost at “San Francisco” levels. I think a shorter chill might end up being part of my routine.

dtremit · August 12, 2019

My other recent experiment was Detroit-style pizza (the Pepperoni Deluxe) from Reinhart’s “Perfect Pan Pizza.” His technique is frankly a pain in the rear — several folds spaced ~15 minutes apart followed by a 12+ hour chill, then four rounds of dimpling 20 minutes apart and a ~5 hour rise in the pan. I ended up baking the dough a couple of days late because I hadn’t read the times in the recipe right and didn’t want to serve dinner at midnight.

But the result transported me to the Downriver Italian bakery my grandfather used to get most of our bread from. Really on point, flavor wise. I used his suggestion of Muenster in place of locally unobtainable brick cheese and really couldn’t tell the difference.

Made his bacon and potato focaccia with the leftover dough, which was a bit past its prime by then. That one needs more tweaking — way too much herb oil as written (I cut it in half and it was still a bit excessive), and it needs a source of acid; the bites I ate with some roasted cherry tomatoes were *way* better.

Still, looking forward to playing with more of these recipes, particularly with summer produce.

MelissaH · August 12, 2019

17 hours ago, dtremit said:

My other recent experiment was Detroit-style pizza (the Pepperoni Deluxe) from Reinhart’s “Perfect Pan Pizza.” His technique is frankly a pain in the rear — several folds spaced ~15 minutes apart followed by a 12+ hour chill, then four rounds of dimpling 20 minutes apart and a ~5 hour rise in the pan. I ended up baking the dough a couple of days late because I hadn’t read the times in the recipe right and didn’t want to serve dinner at midnight.

But the result transported me to the Downriver Italian bakery my grandfather used to get most of our bread from. Really on point, flavor wise. I used his suggestion of Muenster in place of locally unobtainable brick cheese and really couldn’t tell the difference.

Made his bacon and potato focaccia with the leftover dough, which was a bit past its prime by then. That one needs more tweaking — way too much herb oil as written (I cut it in half and it was still a bit excessive), and it needs a source of acid; the bites I ate with some roasted cherry tomatoes were *way* better.

Still, looking forward to playing with more of these recipes, particularly with summer produce.

I haven't tried Reinhart's recipe for Detroit pizza yet, but the one on Serious Eats was relatively easy and (we thought) quite tasty. A friend from Ohio imported the brick cheese for us!

JoNorvelleWalker · August 13, 2019

Strange.

But then I was pulling up my beloved tomato plants while the loaves were proofing.

Ann_T · August 14, 2019

Yesterday's bake.

Baguettes and Pizza.

I pulled the last one of the 12 baguettes baked two weeks ago out of the freezer yesterday morning. I needed to bake.

Started a 1000g batch of dough for baguettes and a 750g batch for pizza.

When the dough was ready, I divided the 1000 batch in half and shaped 6 baguettes. The other half went into the fridge.

Used the 750 batch to make two pizzas for dinner and had enough dough left for two more baguettes.

One vegetarian pizza for Matt topped with Artichokes and Pesto.

And one Pepperoni and green olive for Moe and I to share.

Sliced one of the baguettes this morning for breakfast.

Margaret Pilgrim · August 14, 2019

@Ann_T Bravo! Fabulous crumb!

Okanagancook · August 17, 2019

We were watching The Great British Bake Off where they were making ciabatta. We have Paul Hollywood's Baking Book so I decided I would try making them. Followed the directions but they didn't really rise much in the oven. In this recipe he doesn't instruct one to put steam in the oven. Anyway, I tried the recipe a second time with exactly the same results. Any ideas as to why they didn't rise...only 1 to 1 1/2 inches.

The recipe is a very wet dough which is made in the stand mixer. The dough is left at room temp until doubled to tripled in size. The dough is cut into four pieces and rested for 10 minutes before baking. 430F for 25 minutes.

**ElsieD** · August 17, 2019

1 hour ago, Okanagancook said:

We were watching The Great British Bake Off where they were making ciabatta. We have Paul Hollywood's Baking Book so I decided I would try making them. Followed the directions but they didn't really rise much in the oven. In this recipe he doesn't instruct one to put steam in the oven. Anyway, I tried the recipe a second time with exactly the same results. Any ideas as to why they didn't rise...only 1 to 1 1/2 inches.

The recipe is a very wet dough which is made in the stand mixer. The dough is left at room temp until doubled to tripled in size. The dough is cut into four pieces and rested for 10 minutes before baking. 430F for 25 minutes.

No ideas but the crumb looks good.

Margaret Pilgrim · August 17, 2019

I think yours look just fine! Ciabatta, as I know it and as Paul's own photos show, is a flattish bread. No more than 2" high at most. The best artisan loaves that I can buy are less than that. They depend on crust and crumb, which yours seem to have.

Nice work!

ptw1953 · August 17, 2019

On 8/13/2019 at 3:18 AM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Strange.

But then I was pulling up my beloved tomato plants while the loaves were proofing.

Everytime I see your, and @Ann_T loaves, I cry; I want to eat them so much. I am off to Provence shortly, for two weeks, and I'd wager that I won't see better breads than both of you produce...

**andiesenji** · August 17, 2019

I don't expect ciabatta to rise much. My loaves have a rather firm "skin" that holds the large bubbles inside and it firms up even more as the oven heat hits it. I don't think about it, because it is pretty much automatic. I pinch large bubbles that work their way to the surface as I am shaping the loaves for the oven.

I want them trapped inside and not blowing out through the crust.

I form my loaves so they are WIDER and flatter than a "batard" with blunt ends.

In fact, I "shape" them crosswise on one of my utility trays on which I have a sheet of parchment.

I use a rolling pin to widen them and press the ends against either side so they are a rectangular shape.

I let them rise a bit and then into the oven with some ice cube in the cast iron pan on the bottom of the oven.

I use a peel to slide the parchment onto the oven rack. I rarely use the baking stone or a pan,

The dough for ciabatta is sturdy enough that it holds its shape on the parchment.

The loaves are 14 inches long and about 7-8 inches wide and probably 2 inches high with maybe another half inch in the middle.

Edited August 17, 2019 by andiesenji (log)

Okanagancook · August 17, 2019

Thank you both for the comments. I guess I was going by Paul's picture in the book which looks to be about 2 to 2 1/2 inches high. But as you point out @andiesenji it is supposed to be a flat loaf so now I think it is correct. The crumb is really nice and I like the texture.

cheers

Edited August 17, 2019 by Okanagancook (log)

**andiesenji** · August 18, 2019

6 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

Thank you both for the comments. I guess I was going by Paul's picture in the book which looks to be about 2 to 2 1/2 inches high. But as you point out @andiesenji it is supposed to be a flat loaf so now I think it is correct. The crumb is really nice and I like the texture.

cheers

It looks lovely to me. I like the big holes. I slice it maybe 1/2 inch thick and with a narrower loaf on a bias to get longer slices to toast lightly, rub with a garlic clove and use for bruschetta. The topping settles nicely into the larger holes so every few bites one gets an extra punch of the topping.

Okanagancook · August 18, 2019

Excellent. Thanks. It would also be good spread with liverwurst.😊

JoNorvelleWalker · August 20, 2019

Thankfully better proofed loaves than last week's.

kayb · August 20, 2019

Sigh.Tests this morning. Celiac disease confirmed. Guess it's time to get serious about the GF bread book.

demiglace · August 20, 2019

11 minutes ago, kayb said:

Sigh.Tests this morning. Celiac disease confirmed. Guess it's time to get serious about the GF bread book.

ack so sorry to hear.

Kerry Beal · August 20, 2019

Start with the gluten free bagels from Modernist Bread. They work!

kayb · August 20, 2019

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

Start with the gluten free bagels from Modernist Bread. They work!

Don't have Modernist Bread and am not inclined to spend $600 for it. Can you point me to an online link?

Kerry Beal · August 21, 2019

4 hours ago, kayb said:

Don't have Modernist Bread and am not inclined to spend $600 for it. Can you point me to an online link?

Can't find an online link right now - at work. Shall see what I can find tomorrow.

Ann_T · August 24, 2019

This weeks bake.

Instead of baguettes I made small rounds.

ptw1953 · August 24, 2019

50 minutes ago, Ann_T said:

This weeks bake.

Instead of baguettes I made small rounds.

Stunning...and inspiring.

ptw1953 · August 24, 2019

To pay for 10 days in Provence, in my wife's uncle's villa, I had to cook a meal for him and his partner (she is a Provencal), so I did so last Sunday.

I also made a Boule, with an approximation of the Scottish Saltire cut into it (our standard weekly loaf) - I wanted to present a somewhat French/Scottish meal to them...

The meal went well; many exclamations of 'ooh, la, la' and photos of the food taken (to me, strange...)

The Boule was hardly touched, but when preparing to leave, our guests asked for a bag. 'Why?' I asked. 'To carry the bread home', was the reply.

I was very chuffed...

Ann_T · August 24, 2019

@ptw1953, I don't blame them. I would want to take that gorgeous bread home too.

**andiesenji** · August 25, 2019

I got a new Chefmade Non-Stick "baguette" pan free from Amazon to test and review. It has only 2-inch channels so the size is what we used to call "batons" and was a favorite size for rye and whole wheat "snack" breads, which were sliced thin and made into Melba toasts.

It is an excellent pan. I made this rather sticky, dense rye bread - intended to add caraway, both ground and whole seeds but forgot. Doesn't matter the rye on its own is very tasty. a combination of HALF Bay State Wingold Dark Rye flour, Bay State Medium Rye Meal, a small amount of Fawcett's Crystal (Red) Rye Malt freshly ground and the other HALF durum wheat extra fine (I usually make pasta with this).

I added a couple of tablespoons of vital wheat gluten to punch up the yeast action to make use the product wasn't too dense.

The first process was to mix the flours with the appropriate amount of water in the bread machine - I am still testing (this is the densest dough) -

through the first long mix and knead on the dough cycle, then turn the machine off for 1 hour autolyse, then feel the dough, reset the machine and while mixing and kneading add the other ingredients (except for the salt) - and additional water - until the dough felt right and the machine was not straining with the knead. After the first rise, as soon as the machine began the second knead, I added the salt.

At the end of the dough cycle I transferred the dough to a lightly floured board, divided it into thirds rolled, folded and shaped into logs that were about 2/3 the size of the channels and left to rise for 35 minutes.

At the end of that time I turned the oven on set to 400° and when it signaled the pan went in on the middle shelf. Baked 25 minutes.

Fine crumb, soft crust.

In the next batch I will add ground caraway to the flour mixture and add whole caraway seeds after the first rise, when I add the salt.

Also, when I shape the dough, I am going to roll the shaped dough into some large salt crystals on the board so they will be in the crust only.

These slices are just the right size for snacking with a coating of paté or a soft cheese spread.