The Bread Topic (2016–)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, Toliver said:

Chrome.

 

I tested today with Chrome at work (and showed off my baguettes to colleagues).  The exact same fix works in Chrome as in Edge.

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I love the crackle of bread crust as it contracts, hot out of the oven.   Yesterday's was so loud that I tried to capture it in a video.    Lovely as a souvenir, but too large to post.   But this is a screen shot of one of the frames.   It sounded like firecrackers!

[Ann_T]

@Margaret Pilgrim, I love when my bread talks to me. That is one beautiful loaf.

 

Also baked today.

Mixed up a Biga last night and added it this morning to a 1000g batch of dough along with 2 grams of yeast.

Baked three batards and 3 boules.

[heidih]

Thank God for bread. On a horrifying day I got the no knead (1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 white) baked before hell arrived. Thanks also still to @JeanneCake for the yeast. Bread keeps one in touch with what matters. Simplicity and nurturing life. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

6 minutes ago, heidih said:

Thank God for bread.....Bread keeps one in touch with what matters. Simplicity and nurturing life. 

It also tames the savage beast(s).  When family is coming over, I try to have a fresh, warm loaf and cube of butter waiting.   -> just the sound of contentment for at least 15 minutes.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[Ann_T]

10 hours ago, heidih said:

Thank God for bread. On a horrifying day I got the no knead (1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 white) baked before hell arrived. Thanks also still to @JeanneCake for the yeast. Bread keeps one in touch with what matters. Simplicity and nurturing life. 

And makes for a very happy husband. 

 

 

Last night's bread sliced this morning.

 

 

[lindag]

12 hours ago, heidih said:

 Bread keeps one in touch with what matters. Simplicity and nurturing life. 

Hear, hear!

[Luke]

Inspired by Ann_T's Biga based breads, I thought I would try the same recipe in a square tin with a spiced fruit bread mix. 

 

I forgot to add the 3g of yeast in the final mix - it took me a while to realise why it was rising so slowly.

 

Considering this stuff up, the end result wasn't too bad (took 8 hours to rise) - I do realise I need to shape properly, hence the hole in the middle, which I didn't as I was in a rush (hence forgetting the yeast).

 

Flavour was spot on. Try again tomorrow. 

[ElsieD]

@Luke  That looks interesting.  What is "spiced fruit bread mix"?  Is this something you buy or make yourself?

[Luke]

7 hours ago, ElsieD said:

@Luke  That looks interesting.  What is "spiced fruit bread mix"?  Is this something you buy or make yourself?

 

Its just my own mix of dried fruits and spices (weights in grams). I am trying to develop a spiced fruit loaf.

 

Fruit Mix
Currents			140.0
Sultanas			140.0
Mixed Peel			140.0
Orange Zest		1 Tab	10.0
Lemon Zest		1 Tab	10.0
Dates			140.0
Green Ginger Wine, Soak Fruits, Drained			50.0
Spices
Cinnamon, Ground		2 tsp	7.8
All Spice, Ground		1 tsp	3.9
Apple Cake Spice		1 tsp	3.7
Cocoa, Sifted		1 tsp	3.9

[Ann_T]

@Luke your loaf looks and sounds delicious.  A slower rise just makes for better flavour and the holes are for filling with butter.   

I needed to get another batch of bread made before the temperatures got back up into the 30's tomorrow.  Going to stay that way for a few days.  

So I started a Biga last night and a batch of dough this morning at 4:00 AM.   Eight baguettes were out of the oven just after 12:00 PM today.

 

 

[Luke]

Second attempt of my spices fruit block loaf was a fail. For this one, I added 50g of Levain to the Bega. But I still don't think this was the problem. 
Sat down and reviewed my notes, I don't think I kneaded in the kitchen aid for long enough (compared to the first) - was still wet and sticky during the folds. 

Tried again, slightly reduced the hydration by 2% to 73.4%, added 2grams Diastatic Malt to help the yeast lift the heavy fruit, and spent a full 20 minutes on the knead.
I gave it a 10 minute rest between kneads, and 3 folds during the initial bulk. The dough was really tight after this. 

Added some water/egg wash to the top to go for some gloss, but I think the oven was still too hot @ 230 deg C

Crumb structure was spot on this time. I think I have my baseline reference now - I want to eventually add rye, spelt, increase the fruit and switch in some Levain while lowering the yeast.
Will need to make this one more time to make sure it was not just luck - kids are not complaining.

[Ann_T]

@Luke, crumb looks perfect.

Started a Biga last night at 9 PM.

This morning at 4:00 AM I added the biga to 1000g of flour, 2 grams of yeast, 30g of salt and 680g of water.

Around 7:00 AM, after a number of stretch and folds and autolyze rests, the dough was left to rise.

 

Was ready to use at 10:00 AM. I shaped seven baguettes and held back enough dough for two pizzas.

 

Edited August 18, 2021 by Ann_T (log)

[Luke]

@Ann_T Love the colour on those baguettes. What is the protein % of the flour you use?

Edited August 19, 2021 by Luke (log)

[Ann_T]

On 8/19/2021 at 4:19 PM, Luke said:

@Ann_T Love the colour on those baguettes. What is the protein % of the flour you use?

Luke the flour I use is a Canadian flour - Rogers Silver Star with 13.3 protein.  It is one of their commercial flours. 

 

 

[Luke]

20 hours ago, Ann_T said:

Luke the flour I use is a Canadian flour - Rogers Silver Star with 13.3 protein.  It is one of their commercial flours. 

 

 

Thanks - I have some Canadian Manitoba flour with protein in the 13's, but I'm using Aussie flour with protein in the 11's

 

Question - Do you think there is any difference if you autolyse with or without the poolish? I'm experimenting with a Vito Lacopelli pizza dough and he autolyses the main flour and water, then adds the poolish - its hard to get the lumps out when adding 100% hydrated poolish to 70% dough, I wonder if it would make it any difference, and noticed your recipe adds it all then rests for the autolyse. 

 

Luke

 

[Ann_T]

@Luke, I hadn't noticed a difference so I add it at the beginning.  The last two times, I've actually added the Biga to the container along with the water and stirred that before adding the flour.    Made it easier to incorporate.

[Luke]

@Ann_T I tried your recipe as-is for a boule

Still need to work on the gluten strength - it was a bit under. My wife is Soy intolerant so loves any bread I can make without bread improver and this one got the thumbs up.

 

 

 

 

[Ann_T]

On 8/22/2021 at 5:33 PM, Luke said:

@Ann_T I tried your recipe as-is for a boule

Still need to work on the gluten strength - it was a bit under. My wife is Soy intolerant so loves any bread I can make without bread improver and this one got the thumbs up.

 

 

 

 

Beautiful boule. Love the colour on your crust.  I'm not surprise that your wife loves your bread. 

 

[ElsieD]

I found a Dutch recipe for raisin and currant bread.  The recipe calls for 5 cups of flour, and a combined 5 1/2 cups of raisins and currants.  The dough is prepared without adding the fruit which is not added until after the first rise.  Would it not be difficult to incorporate that much fruit by hand?  Can I use my kitchenaid?  Or can I mix it in with the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients when making the dough?  I've tried adding fruit to bread dough before and found kneading it in not that easy, and that was using a lot less fruit.  Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

16 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I found a Dutch recipe for raisin and currant bread.  The recipe calls for 5 cups of flour, and a combined 5 1/2 cups of raisins and currants.  The dough is prepared without adding the fruit which is not added until after the first rise.  Would it not be difficult to incorporate that much fruit by hand?  Can I use my kitchenaid?  Or can I mix it in with the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients when making the dough?  I've tried adding fruit to bread dough before and found kneading it in not that easy, and that was using a lot less fruit.  Thanks for any help you can give me.

I seem to remember a Cook's Illustrated technique in which you rolled out the dough and covered it with fruit, then rolled it up.    Idea was that fruit was more evenly distributed than mix-in.   Perhaps after it's rolled up it would be moderately easy to form into a coil then ball for second rise.    Just my take...

[lindag]

21 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I found a Dutch recipe for raisin and currant bread.  The recipe calls for 5 cups of flour, and a combined 5 1/2 cups of raisins and currants.  The dough is prepared without adding the fruit which is not added until after the first rise.  Would it not be difficult to incorporate that much fruit by hand?  Can I use my kitchenaid?  Or can I mix it in with the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients when making the dough?  I've tried adding fruit to bread dough before and found kneading it in not that easy, and that was using a lot less fruit.  Thanks for any help you can give me.

I've been using this recipe for the last few years.  So easy to make in the bread machine.  I skip the rolling out of the dough and simply put all the ingredients into the bucket and let her rip.  The bread is fantastic, the best I've ever had.

[ElsieD]

4 hours ago, lindag said:

I've been using this recipe for the last few years.  So easy to make in the bread machine.  I skip the rolling out of the dough and simply put all the ingredients into the bucket and let her rip.  The bread is fantastic, the best I've ever had.

 

Thank you for this, but I don't have any sourdough and don't plan on starting one.  I have made raisin bread in my bread machine and have been happy with it, using a recipe from the booklet that came with the machine.  My problem with this recipe is incorporating, by volume, more fruit than flour and the best way to do that.  

[Anna N]

51 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Thank you for this, but I don't have any sourdough and don't plan on starting one.  I have made raisin bread in my bread machine and have been happy with it, using a recipe from the booklet that came with the machine.  My problem with this recipe is incorporating, by volume, more fruit than flour and the best way to do that.  

My first suspicion is there is something quite wrong with this recipe. One cup of currants weighs just over 5 ounces. If you do the math you are looking at  close to 30 ounces.  And that’s before you’ve added the flour and water. So that is one big brother of a loaf!z

[ElsieD]

3 minutes ago, Anna N said:

My first suspicion is there is something quite wrong with this recipe. One cup of currants weighs just over 5 ounces. If you do the math you are looking at  close to 30 ounces.  And that’s before you’ve added the flour and water. So that is one big brother of a loaf!z

 

Yes, I should have mentioned that the recipe makes 2 loaves.  I recently bought a loaf of this bread from a Dutch baker and it was chock full of raisins and currants.  Delicious toasted, with dripping butter.  But you are right - that is one whack of fruit.  I'll do some more googling and see if I can find more recipes.  The one I am contemplating making comes from a book called "Let's go Dutch" written  by someone who was born in Holland and moved to Canada as a child.