The Bread Topic (2016–)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, Ann_T said:

Another early morning bake. 

 

Batons and Batards.

Started the dough last night and left it on the counter for a slow overnight rise. Just 1g of yeast. 1000g flour, 30g salt and 680g of water.

Got up at 4:00 and preshaped. Finished shaping at 4:30 and left to proof until 5:40.

 

Since about 90% of the bread we eat is toasted, I decided to make larger baguettes, hence batons and batards.

I start each loaf in the steam oven and after 10 minutes of steaming I transfer to the big oven and slide another one or two in the steam oven.

Cuts the time in half and the last loaf was out of the oven at 6:45.

 

Ann, is there a reason 90% of your bread is toasted?  And how do you go about toasting it?

 

 

[Ann_T]

28 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Ann, is there a reason 90% of your bread is toasted?  And how do you go about toasting it?

 

 

@JoNorvelleWalker, mostly because I don't often serve bread as a side with meals unless it is for dipping in garlic butter with prawns, etc.  But I love this bread toasted.    Tomatoes on toast, Toast with back bacon and tomatoes, toast with eggs, etc.....  I've always used a toaster oven for toast, and one of the best ever for toast is the CSO.   If it wasn't as great as it is for baking bread, and roasting chicken, etc.   I wouldn't care.  I would let it take up counter space just for toast.

[ElsieD]

13 hours ago, Ann_T said:

@JoNorvelleWalker, mostly because I don't often serve bread as a side with meals unless it is for dipping in garlic butter with prawns, etc.  But I love this bread toasted.    Tomatoes on toast, Toast with back bacon and tomatoes, toast with eggs, etc.....  I've always used a toaster oven for toast, and one of the best ever for toast is the CSO.   If it wasn't as great as it is for baking bread, and roasting chicken, etc.   I wouldn't care.  I would let it take up counter space just for toast.

 

Many people here rave about bread toasted in the CSO.  I tried it again the other day and my CSO makes terrible toast.  This is my 2nd CSO and the first one did no better.  Hopefully no. 3, my back-up currently living in the closet will make good toast.  I put the bread in with the rack in the toasting position, set the dial to 6 and press start.  Toast comes out dark in some areas, medium in others and some area aren't toasted hardly at all.  Is there some secret to making toast in the CSO I don't know about?

[blue_dolphin]

3 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Many people here rave about bread toasted in the CSO.  I tried it again the other day and my CSO makes terrible toast.  This is my 2nd CSO and the first one did no better.  Hopefully no. 3, my back-up currently living in the closet will make good toast.  I put the bread in with the rack in the toasting position, set the dial to 6 and press start.  Toast comes out dark in some areas, medium in others and some area aren't toasted hardly at all.  Is there some secret to making toast in the CSO I don't know about?

 

I'm not @Ann_T, but do make sure that the removable tray is in place and that it is clean and shiny like a mirror.  I've noticed that if it's dirty, I won't get even toasting on the bottom of the slice of bread.  

I've never cranked it up to 6 but different types of bread certainly need different amounts of time.  I usually start with 3.  If it's not done, I flip or rotate it and repeat but setting it at 1 for the repeats, maybe 2 if it's really pale. 

[robirdstx]

48 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Many people here rave about bread toasted in the CSO.  I tried it again the other day and my CSO makes terrible toast.  This is my 2nd CSO and the first one did no better.  Hopefully no. 3, my back-up currently living in the closet will make good toast.  I put the bread in with the rack in the toasting position, set the dial to 6 and press start.  Toast comes out dark in some areas, medium in others and some area aren't toasted hardly at all.  Is there some secret to making toast in the CSO I don't know about?

I am happy, but not raving, with the way the CSO toasts my bread. I like my bread lightly toasted, so I set the dial to 1 or 2. If the bread is frozen, I set it for 3 and then watch it. The color is even across the top but the underside is lighter where the bread sits on the rack, giving a striped look. I am okay with that. That said, my favorite toast is still made in my old Toastmaster Automatic Pop Up Toaster. 😁

[lindag]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

 

Many people here rave about bread toasted in the CSO.  I tried it again the other day and my CSO makes terrible toast.  This is my 2nd CSO and the first one did no better.  Hopefully no. 3, my back-up currently living in the closet will make good toast.  I put the bread in with the rack in the toasting position, set the dial to 6 and press start.  Toast comes out dark in some areas, medium in others and some area aren't toasted hardly at all.  Is there some secret to making toast in the CSO I don't know about?

This one of the reasons I gave up my CSO and went back to my old KA toaster.

The problems got worse as the oven aged.  The underside of the toast was very light and striped.  I like my toasted goods fairly dark and it just couldn't do it even partially even.

[Ann_T]

I think maybe it depends how you like your toast toasted.  I like my toast well toasted.   

 

Prior to buying the CSO I used another Cuisinart convection toaster oven for about 15 years.  And it was used strictly as a toaster.

It made great toast. 

 

Toaster ovens always take longer to toast than a regular toaster.  I always set the CSO toast setting at 7 and when it finishes, I flip the slices and reset to 7.  The second time is shorter.  

Different breads toast differently too, requiring less or more time. 

Moe prefers the baguettes sliced and toasted. 

and I like toasted baguette but I like it sliced lengthwise and toasted. 

 

The CSO gets used a lot, but if it didn't do anything else I would keep it just for the toast.    And if it ever dies, I have a back up ready to go.  Now I'm thinking I might need a #3 for additional backup. 

 

[ElsieD]

@Ann_TThank you.  I'll try toasting as you suggest.  We like our toast well-toasted as well.  however, if it turns out that it takes 14 minutes to make toast the way we like it, i'll be using my regular toaster instead.

 

@blue_dolphin  my removable tray is inplace and shiny.

 

 

[Ann_T]

@ElsieD no it doesn't take 14 minutes.  But it might take you 6 to 8 depending on the bread.  And since that is what i was use to with my previous toaster oven, I'm okay with that. 

Cheap grocery store bread toasts quickly but my homemade bread usually takes 6 or 7 minutes to reach the colour I like. 

 

As for how shiny my removeable tray is, I must confess that itsn't.  And  I have never noticed a difference in how long it takes for my bread to toast. 

 

Edited October 8, 2021 by Ann_T (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

First time baking in many weeks.  Turns out I did not exactly recall my recipe.  Oops.  However it was gratifying to learn the Ankarsrum dough hook had no problem processing half a kg of dough.

 

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Yesterday's loaf.    I make this for dinner parties and for son when I know he'll be coming by but seldom just for us.    So when I found husband circling the kitchen table, chanting "Cool, cool, cool..," I relented and we cut it warm enough to melt butter.    So wrong, but so delicious

 

 

[Ann_T]

@JoNorvelleWalker, nice looking Boule.

 

@Margaret Pilgrim Love the rustic look of your boule.   One of the reasons I make smaller baguettes is so that when Moe does what your husband does, I don't mind

cutting one of them while still warm. 

 

Monday Morning Bake!! Just out of the oven.

Started a biga yesterday morning before leaving for work.
Made the dough last night (autolyze, stretch and fold method) and left it on the counter from 8:30 pm until 4:00 am this morning.
Last baguette was out of the oven before 8:00 am.

 

 

[liuzhou]

 

I'd love to say that I baked this, but it wouldn't be true. My oven died and I'm having work done on the kitchen so I haven't replaced it yet.

 

So, I bought it on-line. It is rye bread made to a Russian recipe in Heilongjiang, China's northermost province, bordering Eastern Siberia.
 

Pretty good stopgap.

 

 

 

[ElsieD]

I'm still working on my raisin bread.  This was today's loaf - too much fruit, not enough cinnamon.  I baked it in a Pain de Mie pan, the 13" one.

[lindag]

@ElsieD I may have posted about this recipe before but it's so darned good and so easy.  I make it in my Zo bread machine and just toss all the ingredients in and bake (no need to roll the dough and spread the filling).

I hope you can try it.

Sourdough Cinnamon Bread.

[ElsieD]

 

@ElsieD I may have posted about this recipe before but it's so darned good and so easy.  I make it in my Zo bread machine and just toss all the ingredients in and bake (no need to roll the dough and spread the filling).

I hope you can try it.

Sourdough Cinnamon Bread.

 

Yes, you did post this and thank you.   It looks good but I didn't make it because I don't have any sourdough starter.  

[Kim Shook]

 

I'm still working on my raisin bread.  This was today's loaf - too much fruit, not enough cinnamon.  I baked it in a Pain de Mie pan, the 13" one.

You say, "too much fruit".  But I honestly think it looks perfect.  That is exactly what I'd like my raisin toast to look like before it gets slathered with peanut butter and blueberry jam!  

[lindag]

 

 

Yes, you did post this and thank you.   It looks good but I didn't make it because I don't have any sourdough starter.  

It's super easy to make.

[ElsieD]

 

You say, "too much fruit".  But I honestly think it looks perfect.  That is exactly what I'd like my raisin toast to look like before it gets slathered with peanut butter and blueberry jam!  

 

I love lots of fruit in mine and I can't find any to buy that has enough of it for my liking.  But this loaf is sort of like eating handfuls of fruit with tiny bits of bread.  It has 4 cups of raisins and dried cranberries.

[Ann_T]

@ElsieD, I'm not a raisin fan, in fact, I really, really don't like them.  BUT Moe does.  I really should make one for him.      

And your loaf really looks amazing. Makes me wish I did like raisins. 

 

 

Started two bigas (2 gs yeast) yesterday morning before leaving for work.

Last night made two batches of dough. One with the addition of 2 grams of yeast and one without additional yeast.

The one with the yeast went immediately into the fridge after the last stretch and fold and the one without additional yeast was left out overnight and baked this morning.

 

Eight baguettes out of the oven by 7:15 AM

The one in the fridge is destined for pizza on Saturday night.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Today one for us, one for son.

 

We cashed ours slightly before it was properly cooled.    Wasn't really a problem.

.  

[ElsieD]

I've finally got this loaf to where I'm totally happy with it.  It's wonderful toasted, generously buttered, and for a 2 slice serving stays warm until I've finished eating it.   The fruit consists of equal parts dried cranberries and raisins.

[Ann_T]

Hadn't baked bread in a few weeks. And the freezer was down to one little baguette.

 

Started a same day batch early yesterday morning and baked mid afternoon. 

Sliced while still slightly warm.

 

[Ann_T]

Made a biga before work yesterday morning and made the dough last night. 2 grams of yeast in the biga and one gram of yeast added to the dough.

Left on the counter overnight for a slow rise and the dough was ready to go at 3:00 AM.

 

Eight baguettes started in the CSO on the bread/steam setting and transferred to a stone in the big oven to finish baking.

 

Last baguette was out of the oven before 7:00 AM.

 

[Ann_T]

Started a biga Sunday night and mixed up a batch of rye bread Monday morning.

Baked last night.

 

Out of the oven at 9:00 and sliced this morning.