Baking with Myhrvold's "Modernist Bread: The Art and Science"

[JoNorvelleWalker]

7 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Looks like the T55 is 11.5% protein - I'll be it's the same as the flour that @Alleguede is using for his baguettes. Wonder if the hydration will have to change if we try that flour.

 

@Alleguede mentions that the flour he uses is made from hard Canadian wheat which I believe the T55 is also made from. 

 

Here's the label

 

 

 

 

A technical note (p4) by the translators of The Taste of Bread:

 

"The figures given in Professor Calvel's text are expressed as a percentage of dry matter, which is customary in France.  In the United States and Canada, figures are calculated on a basis of 14% humidity.  This means that a fairly normal 11.5% protein French flour would in fact have a 9.5% protein content in North American terms..."

 

Further:

 

"Of North American flours, Professor Calvel prefers those milled from hard red winter wheats, grown in Kansas and other Midwestern states, because of their baking tolerance and slightly sweet flavor."

 

 

Edit:  oh, and another note:

 

"Those who use flour from hard red spring wheat -- attention Canadians! -- might well find themselves increasing the hydration."

 

Edited December 10, 2017 by JoNorvelleWalker
afterthought (log)

[Chris Hennes]

I was out of town most of the weekend so couldn't do any sourdough or even pre-ferments: that left me with direct for today's baking. Fortunately, I got a much-anticipated package of fresh ground Oklahoma corn meal from @joiei in the mail today, so I had a plan. I started by making a direct French lean dough, but then added 50% cornmeal porridge (grits? polenta? somewhere in that range). This resulted in a great improvement to the baseline direct dough. This definitely didn't last long on the counter!

 

 

[Anna N]

4 hours ago, Chris Hennes said:

This resulted in a great improvement to the baseline direct dough. This definitely didn't last long on the counter!

That is one beautiful looking loaf of bread.

[joiei]

12 hours ago, Chris Hennes said:

I was out of town most of the weekend so couldn't do any sourdough or even pre-ferments: that left me with direct for today's baking. Fortunately, I got a much-anticipated package of fresh ground Oklahoma corn meal from @joiei in the mail today, so I had a plan. I started by making a direct French lean dough, but then added 50% cornmeal porridge (grits? polenta? somewhere in that range). This resulted in a great improvement to the baseline direct dough. This definitely didn't last long on the counter!

 

 

Beautiful loaf of bread.  I wish my bread making abilities was where yours is.  I will keep practicing.  If you want more cornmeal, let me know and I will get in touch with Valarie.  

[Kerry Beal]

A1 baguette in batard form

 

 

[Chris Hennes]

Of course, I made more than just the single loaf. One of the other direct recipes I wanted to try was the brioche. Technically I made the Modernist Brioche, which adds soy lecithin and pectin. I made two 500g loaves, which proved to be a minor mistake because I then didn't really have the right pan sizes. I also underproofed it a bit, it was getting late and I'd had a very early morning... those two factors combined to make a couple of pretty ugly loaves....

 

Plain:

 

Cinnamon smear:

 

The cinnamon smear is the one from the cinnamon raisin bread, sans raisins (and using Brioche, obviously). It's terrific, as @Anna N attested to earlier. A bit of molasses and some vanilla really improve your basic cinnamon/sugar mixture.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

This morning's boule, fresh from the CSO...

 

 

 

This is a kg French lean bread.  Very pleased with the shape.  Later this morning is our library's holiday party and it will be whisked off to execution.

 

[Kerry Beal]

Did the small Pullman this time - 800 grams of dough - it was bulging when I pulled off the lid!

 

But the mixing in of the bran and germ went well this time so I'm prepared to take a crumb shot

 

[Chris Hennes]

2 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

But the mixing in of the bran and germ went well this time so I'm prepared to take a crumb shot

Kerry, this is the "Compleat Wheat"?

[Kerry Beal]

6 hours ago, Chris Hennes said:

Kerry, this is the "Compleat Wheat"?

Nope - white sandwich wholewheat variation.

[Chris Hennes]

OK, I'm trying to understand exactly what they are saying with regard to rye, light rye, particle sizes, and milling. I have ready access to Bob's Red Mill light rye flour, so that's what I'm using. From their comments on pp. 2•255-256 I can't quite tell whether I should be considering re-milling and re-sifting it, or if they were just using it as-is. They present a method on p. 2•226 of taking American rye flour and milling it three additional times, then sifting it: is this being applied to every light rye flour, or just the ones that aren't Bay State Milling or Bob's Red Mill?

[rob1234]

23 minutes ago, Chris Hennes said:

OK, I'm trying to understand exactly what they are saying with regard to rye, light rye, particle sizes, and milling. I have ready access to Bob's Red Mill light rye flour, so that's what I'm using. From their comments on pp. 2•255-256 I can't quite tell whether I should be considering re-milling and re-sifting it, or if they were just using it as-is. They present a method on p. 2•226 of taking American rye flour and milling it three additional times, then sifting it: is this being applied to every light rye flour, or just the ones that aren't Bay State Milling or Bob's Red Mill?

On the heritage radio podcast Nathan said he brought in 250lbs of rye flour from Germany which has the texture of cake flour. Is Bob's finely ground like cake flour?

[Kerry Beal]

32 minutes ago, Chris Hennes said:

OK, I'm trying to understand exactly what they are saying with regard to rye, light rye, particle sizes, and milling. I have ready access to Bob's Red Mill light rye flour, so that's what I'm using. From their comments on pp. 2•255-256 I can't quite tell whether I should be considering re-milling and re-sifting it, or if they were just using it as-is. They present a method on p. 2•226 of taking American rye flour and milling it three additional times, then sifting it: is this being applied to every light rye flour, or just the ones that aren't Bay State Milling or Bob's Red Mill?

At his talk in Toronto he said you couldn't get suitable rye flour in the US without milling your own. So I think it applies to all.

[Chris Hennes]

Tonight's baking: the Potato Sandwich Loaf. A basic enriched sandwich bread with added potato puree. 

 

 

I thought I followed the baking directions exactly, but the top came out a bit burnt. The was just a conventional home oven, nothing special, and it hasn't given me any problems up until now.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Tonight's kg boule:

 

 

 

Looks rather like the last one.  Not necessarily a bad thing.

 

I'm still perplexed about flour, but barring further insight plan to continue using KAF organic all purpose.  About the closest to Sir Galahad available in small bags.

 

I, for one, would love a discussion of flour types for French lean bread.

 

[Chris Hennes]

9 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I'm still perplexed about flour, but barring further insight plan to continue using KAF organic all purpose.  About the closest to Sir Galahad available in small bags.

I thought that the consumer-branded KAF AP was Sir Galahad? I know they don't label it as such, but it has exactly the same protein content (11.7%). It's basically equivalent to the French T55, which is the standard for French lean breads. I just re-read the flour chapter yesterday, what info were you looking for?

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Chris Hennes said:

I thought that the consumer-branded KAF AP was Sir Galahad? I know they don't label it as such, but it has exactly the same protein content (11.7%). It's basically equivalent to the French T55, which is the standard for French lean breads. I just re-read the flour chapter yesterday, what info were you looking for?

Our (Canada’s) Robin Hood bread flour and Robin Hood all purpose flour both have the same protein content but their additives differ.

[Anna N]

 

More buns for my seed-averse consumers.  There are four more in the oven as I type. Tomorrow I am hoping to make the modernist version but I’m struggling with my math deficiencies. 

 

 Anybody want to approach this math issue? 

 

 I do not have L-cysteine but I do have glutathione.  Suggested dosage is 0.001% (presumably of the total 555 g of flour). I worked it out to be (rounded) 0.006 g.  Then I worked out that 0.006 g is 6 mg but I have been told I am wrong. Anyone? I have a scale that will weigh in milligrams. And don’t laugh at me I have a  degree with Honours but not in math. 

[rotuts]

correct.

 

1 mg = 0.001 gm

 

[Anna N]

Just now, rotuts said:

correct.

 

1 mg = 0.001 gm

 

Thank you!

[Anna N]

Now I have another question with respect to the modernist French lean bread.

Why would it take twice as long for the final proof of two 500 g boules as it would for a 1kg boule?  Ref:   Kitchen manual page 47 and 4-33. 

[Anna N]

 Well I’m rather glad I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the timing for the final proof of the modernist French lean bread. 

 

 

 

Shaping and slashing still need work.  These both grew considerably larger than I had planned or expected and they barely fit into the CSO on a diagonal plane.  Still I think they are going to be nice breads. 

 

 Putting the shaggy dough into a vacuum saver bag was a challenging operation although not quite as challenging as getting it out again!  To my surprise there was evidence of full gluten development.  I do not have a chamber vac so this was simply evacuated with an edge sealing food saver.  It is a technique I wish was available for all bread types. 

 

[rotuts]

@Anna N

 

nice

 

I hope to start at some point

 

using my CSB(O)  for something simple

 

I have a plan in place to fix my gas oven for it Bake Igniter.

 

 

[Anna N]

19 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Anna N

 

nice

 

I hope to start at some point

 

using my CSB(O)  for something simple

 

I have a plan in place to fix my gas oven for it Bake Igniter.

 

 

You will really enjoy this bread if you attempt it I’m sure.

 

 

 Here is the crumb. I enjoyed these three slices with some butter and some Braunschweiger. I am resisting the temptation to go back for more on the grounds that I have those chuck eyes almost ready to come out of the sous vide bath. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

@Anna N what could better than steak and bread?  (Except maybe steak, bread, Boursin, Béarnaise, Bordeaux.)