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

[JoNorvelleWalker]

8 hours ago, repiv said:

 

Figured I'd post this here since the contest entry date is over. Neglected to take a picture of the crumb for some reason.  Made the Direct French Lean Bread recipe posted here as I do not have the book yet.  Came out okay.  I prefer the texture of the country loaf I made, but this tastes great and that crunch right after I made it was incredible. Loved how quick this recipe was start to finish.  Has anyone built themselves a proofing box using heat tape and a PID controller? Right now I'm using my oven to do a 80-85 degree proof but it isn't exactly a perfect science and my kitchen stays on the cooler side this time of the year.

 

My desire to own the full book is slowly increasing.  It seems so much more approachable than Modernist Cuisine was.    Are there any other publicly posted recipes I can 'try-before-I-buy'?

 

A proofing suggestion from MB is the KitchenAid Precise Heat Mixing Bowl.  One can mix and proof in the same vessel.  I have used the PHMB for proofing and it works, but why not just proof longer at ambient kitchen temperature?

 

[Anna N]

3 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

A proofing suggestion from MB is the KitchenAid Precise Heat Mixing Bowl.  One can mix and proof in the same vessel.  I have used the PHMB for proofing and it works, but why not just proof longer at ambient kitchen temperature?

I, too, have wondered about the need for a proofing the box or other gear.  I have concluded it is mostly about consistency of proofing temperatures.  I would be interested to hear if there are other advantages that I am just not getting. 

 

[Chris Hennes]

6 hours ago, Anna N said:

I would be interested to hear if there are other advantages that I am just not getting. 

I don't think so, I think it's mostly about speed. For doughs that don't really benefit from long fermentation times, there's no harm to going as fast as possible, so if you're trying to get done in a hurry you can save something in the 30 minute range by proofing at higher temperatures. I actually used it this past weekend to "stage" by bake. I proofed one loaf at room temperature and one in a proofing box and the separation between the two was just about the bake time of the higher-temperature proof. It wasn't 100% successful (it means you can't bake the lower temp loaf until the higher one is done, so it better not proof too fast!) but it worked pretty well.

[Anna N]

15 minutes ago, Chris Hennes said:

I don't think so, I think it's mostly about speed. For doughs that don't really benefit from long fermentation times, there's no harm to going as fast as possible, so if you're trying to get done in a hurry you can save something in the 30 minute range by proofing at higher temperatures. I actually used it this past weekend to "stage" by bake. I proofed one loaf at room temperature and one in a proofing box and the separation between the two was just about the bake time of the higher-temperature proof. It wasn't 100% successful (it means you can't bake the lower temp loaf until the higher one is done, so it better not proof too fast!) but it worked pretty well.

Thanks, Chris.  I think I need to re-examine some ingrained ideas that I have about the proofing process. I probably need to re-read again and again. 

[repiv]

10 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

A proofing suggestion from MB is the KitchenAid Precise Heat Mixing Bowl.  One can mix and proof in the same vessel.  I have used the PHMB for proofing and it works, but why not just proof longer at ambient kitchen temperature?

 

Time and consistency.  I think when I made the direct country bread I was baking at 2AM.   I do think it would help if I had the book to explain some of these processes more in-depth and how they effect the end product so I can adjust expectations accordingly.

[Kerry Beal]

Another loaf of whole wheat sandwich bread. Used thermomix for this one - thought the bran was better mixed in - still some zebra stripes internally 

 

 

However - it's not slowing down the hubbies eating of it!

 

Working on the Surfer Soughdough adapted from Chad Robertson. It's a very wet dough - hope it comes easily out of the banneton after it's cold proof 

[Anna N]

 

 If you are observant you will notice first that one is missing and secondly that one of these is not like the others!

 

The grandchild arrived just as I pulled them from the oven and for some reason one of them did not get an egg wash. 

 

 These are the hamburger buns but I chose to make them smaller because I want them for sandwiches and dinner rolls. I made 10 100 g buns. 

 

 

The second baking where I sprinkled with sesame seeds. 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I awoke at 5:30 thinking of the boule I was about to bake today.  Then I recalled I had not started the poolish before bed.  Out to the kitchen briefly and then back to sleep.  Now 13 hours later I am waiting for autolysis to be complete.

 

My banneton arrived tonight and if the muslin is dry by shaping time I intend to try it.

 

[Chris Hennes]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

My banneton arrived tonight and if the muslin is dry by shaping time I intend to try it.

Did you wash it? I thought you weren't supposed to wash them! Doh!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

23 minutes ago, Chris Hennes said:

Did you wash it? I thought you weren't supposed to wash them! Doh!

 

I am a novice at this.  The instructions that came with the banneton say "Clean with cold water and air dry!"

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Anyhow, here is the boule...

 

 

 

Nice round shape, possibly encouraged by new banneton.  Scarification may need a bit more work.  No trouble getting the dough out of the banneton and onto the peel, which relieved me considerably.

 

Dough weight 850g*, steam baked in CSO by MB CSO method in Lodge pan (known affectionately in some quarters as L-CSO).  Baking time 32-33 minutes as I like to go a bit darker than MB's recommended 30 minutes.

 

Shaping was by the MB square method.  For proofing I simply turned the 5 quart KitchenAid bowl upside down over the banneton.  Final proof time was about an hour and 40 minutes.

 

 

*OK, technically speaking 839g.

 

[Anna N]

 

Second attempt at Direct Pain Rustique.  Both loaves  were made identically and cooked at the same time in the same oven at the same temperature. The real difference between the two is the scoring. The one on the left was scored with aplomb.  The one on the right I had lost my aplomb.   Still the two are remarkably different suggesting that my oven has some uneven heating happening.   Both of them serenaded me. 

 

 The one on the left went home with my grandchild who again showed up just as I pulled the bread out of the oven!

 

In the oven now is my third or is it fourth attempt at the cinnamon swirl bread. 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

Surfer sourdough - so named because of the wave?

 

 

 

 

[Anna N]

 

 

 

 

 Cinnamon raisin swirl. No tunnels.

 

Thank you all but especially @teonzo.  I used the egg wash not quite as suggested.  I brushed it on the topside of the dough with each turn as I rolled it up. I also doubled both the smear and the raisins. 

 

Cold proofing in the refrigerator  are two 500 g boules of the Compleat Wheat.  I am hoping I have been successful in evenly distributing the toasted wheat bran and germ. 

 

 Edited to add that my eight dollar thrift store electric knife is doing a fine job. So far I still have five fingers on each hand but I do understand @JoNorvelleWalker‘s  reluctance to use it on hard bread. I do believe that the team recommend not approaching it from the (top) crust side but tipping it so you  are not attempting to saw through the crust head on.  Yes. Photograph on page 3–424 demonstrates how to approach the bread with electric knife in hand. This is further demonstrated on page 3–426 for non-electric knives. 

 

Edited December 8, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

Second attempt at Direct Pain Rustique.  Both loaves  were made identically and cooked at the same time in the same oven at the same temperature. The real difference between the two is the scoring. The one on the left was scored with aplomb.  The one on the right I had lost my aplomb.   

 

Lead can be hazardous.  I score my loaves with aknife.  Some use alame.

 

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Lead can be hazardous.  I score my loaves with aknife.  Some use alame.

 

But both aknife and alame  need to be wielded with aplomb. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

29 minutes ago, Anna N said:

But both aknife and alame  need to be wielded with aplomb. 

 

Sorry for thelame attempt at humor.

 

Though I am shopping amazon for alame as we speak.  I'd prefer one with a fixed blade rather than replaceable.

 

[Kerry Beal]

Perfectly good crumb in spite of the wave

 

 

 

[Anna N]

 This is the crumb from Direct Pain Rustique.  As someone already mentioned this is huge payback for very little effort. It is one of the speediest breads in the whole book. 

[Okanagancook]

I just want to put my nose in that bread!

[Anna N]

This is the Compleat Wheat (4-137). 

 

 

 Baked in the Cuisinart steam oven. 

 

 

 Baked in the GE profile oven. 

 

 

The crumb. 

 

Something went wrong here. Even if you can ignore that the wheat bran and wheat germ are not uniformly dispersed, the bread itself would make a lovely doorstop. 

 

I have reread the directions and they are very clear and well illustrated. 

 

I have concluded that I was too tired to pay proper attention to the dough at various stages. It’s not an excuse but an explanation. 

 

Out of the refrigerator the bread showed little sign of having increased in size at all. Each loaf resembled a small curling stone.

 

Was my levain not mature and/or not active enough?

 

Did I fail to note the correct time when the two bannetons went into the refrigerator?  A very long 12 to 16 hours of cold proofing is recommended. 

 

 All hypothetical questions. 

 

 Am I prepared to try again? Yes indeed. But today? Still deciding on that one. 

 

 

[chefmd]

I think my levain has died on day 5.  It became very thin and smells funny.  Oh well, will start again.  Meanwhile, pain rustique did not disappoint.  Baked in CSO in preheated Emile Henry dish, bread cycle 30 minutes 450 degrees.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I'm puzzled.  On page 2-241 they call for high-gluten bread flour for French lean breads, but they also say "In France, the classic baguette is traditionally made with all-purpose types of flours (T55)".

 

Can anyone explain?

 

[Anna N]

8 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I'm puzzled.  On page 2-241 they call for high-gluten bread flour for French lean breads, but they also say "In France, the classic baguette is traditionally made with all-purpose types of flours (T55)".

 

Can anyone explain?

 

I cannot explain but perhaps the Team will pop in and tell you their reasoning. My assumption would be that T55 flour is hard to source in North America so they have gone with what works best  and is available. 

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

I cannot explain but perhaps the Team will pop in and tell you their reasoning. My assumption would be that T55 flour is hard to source in North America so they have gone with what works best  and is available. 

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

 

Edited December 10, 2017 by Kerry Beal (log)