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

[Eric Srikandan]

Had a go at the Naan. I think the oven needs to be much hotter. Baked on a pizza stone.

[Chris Hennes]

I take it you did not build their 55-gallon-drum tandoor -- what temp did you use? I was thinking of trying the naan next week since the pita turned out so well.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Chris Hennes
spelling (log)

[Eric Srikandan]

The tandoor is for another time...

 

Started with 230 then upped it to 250 (fan). Will try 250 convection next time.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Yesterday's bread didn't happen.  Somewhere in the set I think I read that if a poolish was overripe just to add more yeast -- which I would have done anyway.  But I don't recall how much was suggested or where the discussion was.

 

Anyone know the page number?

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Anyone know the page number?

3-21

[Anna N]

My first attempt at Naan was not all that successful, either. 

 

 

 

 Despite being well docked this one puffed up and wrestled with my oven thermometer.  But it is nicely marked. After that very few of them were marked at all even though nothing else changed.  I don’t think my oven is losing enough heat to make a huge difference. I am doing them one at a time but by the time I rolled another one the oven should have recovered. 

 

Initially I was attempting to lay them on the stone  by hand but most of them managed to fold so I resorted to the peel which worked much better. 

 

 The oven is definitely not hot enough even at 500°F. The dough is drying out before it is truly cooking as it should. 

 

 I have five more balls of dough resting in the fridge and will attempt to cook these tomorrow. I will turn my oven up to its maximum of 550°F to see if that changes anything. 

 

According to the books an overnight rest in the refrigerator should help relax the dough considerably. 

 

 

 The last one which I would’ve expected to be better but I never did improve on the first one. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

5 hours ago, Anna N said:

3-21

 

Much appreciated.  The dough is mixing as we speak.

 

[Okanagancook]

How about turning the broiler on as you put the naan in the hot oven in the same fashion as baking pizzas from another thread.  I also remember seeing this technique on an East Indian cookery website but I am not at home with access to my other computer so cannot send the link.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Tonight two loaves, a 500 gm boule and a baguette.  First time I've tried to bake two different breads at the same time.  Baguette was maybe slightly over proofed, the scarifications did not open as well as I would have liked.  I should add this was with a brand new, untested stainless steel lame rather than my trusty carbon steel blade.  I distrust the lame.

 

Nothing wrong with the baguette crumb, crust, nor taste.  I served it with a Pink Lady apple and a cheese spread, and much Zinfandel.  I have yet to cut into the boule.  The boule was baked in my L-CSO while the baguette was baking in the big oven.  I must admit it got rather confusing at times.  I have only a four channel timer.

 

However tired I get of bread, I need only taste it to my lips again.

 

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

How about turning the broiler on as you put the naan in the hot oven in the same fashion as baking pizzas from another thread.  I also remember seeing this technique on an East Indian cookery website but I am not at home with access to my other computer so cannot send the link.

I am not seeing this as a very viable option unless I’m prepared to spend many hours baking Naan.  At the most I could do two at a time. This would require reheating the oven many times as I turn it off and turn on the broiler. I am actually thinking of attempting a couple on top of the stove in a well-heated, cast-iron skillet.  But thanks for the suggestion. 

[Eric Srikandan]

7 hours ago, Anna N said:

I am not seeing this as a very viable option unless I’m prepared to spend many hours baking Naan.  At the most I could do two at a time. This would require reheating the oven many times as I turn it off and turn on the broiler. I am actually thinking of attempting a couple on top of the stove in a well-heated, cast-iron skillet.  But thanks for the suggestion. 

 

I'm with Anna on this. I think the cast iron skillet is a good idea - maybe preheated in the oven first. BBQ probably would be the best way in the absence of a tandoor.

[Anna N]

 

Naan take 2. Oven 550F.  This first side for three minutes. 

 

 

 Second side for one minute. 

 

 

 

 

Interior. 

 

 Much, much happier with this batch.   Don’t think you can ever compete with a Tandoor nor even with a Big Green Egg. But I wouldn’t be feeding these to the dog (oh wait a minute) the cat under the table. 

 

A word of advice to anyone else who is going to attempt these on a stone in a home oven.  Find a way to brush the stone free of loose flour between batches else you’ll have some pretty ugly looking black and burned flour on your bread. 

[Eric Srikandan]

Made mini loaves with the French lean bread recipe - 50g per case (maybe 60g next time). 10 mins with steam, 5 mins without. 235 convection.

[Kerry Beal]

 

Pain Rustique - wonderfully crunchy crust. 

[Anna N]

7 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Pain Rustique - wonderfully crunchy crust.

So far I rate this bread as the biggest bang for your buck in Modernist Bread. 

[Raamo]

So yesterday I made the Buns (went with 150f 72 hour pork shoulder + homemade Memphis bbq)..

 

Today I mixed up Pain De Mie (that's proofing right now)

 

And just a bit ago mixed up bagels....

 

And this happened:

 

 

The mixer is likely ~16 years old, and it's the original hook.  At least a replacement is only $11 on amazon.

 

The dough was pretty close to fully ready for the raisins and cinnamon, did that by hand...

 

 

 

[Okanagancook]

On 2017-12-23 at 12:18 AM, Anna N said:

I am not seeing this as a very viable option unless I’m prepared to spend many hours baking Naan.  At the most I could do two at a time. This would require reheating the oven many times as I turn it off and turn on the broiler. I am actually thinking of attempting a couple on top of the stove in a well-heated, cast-iron skillet.  But thanks for the suggestion. 

It doesn’t take that much longer after the first bread is done as the broiler element reheats quickly, well, at least in my Miele oven.  Anyway, your naan look very nice.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

13 hours ago, Anna N said:

So far I rate this bread as the biggest bang for your buck in Modernist Bread. 

 

By that do you mean the best bread or the best bread for the least effort?  How would you say Pain Rustique compares to the French lean bread result?

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Salt -- how do we feel about the amounts of salt in French lean recipes?

 

MB calls for 2.02% (to be clear, that's baker's percentage).  Hamelman specifies 2%.  Calvel reports at the time of his writing the usual amount of salt added was 2.2% "and sometimes even higher."  Though Calvel argues for a return to 1.8%.

 

Through a tragic accident when I once forgot the salt, I know I could never live in Tuscany.  But 2% or more tastes to me like too much salt.  My last loaves were as close as I could measure to 2.02%.  In contrast when I brought a kg boule to our library party the salt was only about 1%.  I even received an unsolicited compliment that someone liked my bread because it was not too salty.

[Raamo]

Made Hamburger Buns (used for pork bbq), Pain De Mie, and Cinnamon raisin bagels!

 

[Anna N]

3 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

By that do you mean the best bread or the best bread for the least effort?  How would you say Pain Rustique compares to the French lean bread result?

 

 Yes. The best bread for the least effort.   I can’t choose between them because I think they are just different animals. Very good animals but different. 

[Kerry Beal]

 

White Sandwich Loaf with caramelized rye, caramelized red fife, sunflower

seeds and pepitas 

[Anna N]

 

Jewish rye. The rear loaf was slashed and the front loaf was “docked” with a chopstick in lieu of a dowel.  Tried to discover how this should be done but found no help so I just poked away.  

[Anna N]

 This is the crumb of the Jewish rye. I thoroughly enjoyed this slice with some homemade cultured butter that was part of a Christmas gift. I used Guinness as the dark beer.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I baked a boule and a baguette last night.  This time I reduced the salt to 1.5% and found it more to my liking.  The baguette I had for dinner, most of the baguette anyway.  I have not yet cut into the boule.

 

So far with the book the crumb of my baguettes is not as open as I would like.  I have been more pleased with the boules I've made.