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

[Chris Hennes]

14 minutes ago, Anna N said:

We had an opportunity to compare notes about our baking and discovered that we were both amused or perplexed by the method of dissolving the salt into some of the water that would be used for hydration. We both came to the same conclusion that the amount of salt and the amount of water was such that that salt would never dissolve.  We had both tried stirring, shaking, heating etc. but there is far too much salt compared to the water to allow a solution to form. The best you can get is a slurry. If anyone can tell me different I’m excited to know. 

Yes, this is definitely true, their salt slurry thing is strange. They have a different technique that they espouse elsewhere where you sprinkle the salt over the shaggy mass (without mixing it in) before the autolyse stage. That's the technique I've settled on, it works well (and I never forget to add the salt  ).

[Anna N]

8 minutes ago, Chris Hennes said:

Yes, this is definitely true, their salt slurry thing is strange. They have a different technique that they espouse elsewhere where you sprinkle the salt over the shaggy mass (without mixing it in) before the autolyse stage. That's the technique I've settled on, it works well (and I never forget to add the salt  ).

 Thanks. My science background is limited and extremely old so I was wondering if I was missing a step somewhere. So do you add the liquid set aside to the total hydration level or not bother?

[Chris Hennes]

6 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 Thanks. My science background is limited and extremely old so I was wondering if I was missing a step somewhere. So do you add the liquid set aside to the total hydration level or not bother?

Yes, I include the liquid. They present this technique is one of this weekend’s recipes. The sandwich loaf maybe?

[Anna N]

Well trying to  accommodate  everyone’s recommendations (except for the L- cysteine which only appears on the wish list at the moment)  I am making another and for now, final attempt,  at the cinnamon raisin swirl. 

 

 

 Rolled out with many five minute rests.  That is a 12 inch rule beside it. 

 

 

Twice as much smear and raisins.  In the oven now. Sure do hope this one works. 

 

[rotuts]

So much work you are doing for us

 

not just yet not Us

 

h0wever :

 

 

I know you ache figured it out

 

but " ?  then? 

 

just soaring

[Anna N]

8 minutes ago, rotuts said:

So much work you are doing for us

 

not just yet not Us

 

h0wever :

 

 

I know you ache figured it out

 

but " ?  then? 

 

just soaring

 Are you asking what you’re seeing? My dishwasher is there and it is falling apart and is held together with gorilla tape  and duct tape . That is a cleaning pad that prevents the dishwasher from locking except when I wante it to lock so that I can extend its life for a little longer!   You did ask I think. 

[Anna N]

 I suppose it was inevitable given my age and decrepitude that I would forget something as I struggled to get this right. Sure enough — no slash!  Damn.

 

 

My granddaughter texted me and said, “You should make cinnamon buns, Nana.” Guessing it’s only one step and a jump from cinnamon raisin swirls to cinnamon buns.  Told her if she promised to get up on Sunday morning I would attempt cinnamon buns. Don’t think I have too much to worry about. 

 

I may need to slow down on the bread  baking for a day or two to catch up on other stuff around here that needs to be attended to.   With such a tiny kitchen it’s hard to do any other cooking when the place is constantly under a fine dusting of flour and every piece of equipment known to man/woman for home bread baking seems to be piled somewhere.

 

Looking forward to seeing some other baking from people who have received their books. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

10 hours ago, Anna N said:

 

Surely you do not attempt to bake it directly from the refrigerator. 

 

PerhapsI just need another coffee. 

 

 

I think baking preformed loaves directly from the refrigerator is the idea.

 

What I do though is to refrigerate the unshaped dough and then shape before baking.  The way things are stashed and stuffed into my refrigerator a preformed loaf would not stay preformed for long.

[Shelby]

Anna, I very much admire your tenacity.  Who cares if it's not slashed!  It looks beautiful!

 

And, I am very much wish I was your neighbor and I could help you out by taking that bread off of your hands  

[Raamo]

The dough to make 1 500g loaf of cinnamon raisin swirl is now fermenting.  

 

The dough seems a tad bit dry - but I'm guessing that's from all the stress it just experienced in the mixer.

 

We're using 100% of the smear and 100% of the raisins for 50% of the dough.  Should be enough

 

I found this recipe a few days ago and wanted to make it - we finished up the Country style loaf (which spent 2 days in plastic rap, and actually didn't dry out too much)  as French Toast for lunch - worked quite well.  Used the ATK recipe for dense European bread french toast.

Edited November 20, 2017 by Raamo (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Some progress here once I realized I had to make up a 1.5 kg batch in order to get the dough to mix properly:

 

 

 

Mixed and fermented by the book.  Shaped by the square method.  (Before MB I had always shaped boules by the tuck-in method that I had thought I had invented -- who knew?)

 

Proofed a bit over an hour, scored on a peel, and transferred to a 450 deg F. preheated stainless steel baking dish with an aluminum sandwich bottom.  My DeLonghi griddle worked great for that purpose.  I then popped the dish into my preheated CSO and baked 20 minutes on the bread setting at 450, followed by 10 minutes convection bake at 400.

 

Center temperature right out of the oven was 207.  Next time I might give it a few moments more.

 

I have never had a boule rise like this.  Compare with my previous experiment:

 

 

...which looks more like a cow pie, though it tasted quite OK.

 

 

My one compliant?  The loaf took three hours to cool -- with the air conditioner blowing on it.  Dinner was at 3:00 am.  Second complaint:  what am I going to do with all this bread?  Welcome to Toast and Jelly Days.

 

[rotuts]

not at all

 

Im asking about the ??"

 

[Anna N]

6 minutes ago, rotuts said:

not at all

 

Im asking about the ??"

 

Sorry I have no idea!  Something to do with the software on eG I’m guessing.  On my screen they show as just blank squares with no?‘s.  Sorry I subjected you to the story of my dishwasher that’s what I thought you were asking about. 

[Anna N]

47 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I think baking preformed loaves directly from the refrigerator is the idea.

 

What I do though is to refrigerate the unshaped dough and then shape before baking.  The way things are stashed and stuffed into my refrigerator a preformed loaf would not stay preformed for long.

I read and I reread and then I read again the section on cold proofing and never did grasp that they really, really wanted me to bake these icy doughs. It couldn’t have happened anyway unless I threw the bannetons into the oven which wouldn’t have been a great idea.  But the dough was so stuck to the linen that would have been my only choice. Might abandon the bannetons for now. 

Edited November 20, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[Anna N]

17 minutes ago, Shelby said:

Anna, I very much admire your tenacity.  Who cares if it's not slashed!  It looks beautiful!

 

And, I am very much wish I was your neighbor and I could help you out by taking that bread off of your hands  

 Thank you, Shelby.  With so many people trying to help me get the results I want I feel compelled to continue trying.  But I need to rest now from raisins and cinnamon stuff. If you were next-door I would happily give you my bread.If you were next-door I would happily give you my bread.  

[Anna N]

16 minutes ago, Raamo said:

The dough seems a tad bit dry - but I'm guessing that's from all the stress it just experienced in the mixer.

 I am surprised you’re finding it to be dry. I find it to be a beautiful silky, soft dough that is a joy to work with.  Be interested to see how it progresses. 

[Shelby]

3 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 Thank you, Shelby.  With so many people trying to help me get the results I want I feel compelled to continue trying.  But I need to rest now from raisins and cinnamon stuff. If you were next-door I would happily give you my bread.If you were next-door I would happily give you my bread.  

I aim to try my hand at the recipes that have been posted here hopefully over the weekend.  Would be a good time to have some excellent bread on hand for the hunters   I am not scientific minded at all so we will see if I can muddle my way through  

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, Shelby said:

I aim to try my hand at the recipes that have been posted here hopefully over the weekend.  Would be a good time to have some excellent bread on hand for the hunters   I am not scientific minded at all so we will see if I can muddle my way through  

The recipes are quite amazingly resilient. You may not get a prize winning loaf but I can almost guarantee you will get something eminently edible and miles above anything you can buy. 

[Raamo]

13 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 I am surprised you’re finding it to be dry. I find it to be a beautiful silky, soft dough that is a joy to work with.  Be interested to see how it progresses. 

 

As I expected - it's much nicer after 30 min rest.  It's a very nice dough - Did you use a rolling pin to get it rolled out as long as you did?

[Anna N]

7 minutes ago, Raamo said:

 

As I expected - it's much nicer after 30 min rest.  It's a very nice dough - Did you use a rolling pin to get it rolled out as long as you did?

I did. And I covered it with plastic and a dish towel in five minute increments to let it relax so I could roll it out some more. It’s a very springy dough. 

 

 

[Anna N]

 Pretty much nailed the swirl but now I have a tunnel. And it isn’t going to take me to Paris. 

 

 

 I can tell just from pressing on the second loaf that it’s suffers from the same tunneling issue. I am absolutely not going to make it again for a few days at least but if anyone wants to chime in and offer some solutions for my new problem or at least my worsening problem of tunneling I will be happy to follow your suggestions when I’m over my sabbatical from this bread. 

Ain’t that a magnificent scroll?

[Raamo]

I managed to roll it out to more then a foot, Forgot to take a picture, but here is what it looks like - covered with ants!  (ants on a log anyone?)

 

 

Now it's all rolled up tight in the pan - currently proofing in the steam oven

 

[Anna N]

20 minutes ago, Raamo said:

I managed to roll it out to more then a foot, Forgot to take a picture, but here is what it looks like - covered with ants!  (ants on a log anyone?)

 

 

Now it's all rolled up tight in the pan - currently proofing in the steam oven

 

 Don’t forget your egg wash and don’t forget to slash!    Just saying.   We need to have each other‘s back‘s. 

[Raamo]

2 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 Don’t forget your egg wash and don’t forget to slash!    Just saying.   We need to have each other‘s back‘s. 

 

I set out the egg and lame sitting out to remind me   We even have buttermilk and powdered sugar for the icing.

 

 

[Raamo]

Smells good!  Now I have to wait - how long Anna?