"The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Reinhart

[FoodMan]

Those look great! Do you have a Kaiser roll mold, or did you do those by hand?

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No, I do not have a mold, I knotted them by hand following PR's instructions. They really look much more difficult than they are. The hardest part was getting the dough pieces to roll into a rope since it was so elastic. What I did is basically work with 2 or 3 at a time, roll one then start on the other while the first one relaxes and becomes easier to roll.

Elie

[glossyp]

I haven't baked for awhile but decided to try PR's recipe for a very popular item here in Hawaii, lavosh or lavash, the Armenian flatbread. It was very easy to make and next time I will roll it a bit thinner - the dough is incredibly flexible and easy to work with even when it's extremely thin.

What appeals to me about this particular bread is it is reasonably fast to make, bake time is under 20 minutes and the oven only needs to be 350F which is good for us as the weather is already very hot here.

I used shichimi (Japanese pepper blend) to top half and sesame seeds for the other. The shichimi lavosh was great with an Asian salad for dinner. I forgot to get pictures early on and the photo is of the remnants.

[ellencho]

So this was attempt #3 with his basic sourdough recipe. The first time I attempted it I completely overproofed it until it was pretty much liquid. The second time I overproofed it, but by not quite as much. As they say, third time's the charm. I used the prepackaged powdered starter sold by Goldrush which I've heard isn't exactly the best but hey, that's what I had so I used it. I made my own slight change to the directions and I did the envelope folding technique twice during its second ferment and after 3 hours I shaped it and stuck it in the fridge overnight.

I think I'm getting a bit better at slashing now. I used a brand new razor blade and tried my best to go in almost horizontally to the bread. I think I need to work on getting deeper cuts though.

This is the crumb. It was surprisingly moist and had a nice amount of chew.

[Ninjai Fanatic]

gosh, all these breads look soo good.. i've been so busy with my school work and work that i haven't been able to bake much :(

[CaliPoutine]

Ok, I consider myself an advanced home cook/baker. However, I havent made much bread in my life.

I checked out the BBA from the library and this was my start.

Multigrain loaf. What did I do wrong? It had this weird hole on top and I poked it and it crumbled. Did I not need it enough after the first rise?

edit to say: the crumb is really light and the bread is very tasty even though its not a really pretty loaf, it still tastes good.

Edited June 24, 2005 by CaliPoutine (log)

[McDuff]

I'm wondering if the rising loaf was moist enough. If it had started to dry out, any gas accumulating might have made a bubble under a too-dry-skin, and then when it baked, you got you a little blister with a crunchy top. I always do as Reinhart suggests and use cooking spray and plastic wrap.

[ellencho]

Wow this thread has been dead for a while.

Anyway, in the past two weeks I've made two batches of ciabatta from a poolish. Although I've made this recipe before, for some reason I only added half the water that I should have (3 instead of 6 ounces) and I ended up with a very tight crumb. This weekend I doubled the water and my crumb came out much nicer and looser.

Here is a comparison of wetter vs dryer dough ciabatta crumb.

In addition to the crumb's texture being different, I noticed that the texture of the crust is also better when you use more water. It's a thinner, more delicate crust, but definitely crispier than the crust you get when you use less water. Here's a comparison of the outside of the loaves wet dough vs dryer dough. Maybe you can't really tell from those photos but the dryer dough ciabatta has a thicker, more dense crust than the wetter dough.

[FoodMan]

Time for the thread to get back to life again. I have been baking every week but nothing new until now.

I used PR recipe (2nd variation) for white bread and made some amazing sesame seed burger buns. Here is one of them "in action"

Also today I made some Pan Siciliano. I've made this once a loooong time ago and I was not that impressed as I recall. I must've done something wrong because this bread is fantastic this time with a very interesting crumb and a tender crust. My loaves do not look as shiny as the book's though, maybe some egg wash will help next time. I served the bread (well some of it) as an antipasto with a dip made with EVOO, capers, garlic and parsley.

Elie

[Behemoth]

Ah, looks great Elie and thanks for bringing up this thread -- I've been invited to a texas chili potluck thing, and I am supposed to bring cornbread. I wanted to use PR's recipe, but our hostess is big on the weight watchers and would probably hate me forever if I sullied her home with bacon. Has anyone tried this recipe? Would the omission of bacon make it too sweet, and if so, any ideas for a substitute?

[lemon curd]

Ah, looks great Elie and thanks for bringing up this thread -- I've been invited to a texas chili potluck thing, and I am supposed to bring cornbread. I wanted to use PR's recipe, but our hostess is big on the weight watchers and would probably hate me forever if I sullied her home with bacon. Has anyone tried this recipe? Would the omission of bacon make it too sweet, and if so, any ideas for a substitute?

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I made the cornbread without the bacon a few weeks ago and it was really good just like that - IMO it was not too sweet. I highly recommend just using the same recipe w/out the bacon. The only small change I made was for soaking the cornmeal in buttermilk, I kept it in the fridge instead of leaving it a room temperature overnight.

I've now made five different recipes from this book, namely the cornbread, pain de compagne, pane siciliano, focaccia and the sticky buns. I've been very impressed with how everything has turned out. This is really an awesome bread book!

Edited August 28, 2005 by lemon curd (log)

[Behemoth]

I made the cornbread without the bacon a few weeks ago and it was really good just like that - it was certainly not too sweet.  I highly recommend just using the same recipe w/out the bacon.  The only small change I made was for soaking the cornmeal in buttermilk, I kept it in the fridge instead of leaving it a room temperature overnight. 

Thanks -- then I guess it's a go!

I've now made five different recipes from this book, namely the cornbread, pain de compagne, pane siciliano, focaccia and the sticky buns.  I've been very impressed with how everything has turned out.  This is really an awesome bread book!

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Yeah, there really aren't any clunkers, and some have become staples. The ciabatta I make at least once a week, and there is always pizza dough in the freezer. I can't think of too many cookbooks that have justified their price like this one has for me.

[FoodMan]

Ah, looks great Elie and thanks for bringing up this thread -- I've been invited to a texas chili potluck thing, and I am supposed to bring cornbread. I wanted to use PR's recipe, but our hostess is big on the weight watchers and would probably hate me forever if I sullied her home with bacon. Has anyone tried this recipe? Would the omission of bacon make it too sweet, and if so, any ideas for a substitute?

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I've made it twice, both times without the bacon. I highly recommend it.

...wait a second, I did use bacon drippings to grease that pan though .

[KyleW]

better when you use more water.

Ellen - I agree that wetter is better when it comes to ciabatta. my "dough" starts out as more of a batter. This leads to nice big holes.

Edited August 28, 2005 by KyleW (log)

[Petrissage]

I used PR recipe (2nd variation) for white bread and made some amazing sesame seed burger buns. Here is one of them "in action"

What truly beautiful looking buns, both in size and shape. The crust has a lovely shine, too.

Also today I made some Pan Siciliano. I've made this once a loooong time ago and I was not that impressed as I recall. I must've done something wrong because this bread is fantastic this time with a very interesting crumb and a tender crust. My loaves do not look as shiny as the book's though, maybe some egg wash will help next time. I served the bread (well some of it) as an antipasto with a dip made with EVOO, capers, garlic and parsley.

You shaped the breads perfectly, something I have always had trouble with when making this recipe. Do you think the dough needs to be a bit on the dry side to retain the shape or was there something else you did to achieve such perfection? I would love to know how you did it.

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[FoodMan]

I made the Potuguese (aka Hawaiian bread) recently:

As you can see it came out very lovely indeed. The recipe made 2 of these loaves baked in a pie plate each, just like the recipe instructs. The bread also freezes very well. I froze one and defrosted it about a week later with very good result. The loaves are also VERY light, I mean light as a feather. Tasted great and toasted great. Just be carefull the toast burns very fast so don't crank up the toaster for too long.

Elie

[Marcia]

Wonderful loaf, Elie, just like the one in the book!

Well done!

Marcia

[lovebenton0]

Ah, looks great Elie and thanks for bringing up this thread -- I've been invited to a texas chili potluck thing, and I am supposed to bring cornbread. I wanted to use PR's recipe, but our hostess is big on the weight watchers and would probably hate me forever if I sullied her home with bacon. Has anyone tried this recipe? Would the omission of bacon make it too sweet, and if so, any ideas for a substitute?

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i've made the cornbread with and without the bacon. i like it fine both ways. i have also added diced roasted green chilies or roasted jalapenoes to batter when not using bacon. depends on the heat you want.. i liked that even better... gave it a bit of the smokiness the bacon does without the fat.

[FoodMan]

Marble Rye was my latest experiment from the BBA:

I made two loaves, one with the dark rye on the outside and one with the light on the outside. The flavor is excellent and they sure look cool. I packed the dark one well and it is now in my freezer. The other one is mostly gone (makes and awsome grilled cheese sandwich with Cheddar and Dijon). The only trick to this bread is making sure both types of dough have the same texture/moisture. If they don't, combining them might be difficult.

Elie

[Daniel]

Made the cina buns this morning and have a brioche half way done.. Hopefully it will be worth photographing..

Normally the icing is the best part of things like this.. But in this case the bread itself was the star..

Great recipe came out airy and chewy.

Edited October 8, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

Made the rich mans brioche today.. It came out pretty good, I should have kept it in for longer.. it was just a little too dense.. Still very good, just a little to dense.. So buttery

The middle didnt rise as high as the pictures in the book..

Slices up really well.

Edited October 10, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

Although I can se what you mean about it being just a bit too dense, that is a beautiful loaf, Daniel.

[Daniel]

Thanks Richard,

I have a question about the bagels.. I see McDuff tried them. Has anyone made them with great results.. Really want to give it a shot and since I am home today with a blown ear drum I dont have much else to do..

Edited October 10, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Theven]

Dude your loaf is righteous!!!

[jgarner53]

I have a question about the bagels.. I see McDuff tried them. Has anyone made them with great results.. Really want to give it a shot and since I am home today with a blown ear drum I dont have much else to do..

I made them. They turned out fantastic, probably the best bagels I've made so far. Click here to see them.

Next time I make them, I'll make sure I have enough hi-gluten flour on hand first and take the bagels out to boil only once the water's ready. The everything bagels collapsed a bit while waiting for the water. They froze great, though (wrapped in foil and placed in ziploc bags)

[piazzola]

This is not from the BBA book however since everyone shows their art work here is my attempt soft, airy and chewy. What more could I have asked for just ate it with oil and salt.

Edited October 11, 2005 by piazzola (log)