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Placing loaf pans on a baking steel?
Hi, I would like to try a baking steel. We usually enjoy a bonus pizza on the days we make a batch of dough and bake basic bread loaves in our household kitchen. I am wondering about the effect of placing the thin wall bread pans on the baking steel. We have several of these pans: V... | It's actually great, if you
It's actually great, if you're baking larger amounts of dough. I usually bake 4 rye pan loafs at a time (that's almost 9 pounds of dough) and the steel stores enough heat that the oven temp doesn't drop too much. If you're only baking one loaf at a time, you might want to lower the pre-heati... |
Using hops
My mother used hops to make yeast, and I would like to try this method. I remember the hops as looking like dried flower petals. Beer brewing suppliers have a variety of hops, are these the ones to use? Any suggestions would be apprected. Abigail. | Used hops to *make* yeast? I
Used hops to *make* yeast? I must confess, I have no idea what you're talking about, here... hops is a plant/compound/herb/whatever added to beer which imparts upon the beer a distinctive bitter flavour while also extending its shelf life. What does that have to do with yeast and growing... |
Gubana
I usually do Colomba di pasqua for Easter, but this year I decided to do something different. I cracked open Cresci and tried the Gubana recipe. here it is fresh out the oven.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3624/3427672976_1df8cb60b7_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3664/3427672414_9b54778641_o.jpg
th... | Well they turned
out beautiful. I'm sure they are as good as they look. |
The recent popularity of Bread-edit added
As most of us old timers here have noticed, the traffic at The Fresh Loaf has been humming along for the last 6 Months in particular. I have speculated that the economy being on its hinder was the main reason along with the growing popularity of artisan bread in itself. I found... | Google mail?
Eric, when I click the link, I'm taken to G-mail. I tried it using Firefox and Chrome with the same results.
It sounds like a great article. BTW, is there place on TFL which shows the total number of subscribers? |
Yeast question, what is monoglyceride citrate?
Someone gave me several packages of yeast called Oetker Yeast Levure, Instant. Says it's a product of Germany. It made a beautiful loaf of bread, the dough came together quickly and was easy to work. Delicious results. The only thing I question is what is the monoglyceride... | Scary site
I did do a Google search to find information before I asked the question. I did not see this site. Unbeliveable what's on or in our food.
It looks like the monoglyceride citrate is a preservative. I'm going to check to see if it's listed on other yeast and decide if I'm going to buy anymore. Or stick to good... |
Benefit of a banneton?
Let me start by saying I don't have a banneton. I do have some baskets that I could line with linen for a substitute. But what is the difference between forming the dough into a ball and letting it rise, score and bake?
Is the only difference the lines/design from the willow? The few loaves I've... | banneton using
jackie9999,With high hydration doughs and/or with very long final proofs, bannetons help keep your loaves from 'blobbing out' too much. Plus, they also make the quick transfer to a peel/baking stone easier if you're baking on one since the bottom side is up and not sitting on your parchment/pan for an h... |
Looking for a great suggestion for camping trip
Hi Everybody - I am sending my brother, his wife and 2 teenage boys, my husband and 2 older children off canoeing the next couple of days. I am hoping somebody can inspire me with a nice sourdough loaf to send them off with - something like the columbian sourdough, which... | Just the thing!
Hi, Anna.
"Hold up well, and stick to there ribs." Hmmm ... I assume it's okay if it tastes great, also.
You want to bake Hamelman's 5-Grain Levain. (I'm assuming you have "Bread.") If you have time before your crew leaves, definitely do the optional overnight cold retardation.
This bread has the most f... |
forming dough into balls
Hi,
Can anyone offer advice on how to roll dough into perfect balls? I know it seems like a petty question as it's obvious, a no-brainer; but every time I try to roll my dough into balls, they leave much to be desired. Either the balls have creases, lines, dents, and so when they get baked, t... | I weigh them
First, I weigh the dough out so ever piece is the same size, then I create surface tension on each piece by gathering the bottom together (I don't know how to explain this), and lastly, I roll the balls around lightly on the counter.
--Pamela |
Robin Hood bread flour protein?
I usually buy unbleached bread flour at my local Bulk Barn (I'm in Ontario) but I've just noticed I can get the "Robin Hood Best for Bread Homestyle White Flour" at my local walmart for quite a bit less $$ (5kg for $9.50)
I'm reading here that protein percentage in bread flour should be ... | Protein
Dividing the 4 grams by the 30 grams listed as the serving size gives 13.3%.
Colin |
How do you get a feathery crumb in white bread?
When I was a teen, I had a neighbor who would make a loaf of white bread that had a really feathery crumb.If you tore a piece of bread apart, the inside just pulled apart and waved in the breeze like cotton candy. It was wonderful. I know she used milk but that is all I k... | Here's a recipe for you.
Double Crusty
2 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. active dry yeast (If using instant yeast, make it 2 tsps.)
1 tbsp. salt
1 egg
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 cups, approx., flour
If using regular active dry yeast, put it into the water with the sugar in a large bowl, let it bub... |
Problems with hydration
I am wondering if anyone else has had the same experience with dry climate. I live in northern New Mexico and I find that with all the bread recipes I try, I need a lot more water. The doughs that are supposed to be very hydrated are not. I do weigh everything but have come to the point where I ... | Opposite problem
All the doughs I make here in Oxfordshire (UK) seem to need about 5-10% LESS water than the recipe calls for in order to achieve a ball of dough that comes away from the mixer bowl cleanly.
Maybe the water here is wetter than average and yours is dryer! B-}
Seriously it could be something to do with th... |
Big gaps in Croissants
Hi all,I'm currently in the pursuit of the perfect croissants but for some reason the finished products all have tight crumb in the center and big holes around. I thought they were overproofed and have tried to bake them sooner but they continue to look like this. Any advice? Halpp me!! Thanks! | Excess flour
Could there be excess flour on the dough sheet when you are shaping? Overall, the proofing looks right. |
Bread making classes in michigan? Or the midwest?
So I know Peter Reinhart has classes, as does the SFBI and KA Flour, but I live in michigan, am a student, and don't really know how to judge the value of these things. While I do think going to any of those events would be great, I don't think its feasible for me right... | Zingerman's Classes
I have taken probably 8 or 9 Zingermans classes over the last year and a half. The classes are small with a maximum size of around 12. Many of the classes I have attended had only 6 or so in them. They are very much hands on, which is obviously a real advantage when it comes to bread. No book can t... |
Lumpy dough
Well I am quite new to this but I have been doing enough reading that my brain might pop any monent now. Despite all my research I have yet to come across any mention on my problem(s). I could really use some help so thanks in advance.
I am having trouble incorperating my 100% hydration preferment into m... | It depends
I think it depends on the type of bread. I get about 25% on my sprouted wheat bread, but much less on a whole wheat sourdough. I think the goal here is not so much the percentage of spring, but attaining the proper spring to produce the right crumb structure for the particular bread.
--Pamela |
Use of Gaggeneau Steam oven for baking bread
Hi
I have just moved into a rented house which has a Gaggeneau Steam oven. As steam is used to create a crust when making bread, has anyone experience of using the steam feature when making bread.
Tim | I have only seen photos of
I have only seen photos of the oven in ads! Im looking forward to hearing more about your oven...would love to see some pics. of bread baked in it and what you think about the oven.
Sylvia |
visiting San Francisco!
My wife and I are flying to California to visit friends at the end of March, and one of our stops is San Francisco! We won't be there for long, so I was hoping to get a few ideas on essential artisan baking destinations. Where can I get the most bang for my buck? Would a stop at SFBI be a good c... | Acme and Boudin are necessary
Acme and Boudin are necessary stops if you want to try the real SF Sourdough (you can get starter at acme as well, but that is another topic altogether). Acme has really great bread.
In my opinion, you have to have some clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Pier 39 is fun to walk around ... |
Laziness + Forgetfulness + Fortuitous Luck + Educated Guessing = Improved Pain de Mie Recipe
WARNING: This is a long post!!..
As I promised Soundman, aka David, on my thread, Advice Desired From Baker's That Regularly Use Biga Pre-Ferments; here is a thread detailing my self-inflicted trials aand tribulations regarding... | Hey, Bruce!
Great post! This has nothing to do with your bread, but I'm feeding my SD starters only once a week now instead of the recommended every 4 or 5 days. And, guess what? They are even more tangy than before. Starters, bigas, etc., are alive and seem to thrive sometimes in spite of all the science behind them.
... |
Newbie needs help tweaking a recipe
Hello:
I'm new here and new to bread making. Well, sort of new. I've been baking bread for awhile now and have come quite aways--I think I almost have it. I do have a question, though. I have been trying to make a good sandwich bread, and have come across a recipe that I really thi... | suggestions
Elaine,
The recipe looks like it should work as written. I would definitely do the two rises. It would be fine to add the gluten, you don't need to add the enhancer and extra yeast. Also, white flour and whole wheat work a little differently - generally whole wheat will absorb more liquid.
Did you test t... |
Loaf size for Farmer's Market
I am gearing up for baking for Farmer's Market and need to expand my number of bread pans for sandwich loaves. I am questioning the size I should buy. My normal for home are some old aluminium 5 1/2 X 9 1/2 X 2 3/4 for breads, I have never had any problems baking in them. I am particula... | as a customer
I believe I am more likely to buy a large loaf. Much more so than ever buying 2 small (even for half the cost). Not sure why though, I suppose as you said large loaves are impressive.
I think it's probable that if you have small loaves on the same table, and they are more than half the price of the large... |
Oven Spring . . . ? Help!
I have only been able to get a good oven spring for my sandwich loaves ONCE!(and I have made lots) I have no idea how I did it but it was beautiful. Best loaf I ever made. Today I tried preheating the oven to a higher temp and letting the bread cook for a minute or two before turning it d... | Overproofing?
It may be that you are overproofing during the final fermentation. Try baking it when it is about 90 percent risen. |
Almond milk
A few days ago, I bought a cardboard container of almond milk at the health food store, as a backup in case I ran out of cow's milk. Unopened, the almond milk doesn't have to be refrigerated. A prescient buy, because just yesterday I ran out of cow's milk. I had almond milk with my granola.
So, when it came... | Oh, forgot
Along with the dry ingredients, the 2 teaspoons salt and the 1 teaspoon yeast. Just in case anyone looked at my recipe rather than Lloyd's. I suggest using HIS recipe :) |
Cinammon, raisin, oatmeal bread
I baked the cinammon, raisin, oatmeal bread recipe that is listed over on the left side yesterday. It was a long process to do it "exactly as directed" but wow was it worth it. I'm having a camera issue right now so can't post a photo, actually battery recharger. My husband its a lover o... | Keep up the good work
It makes it all worthwhile when our family enjoys our efforts! Great job on the bread and on the time you're taking with your husband; you'll never regret it. :) |
how to observe doubling if doing coil folds while bulk proof period?
Hello,I've been doing 2 rounds of S&F and then putting the dough to raise in a marked squared containers until doubled. I got interested in coil folds to add strength, however if I do that during BF, how am I supposed to observe the doubling? especial... | Short answer is you can't,
Short answer is you can't, and using an aliquot jar is the best thing available, afaik.Longer answer is, there are other signs of fermentation that you can look out for (jiggle, bubbles, puffiness of the dough) so you don't need to rely on increase in volume. But while you are figuring that o... |
Hand mixing Ciabatta from a biga
I just made some ciabatta with "proper" ciabatta flour from Shipton Mill. It was using a recipe, from Richard Bertinet's Crust, which uses a biga (at around 50% hydration).It was ok to work once mixed, but I found it very hard to get rid of all the lumps: maybe a mixer would be better f... | Wow! I don't know....your
Wow! I don't know....your ciabatta looks so good that I don't know if I would change anything. Peter Reinhart also has a ciabatta with biga. I think Peter's biga is about 67% hydration. I didn't have a problem mixing in the biga, and I only use my hands to make bread. |
I need help with a bread recipe I'm working on.
I'm working on a hamburger bun recipe. I know, there are many available, but I'm using this as an excuse to teach myself baker's percentages.
What I'm trying to achieve is a soft bun with a high rise, light and airy crumb that tastes good and browns nicely. So far, my att... | your way out of balance
your way out of balance
first of all no sugar which means no food for the yeast. it will eat what it can get from the flour and start to die. the dough will bake old. little color no rise and a sour (not in a good way) flavor.
no fat no lubracation for the gluten it will be a tough dough and w... |
Anyone got a recipe for Wegglitag?
Has anyone got a recipe for Wegglitag? These are a Swiss breakfast roll that (if I have identified the species correctly) I can remember my mother and I fighting over in Interlaken in the 60s (there was a bakery just behind the hotel). They were absolutely amazing, and like nothing we... | For weggli?
I have a recipe for a bread caled Weggli wich I assume is the same as your bread. Try this recipe but be warned: This author has a wierd habit of uber dry doughs wich Is why I never ever ever bake from his book.
Weggli:
Type: "Flying sponge", enriched DDT: 27C or 80F
25g of fresh yeast, 500g milk, 10g honey... |
The proper pot for no knead
I just bought the most beautiful covered pot and am about to make no knead bread. Possible problem: the diameter of the pot at the lip is 3/4 in. less than down below. How will I get the bread out? Can I succesfully let it cool in the pot, and will the bread shrink when cool? If letting... | Parchment
That's the secret of both lowering the dough into the pot (which I presume you are going to preheat) and lifting the bread after the bake.
Cut the parchment into wide strips and form a cross inside a bowl. Place the dough on it and when you're ready to bake, you can remove the hot new pot from the oven, plac... |
What Percentage of Dried Onions in Onion Rye Breads??
The following question is directed towards those forum members making onion rye breads.."What percentage of re-hydrated minced dried yellow onions are you using compared to the total amount of flour in your rye bread recipes??"..I am trying to come up with a N.Y. De... | Dried vs Fresh Onions
Edit: I think 1 ounce of dried onions is equal to about 8 ounces of fresh onion and that is a goodly amount for a single loaf. I've made a number of breads with dried onions and have not found it necessary to rehydrate them. I just include them in the final dough. --Pamela |
basic white sandwich bread aggravation
This morning I departed from my newbie efforts at French loaves at the request of my dear husband, who enjoys same but requested "useful" bread for sandwiches. As we are currently buying a loaf or more a day, I conceded it would be useful and a good experience to learn to make a ... | My basic white bread has
My basic white bread has gotten rave reviews from my husband for both taste and sandwichability. I tend not to really measure anything but the flour anymore, but this is the rough loaf amounts.
1 pound white flour (you can substitute up to 1/3 whole wheat for slightly healthier bread)
2 teaspo... |
Lower soduim bread
My fiance is trying to reduce his sodium intake (he was averaging 4k mg per day). How much can I reduce the salt in a recipe without problems. Does anyone have a low salt bread recipe? | Pretty much to taste
When you want to reduce your sodium intake, it is a good thing to take time to re-educate your palate to enjoy the lower salt level. It's not difficult but takes persistence. He will know he did this when food with regualr salt levels feel unpleasantly, burning on his lips.
Start by reducing the sa... |
How Long Do Your Long, Cold, Slow, Bulk Fermented Doughs Take??
I am trying to gain a greater understanding of the process of long, cold, slow, bulk dough fermentation..For those members that use this process regularly, I am curious to know what length of time that your doughs, both lean and sweet (if you build sweet d... | I'm not being scientific
I mix my dough, starting with cool water, one evening, doing some kneading. Then I stick it in the refrigerator. I'm not particularly scientific about it, and your questions are pretty specific. I'd say my bread is typically in the fridge for less than 24 hours. I take it out a couple hours... |
Méteil
How does one pronounce "Méteil?" My French is more than a little rusty, and I can never remember which accent mark does what.
Thanks!
eric | May-Tay.
May-Tay. |
bannetons: lined or unlined?
Do you prefer to use lined or unlined bannetons? I'm thinking about buying a few proofing baskets from SFBI, but I'm not sure which kind I should get?
Thanks!
Eric | Get a few of each in all sizes.
Not trying to be a smart ass. (I do it effortlessly?)
I ended up with both types and use them all. The unlined, coiled ones will give you a nice flour pattern on your loaves, if that appeals to you. They are traditional with German rye breads. The linen-lined ones come in more sizes and ... |
Slap & fold issues
Hello there,I'm trying to improve my kneading, specifically S&F or french folds. I'm using a very basic recipe for this, white strong bread flour (320W, 12.5 protein, 0.70 P/L), 75% hydration, 2.5% salt and fresh yeast. I've tried to autolyse for as long as 4hrs, or no autolyse, and then slap and fol... | Please post photos of your
Please post photos of your dough. 75% hydration is on the high side for slap-fold. 320W flour might be soft. High hydration and soft flour will be difficult to slap-fold. |
Retarding poolish,levain
I'm relatively new to baking and I want to try use prefermented dough(poolish into my ciabatta bread.my book says to let it rest in room temperature( 18C- 21C) for about 12-16 hours. What I really want to know is if its possible to slow down the process to it takes about 24-28 hours instead.
I... | Poolish
If you are using a poolish - which is nominally defined as a 100% hydration preferment leavened with commercial yeast - the first thing I would try is simply use less yeast in the poolish. Use less yeast, it will take longer to mature.
The next thing I would try is keeping it in a cool environment. Maybe even... |
Crying in my hooch.
I could just cry. Maybe I will. After going through almost the entire sourdough starter process, I was on day 5 and, because I read it was a great way to warm up an oven, I tried putting my starter in the oven with the light to add warmth. A great idea since our house is usually around 65 degrees. W... | you could try adding pineapple juice
and flour and see what happens. Why not? |
Short Loaves
I'm running into a problem with my sandwich loaves. They aren't rising very high.
For example, last night I made some rye bread, and although the taste is great, they are a bit flat. The recipe I used is a combination of several I found on the web. It goes something like this:
2 pkg active dry yeast
2 ... | What size are your pans?
Sometimes it helps if you put more dough than normal into a pan. I have a few extra-long pans, 10", 12", even a 16-incher, and I often make double loaves in those pans. Shape the dough as if they were going into the 8 x 4 or 9 x 5, but snuggle them end to end in a longer pan. When they rise,... |
Need help with crust on No Knead Bread!
Hi Everyone!
I've been practicing on NKB, both with yeast and with sourdough starter. I've had a couple of successes, but I'm just not satisfied with the crust....it is SO chewy I can hardly bite a piece off, and it actually hurts my teeth to chew it! I've read what others said... | crust on no-knead bread
I'm new here but have made the no-knead bread quite a bit. I didn't like the crust on mine the first time I made it either, so I added a step to my process and like the results. Somebody probably has a solution that's more proper but what I do is wait until the bread cools a bit but before it'... |
oven spring good / springing for a new oven bad
This list is great -- I'm spending a ridiculous amount of time reading the posts -- my husband thinks it's hilarious. And I'm really enjoying my beginner's attempts at bread-making. Quick question: My (one lonely!) bread book advises to spray a bit of water into the ov... | Don't Steam the Landlord
Karen, welcome to TFL! Tell your husband the next time he laughs, he can eat Wonder bread.
It's hard to say what damage you might do to the oven by pouring water directly on the oven floor. If it hits the heating unit or the glass on the door, you'll definitely have problems. A simple solut... |
Looking for Recipe
HI
I have Christine Ingrams BREAD book and she has some wonderful photographs of breads from around the world. I am fascinated by a round loaf that she calls Vegetable Il Gianfornaio bread from Australia and have searched for a recipe for this loaf but can't seem to find one. There is no recipe for t... | Hope this helps!
http://arundathi-foodblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/vegetable-il-gianfornaio.html
Looks pretty! |
White Bread - A King's twist
Salutations, Don't turn your nose up, just yet. ;-)This is a very interesting Blog post, fresh, from King Arthur Flour:http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2009/01/08/white-bread-pure-and-simple/
I'm not a big fan of White bread but I did find that very interesting.Maybe especially for our ki... | I will not be tempted! :)
That was a beautiful loaf of bread! I'm sure it does taste fabulous and my four kids would probably really, really love it.
But since they will never know it exists I don't have to buy the expensive pan! :D
Now, back to my sprouted grain, wholemeal sourdough loaf....
Incidently, mine turn up ... |
SAF-Instant: How long to thaw?
I just pulled my last brick of SAF-Instant out of the freezer, and of course I need it now. O: ) Can I use it extra cold for my WW sammie bread, or do you need to let it thaw to just cold?
TIA,
- Jennifer : ) | No need to thaw it.
Just use it as is. |
DLX users question
Hi Everyone
I have a question for all you seasoned DLX users out there. I recently bought one and I'm getting the hang of it for kneeding bread, but I had a question about the mechanism. I kneed about 10 cups of flour with the roller, setting it about one inch from the side of the bowl, and when it... | DLX question
Ed,
I have found that the roller works best with less than firm doughs. You can manually hold the roller in to the edge, enough to try to spread the mass into a circle. That is one of the sort of awkward aspects of the DLX. Don't get me wrong it does work but especially right after starting the mixing befo... |
Eric's Faviorite Rye Bread Made w/o Sourdough Starter
My mother really likes Jewish / New York seeded rye sandwich bread so I decided to give Eric's recipe a try..Unfortunately, she wears full dentures which she says hurt her mouth when trying to chew through the crusts of artisan breads..So I decided to modify Eric's ... | Very interesting
Baltochef,Interesting work up. I'm sorry the crust/seeds hurt your Mother. It looks like you found a way to give her a nice rye bread. I sure would like to see how it turned out. Can you post a picture? Now it's Baltochef's favorite rye!
Eric |
amount of water
I follow one of the same 2 recipes each time in my Panasonic machine for bread which is ¾ buckwheat and ¼ wheat, and I get good success (flavour, texture, rising). One recipe has 280 ml water, the other has 300 ml, otherwise they are identical, and I'd like advice with explanation, please, which to opt ... | Which works better is the one
Which works better is the one to use. Enjoy! |
Morton's Onion Bread
Hi this is my first post.9 years ago I visited Morton's restaurant next to the twin towers. I remember the meal was great, but the one thing that sticks in my mind is the loaf of hot bread that came with the meal.It was Onion Bread and wondered if anybody had a recipe that would be similar to this... | Trenicar...welcome to TFL....
I'm sorry I can't help with your recipe request, I did a quick search for the recipe via the Internet, but came up empty. :/Might I suggest that you try sending the request to the corporate offices of Morton's? Perhaps they will offer it, and if they don't, well....DARN! You would at le... |
Kneading question...
I'm a relatively novice bread baker. I've made several succesful loaves, including a few from this website, with rave reviews from my family. Tonight, I used my classic country loaf recipe, but substituted 2 cups wheat flour for AP flour (out of 6 total). I kept everything else the same. I mixed th... | Depends on exactly how long you were kneading...
...but that seems normal. At first, most whole wheaet breads seem like they can't absorb much water since there's not as much gluten and because the bran can sometimes cut the gluten that forms. But as time passes, the bran will soak up a huge amount of water and after t... |
How might one test their Instant Yeast?
I'm wondering if the jar of Instant Yeast I have has perhaps lost it's ooomph and wondered if there was a quick and simple test I can put it through? Unlike Active Dry Yeast that would foam and bubble profusely when added to a cup of lukewarm water, Instant just clouds up the gla... | use warm water and a small
use warm water and a small amount of sugar it should foam if not its dead yours dosent sound to good |
when is dough sufficiently worked? when overworked?
Hi there; I've just joined the list, having just started baking bread from scratch using Richard Bertinet's method. I'm afraid I have a very basic question that I'm hoping someone will have the patience to answer for me. As I'm kneading or working the dough, how can... | That's just evidence that
That's just evidence that your hydration is varying a little from batch to batch. Are you measuring your dry ingredients using a scale?
Anyway, it's not a problem. If the dough is feeling stickier than you'd like, just throw some flour on the counter, dust your hands, and keep kneading. The... |
European Pastry Books
Having lived in Europe at various points in my life, I find myself craving a European pastries and cakes on occasion. Are there any quintessential books that folks can recommend with French, Italian and/or Swiss-German recipes/techniques?
Thanks in advance. | http://www.amazon.com/Special
http://www.amazon.com/Special-Decorative-Breads-Professional-French/dp/0442319541/ref=cm_syf_dtl_pl_2_rlrsrs0
Try this book. I don't own it, but i've been thinking about buying it for a while. The whole series looks to be top notch, though the price is prohibitive. |
My bread texture is spongy and gummy.. any fixes?
This is my second time baking my honey oatmeal bread. The first time I followed the recipe almost exactly. The second time I substituted 1 and 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour to the recipe. I also let it rise the second time in the fridge over night.
The flavor was muc... | The recipe looks like a direct-method recipe
This recipe appears to be a direct-method using yeast only for leavening. My guess is the yeast is losing it's oomph or dying when you put your dough into the fridge overnight. Note: Retardation (placing dough into the fridge overnight for flavor development) is usually re... |
Whole grain recipe with standard measurements
Hi all,
I am fairly new to baking bread and have just ordered a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients, but it won't be here until next week (with free shipping). I want to make a whole wheat and whole grain sandwich loaf this weekend and need a good recipe. Also, I don't wa... | Starting off...
I would probably recommend waiting until you have a little more bread under your belt prior to making a starter. It doesn't really take that long to get a starter going yourself (unless it's really really cold in your house!!), so I would recommend cultivating your own starter after a couple weeks of ba... |
bread as a staple - your views
well im from new zealand, yes that little island way down there...
sadly im a plant apprentice baker not quite a real baker, however i bake alot at home and have a copy of the BBA as a starter (love the book too!)
but anyhow im looking for some international opinion for a presentation i... | Most cultures have a starch
Most cultures have a starch that is staple food. Some examples are: In India, it seems to be rice. In Asian countries, China, and Japan also. Mexico seems to rely on tortillas, but most people from Mexico I know prefer a corn tortilla, made with Masa. Bread (sometimes pasta) seems to be... |
My Pain de Mie White Sandwich Bread
Greetings!!!
Although I like crusty breads with crackling, caramelized crusts above all other breads, I find myself making this bread more than I once might have..Most of my relatives just do not have the same appreciation for artisan breads, as they do for more commercialized breads... | I sympathise with your aging mother.
Corn on the cob is much easier to eat than those crispy, chewy crusts on artisan bread. Wait till you get there. |
what to do with leftover sourdough starter
In Poland, I recently had some great soup. Accompanied by some nice Pivo, Zurek is a great way to battle the cold. There are dozens of recipes on the internet, but it is rye starter with things, a very flexible recipe. Half of a boiled egg and the rye starter are the only cons... | Zurek
Zurek is awesome. I tried making Zurek a while back and didn't have much luck but I should try again. |
Woah... what a difference!!
I'd been trying to "make do" for a while with whatever seemed like an acceptable tool for slashing the dough loaves and using a small, very sharp but flat-bladed paring knife acceptable, though not exactly great.
I knew that a "tomato knife" was a great tool to use because it has the large ... | great looking
I like this knife because it comes to a very small point at its tip...I think this would help a great deal aside from all the other good factors...when Im slicing with my blades knifes 'KT' thats my main complaint...they don't come to a small point at the end! Great find!!
Sylvia |
A study of 500 SD starters from 4 continents
A University study with some surprising results. Where you live, they claim, isn't what it its built up to be. This upends the generally agreed upon concept that the local flora in the air creates the dominant type of yeast strain in the SD. Difficult to understand why it... | Just saw your post...
...after I posted a similar article above from a different source. I think the reason why starters take on a different profile, when given to someone else who lives in another place, is not about the change in geographical location and more about the changes in maintenance. I was always of the opt... |
Accolade frequency...a silly post.
I occasionally feel guilty about not extending laudatory comments on the many beautiful loaves I see here at TFL, especially to the beginners like myself.
But simply typing "Beautiful loaves!" each time I thought that...I wouldn't have time to bake.
Many thanks to those whose comments... | Ooh Rah
...Salutations ;-) |
Perfect Onion Soup
I know this site is all about the bread but there's nothing better than a wedge of sourdough and this velvety onion soup. I like this recipe for bunch of reasons. It's cheap, consists of only a few basic ingredients, only dirties one pot and it's almost impossible to get wrong. And did I mention i... | And the wine?
Do I drink
And the wine?
Do I drink the wine?
Great recipe. I'm going to try it.
Dave |
Strategy for baking multiple loaves in a small oven?
Does anyone have a strategy for baking multiple loaves of bread in a small oven? Come Thursday, I wil be the thrilled new owner of a DLX Magic Mill. in my excitement over the mixer's ability to mix multiple loaves of WW bread at a time, I forgot that only two loaves ... | Two loves -- that's a small
Two loves -- that's a small oven! On the up side, the tighter the loaves fit in the oven, the more steam they make naturally and that's a good thing.
I've never tried this exactly (tho' I have use the fridge-rise method for making fresh hot cinnamon buns for breakfast), but you could try mak... |
The need to knead vs. No-knead technique
I have had some good success with no-knead breads (about 80% hydration), and I am starting to experiment with different hydration levels in my breads in general. My questions are:
1. At what hydration level will the no-knead technique not produce adequate gluten, neccessitatin... | Wonderful question
I've been wondering the same thing and would love to have an answer. Thanks for posting for me, nsimon. |
Dry Milk..
Is there any reason to use powdered milk versus regular milk? Quite often recipes call for powderedmilk and water. Why can't we just use whole milk? (skim, 1-2% etc?) Does the fat content make that much difference? | Cheaper and easier.
I think that's the general reason to use dry milk over liquid milk. Br. Rick Curry, S.J., in his Secrets of Jesuit Bread Baking, says that using the liquid milk makes a big difference in flavour, and I've heard on another website, that scalding the milk, then skimming off the skin that forms before... |
NY Hard Rolls
So I'm using PR's Kaiser Roll recipe from BBA and Norm's advice and this is my result. Twice now they have risen higher than I'd like and also closed up too much after using the stamp. Does anyone have any advice on improving them? Thanks! | Hard Rolls
Alconnell, I had the same problem with my last batch, I know where things went awry for me I didn't press them flat enough before placing in the oven and got too much spring.
You can see the rolls in this pic did too much rising.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/9554/baking-day
Eli
www.elisfoods.wordpress.co... |
Rye bread temperature question...
So I'm doing the final proof for a direct method "rye bread" recipe I found on the net and it says to bake at 350 degrees F and that just seemed kind of low temperature to me. I'm thinking I won't get good oven spring but if I turn up the temp will I burn the bread? Any suggestions? | Baking temp
You should definitely be able to turn it up some, even if just for the first 5 minutes. Set it at 425 or 450 to get the maximum spring. |
Boiling Bagels: what are we trying to achieve here?
I've been looking over a few bagel recipes here and elsewhere and I'm rather stunned at the varying amounts of time I've seen recommended for the boiling stage. Everything from 5 seconds to 7 minutes has been suggested. I've seen one minute per side a little more ofte... | Why Boil a Bagel
According to my reference - the book "Bread, a Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes" bagels are boiled in water into which malt syrup has been added that will slightly permeate the dough to give it color and shine. The boiling also reactivates the yeast and pre-gelatinizes the starch on the surface ... |
BBA's Sticky Buns
They are GOOD! I had made them before but the cinnamon bun version, however, the sticky buns are much better. I find this dough very nice to work with and the end result well worth the little effort they take. I just wanted to brag about a success after my recent rustic breads failures. LOL Yum! ... | Oh, does that ever make me
Oh, does that ever make me hungry! Great picture. |
My batards seem to spread-any way to make them hold a taller shape?
I use sourdough and sometimes yeast to make my loaves and even though the dough seems to be the right hydration (by feel), it seems it relaxes a little too much and tends to spread out on rising. So I have a lovely tasting loaf that is only 2 to 2 1/2 ... | Couche or banneton
Allowing it to rise on a couche or in a banneton will help keep its shape. Both will support the sides so the only direction for the dough to go is up. |
I think this site has been infected.
In the last few days I've noticed:1. The pictures don't appear in many posts.2. The search function on the home page does not work.3. Emails from TFL are being treated by my Nortons security as Junk.Can't help thinking that something has corrupted the site.Cheers,Gain. | Same here
I can see posted pics but others not in private messaging.Tends to lock up pulling up posts.And when I copy a coment at paste it in, anything else I write gets ersased instead of "saved."I've dumped the cookies and erased history several times as well as turning my iPad off to restore. Using Safari. |
High-altitude baking
First off, a big thank you to the many contributors at TFL who provided me with some much-needed guidance on high-altitude baking.
My wife and I are at our daughter's home in Colorado Springs this week. Our daughter and son-in-law just had their first baby, a daughter, on Monday. Whee! That even... | I'm in the Springs as well,
I'm in the Springs as well, and I've found that yeast breads require very little adjustment compared to other baked goods. Now, this may be because I add my final four based on feel when I'm baking bread -- maybe I'm adding more and don't know it! -- but I certainly don't make any conscious... |
Hensperger's Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread
Here's a pic of some Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread from Beth Hensperger's Bread for All Seasons:
Judging from the oven spring, I ought to have let them proof a bit longer. No crumb pics now; these are cooling their heels in the freezer in anticipation of Thanksgiving Day.
Paul | Pumpkin and Cornmeal..
combo sounds great. Let us know what you thought of the flavor..OK? Happy Thanksgiving!
Betty |
baking bread to make stuffing
I was wondering what receipe everyone used to make their own bread for stuffing? I am using a basic white and this is the first time I am trying making my own stuffing instead of store bought. Most times we just buy the bread and dry it out and cut it up. This time I am going to bake it... | Pain au levain and
Last week I baked an extra loaf of our daily bread, Pain au Levain from JH's Bread. I had a time crunch this week and lost the window of opportunity for using the liquid levain and soaker for the Five Grain levain from the same book. I baked the loaves anyway - the taste was very good but bread was ... |
Whole-Grain Bread for Children for Thanksgiving?
I've been invited to my niece's for Thanksgiving. I'll be travelling next Tuesday by Amtrak bus/train, 200 miles. I reminded her that I love to bake and what can I bring, and she cavalierly said nothing, we'd bake what we needed on Wednesday.
Well!!
So I decided not to... | Still Seeking Suggestions
While the idea of the braided loaf is growing on me, I would still like counsel from people with experience with children. All of my children experience, aside from when I was one, is second-hand. Does anyone have ideas on getting children to like whole grain bread?
Rosalie |
Need a new recipe please.
Alright so I have been baking bread for a little over a month (my mom used to do it all the time and I would help her........so i started a long time ago......lol).
For the past month or so I have been using a regular white sandwich bread recipe, it's basic as basic can be, but it's taught me... | no recipe
you didn't include your current recipe.
for more flavor, I would suggest using less yeast and longer fermtations. You couldalso incorporate those savory ingredients into the dough. For garlic bread, I put fresh garlic in the food processor with a bit of parsley and add that to my french bread dough. They w... |
BITTER BREAD TO BEAR, HELLLLPPPP Puh LEEZE
Hi I made a other/starter ala Peter Reinharts Whole Grain Breads. Then I made a varient of RYE SANDWICH METEIL. Pages 112-115 I was too short of time to drag out the vitamix to grind grain so I just used white flour for the soaker, and later on used rye for the final dough wi... | IS it possible some of the
IS it possible some of the ingredients have been around for a while? Flour gets quite an old taste when it has hung around for a while as can oil. Rye flour can also be old on the store shelf-check to see if there are any dates on the package. |
Anybody use a camping oven?
I think I read a long while back about someone using a Coleman camping oven. I'm thinking of picking one up when we go camping but would like to know if they actually work. Other thoughts or ideas? I was think of trying to use a cast iron dutch oven but this Coleman camping oven looks eas... | A dutch oven would probably
A dutch oven would probably be a better choice for baking. The heat is actually easier to regulate by the number of charcoal briquettes than the oven is to regulate by the burner on a portable camp stove. The dutch oven is also far more versatile. You can cook virtually anything in it. T... |
Old war time breads or ancient recipes anyone?
Good Morning All!!I am on a quest to unearth some old recipes as I imagine that hard times like the 2nd world war and rationing will have meant that people will have needed to think creatively and have to substitute some ingredients for others...this must have produced som... | Search amazon, there's a ton
Search amazon, there's a ton of books on wartime cooking - WWI, WWII, they're often reprinted, the publisher is Applewood books. Also, a lot them are in the public domain, here's a great collection http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/browse.html. You can probably also check... |
baking in the 1940
its good to know that woman in baking in the 1940 could use there small fingers for putting icing on cakes but were mostly good for sales persons!watch and enjoyhttp://www.archive.org/details/BakingIn1946 | Lord, lord!
Ye gods and little fishes! Fascinating though. So we women couldn't bake back then, eh? Only good for selling the stuff that the men made. |
KA free shipping
In case you are not on their email list, King Arthur is doing free shipping on orders over $75 through this Sunday (2 Nov).Anne | Are you sure?
The only reference I see on their website to free shipping is if you sign up for their credit card and spend $100. I would love to take advantage of no-strings-attached free shipping, though. Is it only for certain products, or perhaps the discount requires a coupon code? Joseph |
Using thermometers to test for bread doneness
This post will be a little long; sorry, but I want to be thorough.Several years ago, I was teaching baking classes at the Japan Institute of Baking (JIB) in Tokyo. A big part of the Institute is devoted to research on all manner of bread topics. An engineer there gave me a ... | What about pan loaves?
That is so interesting Jeffrey, thank you for sharing this info. And we are so lucky to get your comments and advice here!I never use a thermometer for my hearth loaves, but on occasion I might use it for bread baked in a pan to make sure the bread is done - since there one can't simply look at t... |
Poilane-The Bakery
For those who have not visited the bakery you may wish to go tohttp://www.poilane.fr/index.php?lang=enand do some ordering. If you do, it would be good to have some dough with you. | Great site
What a fun and beautifully designed site! Thanks for the link. Off to play some bread sudoku! |
BBQ/Grilled bread
Are there any types of bread you can cook directly on a grill/bbq without using the BBQ as an oven. I figure there must be types of bread in some cultures that have some nomadic roots that do this as who is going to lug about an oven. I don't care about authenticity more that it's always good to have ... | Naan?
Naan (an Indian flatbread) can be made directly on the grill (or on a grate over a stove burner). I don't have a good recipe, but here's a starting point (and some photos): http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Naan/Detail.aspx |
~60% whole wheat (with good photos)
This is me, happy as a clam, after getting a new camera. I never thought I'd be so happy about a digital camera in all my life. Food blogging, which is what I've started doing, is so much simpler with a digital camera. As much as I was loathe to finally take the plunge again after... | Looks good Stephanie
I think whole grain pan breads are the hardest to guess at being done. Pulling them out of the pan to check the bottom is cumbersome but it does work. I'll admit to using a temperature probe on a cable now and then to keep track of a new bread recipe.Sorry it was gummy but you must have just been a... |
This week's baking
Some weeks I bake more than others and some weeks, the baking I do is more productive than others. I don't know if that statement made a lot of sense, but I do think that only bakers could appreciate how I felt when I looked back at this past week's production. This is what I made for my family thi... | Five doz. mandel breads?
I hope they were small. |
Bread Disaster!
So, I made two loaves of Oatmeal bread and while taking them out, one slipped out of my hand, fell out of the pan onto the floor and then the pan landed on top of it. Poor thing! I saw how it fell, so this morning the concensus was, cut off the bottom and let's eat it! LOL So we did, but so sad! How it... | and it was soo pretty too!
glad all was not lost! What was the yum-yum in the middle? Audra |
Yet Another White Sandwich Bread
I've been experimenting lately with sweet baking and haven't done much bread unless we needed it. My daughter's birthday is coming up and I'm trying to find a chocolate cake recipe and another flavor that will appease the non-chocolate folks. I've also been trying out cookies by the g... | Man does not live on bread
Man does not live on bread alone. but on the mayo and ham on top of it.from victor bono (king tut from the batman tv show) |
Questions about counter tops??
I am considering new countertops. Does anyone use maple or a hardwood? I am investigating finished cement and the granite and maybe a small work station of marble or wood. Any thoughts or experience would be appreciated.Eli | Countertops
Eli,You'll get lots of opinions on this topic! We opted for soapstone this spring, as shown here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/7624/updated-kitchen-photos. We really like the whole look and feel, and it is very serviceable.Paul |
Ingredients Listed
I have been reading the ingredients on breads from bakeries. You can order them like from Boudin in SF. The only list flour, water salt. Is it the starter that is responsible for keeping the freshness? Since there are no conditioners or additives to keep it fresh. | yes, Sourdough
Using Real Sourdough helps the bread keep longer. Easy isn't it? Mini O |
general knowledge question
what is the different between a biga, sponge, poolish & preferment? when you do a no-knead bread, aren't you just sort of baking a giant biga? | Definitions of pre-ferments.
Hi, appendix.
Welcome to TFL!
"Pre-ferments" are portions of the flour and water of a dough that are mixed ahead of time and allowed to ferment before adding the remainder of the dough's ingredients for mixing. Their main purpose is to improve flavor and shelf life of the product.
There ar... |
SUCCESS! (I think.)
I decided that I wanted to do a sandwich bread today because we'll be eating a lot of them over the next few days. My boyfriend is off work for 4 days due to them slowing production and, while I'm sure I'll make us some slightly more involved lunch at least one of the days, we generally eat on the ... | Off topic (Me. Not you)
The bread looks great and the pictures are actually pretty good too. The photo of the whole loaf is very good. Look at the close up of the crumb and you'll see everything behind the loaf is in focus. Lenses can only focus from a certain distance to infinity. You just need to back up a tad and yo... |
Extensibility & Gluten Structure
I was making bread today and the particular recipe I was following called for a 1-2 hour autolyse. This is longer than I normally like to do. And as it happened, I had to go out and the autolyse became a 4 hour one!Well I carried on with the breadmaking, but the dough had the consistenc... | From my admittedly limited
From my admittedly limited experience, not only are they not mutually exclusive, they can be mutually reinforcing. I do a 4 hour autolyse on purpose, and I find that a few strong folds are just fine to get it reorganized. (I'm using a 20/80 WW/bread flour mix.) Sometimes I also use Trevor Wil... |
Sticky Doughs
I recently bought a new mixer, Electrolux Assistent and while learning to use it went to my friends house where we did two batches of the same dough, using bread flour on one and AP on the other. The forumla was Pain Italien from Benard Clayton's New complete Book of Breads. Using bread flour we acheived ... | First the flour
Ap Vs bread
First the flourAp Vs bread ( hard wheat(ap has a much lower proten count than ap and will give you a much firmer dough because it can absorbe much water water. That does not mean you need to add more water that depends on what formula you were mixing.since hard wheat flour has more gluten i... |
Warming flour
Twice yesterday I applied the rule of 240 for the first time. The dough seemed "better" somehow and 'm really not sure how, but this is something I think I'll keep doing. My house is on the cool side and I was using water tiemps of 104 and 106F. Those temperatures make me very nervous about killing the ye... | Try a blow dryer
No, just kidding. Couldn't resist, but couldn't you just see the cloud of flour it would make?Sounds good to me, I think you could heat in the oven esp. if it came out of the freezer but I wouldn't set it hotter than 50°c or 125°F and make sure it's stired (use your fingers) and at the right tempera... |
So I've laid a brick - now what?
I did not see a post about this so I thought I would start one. Namely what to do with your bread when it doesn't come out right. Using the strictly technical and professional term, a brick. This would have to be something beyond bread crumbs. Something you would deposit into your compo... | bin it
Last lot of mine that came out like this I binned...I didn't want to waste more good ingredients on something whose base might not be edible! Lynne |
window paning
Is it possible to achieve window pane kneading by hand? I have never managed to do that with ~68% hydration doughs. I usually just knead till smooth and elastic and call it quits. Am I too lazy?:) | Window Pane
While it can be accomplished with hand mixing, achieving a 'window pane' is somewhat overrated. If you plan on a long first fermentation, you actually don't want to achieve a full window pane. The dough will continue to develop during the fermentation to get the dough to where it needs to be. If you mixe... |
Baking temperature
So, I baked two loaves yesterday with the same recipe - one mixed by my mixer (assistent) adn the other by my breadmaker (Panasonic). In both cases I cooked on a stone using steam on a cast iron pizza pan underneath. Both times I preheated the oven for an hour before baking. The only diference is the... | I think you'll find that
I think you'll find that everyone does things a little bit different. For instance you're exploring baking in your oven because there was something about the bread machine bread that you didn't like.Personally I'm struggling to get a crust that I like. Here's what I do now, I can't guarantee ... |
So, I have this nice loaf of herbed sandwich bread...
I mean, it's really nice. It's the first loaf of bread that worked well for me. Mixed it up last night and let it rise once, and then I put it in the freezer overnight. Put it on my counter to defrost and rise a second time this afternoon until about an hour and ... | Yeah. I wasn't aware that
Yeah. I wasn't aware that glass didn't let go like metal does...metal is all I've used. I borrowed the glass because I don't have a loaf pan right now and this is all my grandparents had.The pan was very liberally coated with oil. I had dumped too much in at the start, so I know that it was w... |
I’m excited with the results
I have over many months of reading and testing, finally got the results that I’m happy with. Firstly with my favourite sourdough recipe, and secondly with a great Pizza crust that eliminates all those that have gone before it. I won’t bore you with my long saga as it is almost identical t... | bravo!
Lovely breads. Thanks for sharing. |
ADVANCED BREAD AND PASTRY
Hi everybody, I remember on March this year that everybody was very hot about new book"ADVANCED BREAD AND PASTRY" by Michael Suas,but I did not heard that anyone bake from it .If yes,what recipe and picture. Thanks Saintdennis | I'm still reading it
St. Dennis,As you may know, it's a major book to read. Suas' history of baking, particularly the evolution of baking bread and pastry, as well as the key players i.e. French Monarchy, Della Pigna, Careme and Escoffier are very interesting. Anyway, I plan on baking from it within the next month. I... |
How do I roll the Philadelphia pretzel shape?
This is my first post to The Fresh Loaf, but I've been getting some great advice from the group. I went to Germany early this year, and after coming back from Munich I've been thinking about those Bavarian pretzels a lot, so I'm trying to make my own. I'm getting close to... | Elongate the tops?
Then place them side by side, touching each other and sort of squished together, you might get the shape you're looking for. |
ISO rye flour at a reasonable price
A while back strattor was asking where to find rye flour in NYC. I replied that it was difficult to find in Toronto as well but that there was one store we knew of. Well, not any more.... Yesterday, we rode our bikes over to the store to replenish the rye flour. There were NO 5kg bag... | Rye Flour
I feel your pain. The only retail rye flour I have seen is a wal- mart. I was able to order 50lb. Bags through a local health food store. I have recently ordered a mill and will make my own. |
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