The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

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Zigs's picture
Zigs

Weak dough or Over-proofing?

I've been having consistent problems with my loaves deflating during scoring and little to no oven spring. From what I've been reading, this usually indicates over-proofed dough, but I really don't let the dough proof very long (30 minutes - 1 hour) and when I poke it before scoring, the dough still slowly rebounds.

I'm wondering if this could be an indication of dough strength instead of over-proofed dough. I really don't know what "strength" means, but I've read it could be a problem when scoring.

My breads are whole-grain (ground myself) typically either Hard White Spring or a mixture with Hard Red Spring. I'm using the Reinhart whole wheat method (biga, soaker, fridge for a day, etc...). Also using the stretch-and-fold (~4-6 folds w/half hour rests) instead of kneading.

So, any ideas on if this is a strengh issue or over-proofing? If it's strength, any tips on increasing the strength of the dough?

hullaf's picture
hullaf

Using whey as liquid substitute

I've just tried a "30-minute mozzarella" recipe, and it turned out wonderful, but the book it came from said that the leftover whey can be used as a substitute liquid in bread making. Has anyone tried this? Book reads: "whey contains milk sugar, albuminous protein, and minerals." So, is the part that is called "albuminous protein" same as the serum protein in milk and thus has to be scalded (just below the boiling point = 190F) before it could be used? The whey in the mozzarella cheese making process only got to 105 degrees F. 

Anet   

CountryBoy's picture
CountryBoy

Is Reinhart's 100% Rye Hearth Bread Possible Without A Starter?

Is it possible to bake the following Reinhart recipe, from his Whole Grain Bread bk., p. 175, without using a rye sourdough starter?  Yes, I know a starter is much better, but is it at all possible to work around that and still deal with the acidity of the rye flour and get a reasonable loaf of this bread?

Thanks. 

Soaker

 

Single Loaf

Triple

Whole  Rye Flour

 1 ¾  cups

5 1/4

Water

1 Cup

3 Cups

Salt

1/2 tsps

1 ½  tsps

Vital wheat gluten

(optional)

4 tsps

12 tsps

Starter

 

Single

Triple

Rye mother starter

½ cup

1 ½  cups

Whole  Rye Flour

1 2/3 cups

Almost 5 cups

Water

¾ cups

2 ¼  cups

   

Final Dough

 

Single

Triple

Soaker

Use all

Use all

Starter

Use all

Use all

Water

¾ cups

2 ¼  cups

Salt

5/8 tsp

3 1/8 tsps

Instant yeast

2 ¼ tsps

6 ¾ tsp

Note: Forgot to add:

Whole rye flour 

¾ cups+ 2 Ts2 ¼ cups
MaryinHammondsport's picture
MaryinHammondsport

Sourdough Banana Bread

This recipe is a modified version of Floyd's !0 Minute Banana Bread recipe shown at the lower left on the home page. It incorporates most of the suggestions Foolish Poolish made just recently and a change or two of my own. I just happened to have some over-ripe bananas and some left-over starter this morning, so I though , "Why not?" It's delicious and so tender it almost slices itself!

Sourdough Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 350° F

In a food processor, combine and pulse until broken up:

1/2 stick of room temperature butter (4 ounces/60 gr.)

2 eggs

2 -3 fully ripe bananas, broken into chunks

 

In a large mixing bowl combine and stir:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (214 gr.) (could be partly whole wheat, but not more than 1/2 cup)

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (100 to 150 gr.)

3/4 teas. salt (4.5 gr.)

3/4 teas. baking soda (3.5 gr.)

1/4 teas. baking powder (3.5 gr.)

1/2 teas. cinnamon (1 gr.)

Add the wet ingredients to the dry.

Also add up to a cup of sourdough starter. I used a scant cup of batter-consistancy starter, and it was just right. Thw weight here will vary -- some starters are heavier than others. It would be ok to use a liquid measure of 8 oz., more or less, here.

Stir all together very very well.

Optional ingredients to add at this point:

1/2 to 3/4 cups chopped walnuts, or

1 tablespoon poppy seeds, or

1 to 2 tablespoons flax seeds

I would not use more than one of these options.

Grease an 8 1/2" X 4 1/2" loaf pan or two smaller ones. Turn batter into pan(s).

Bake at 350° F on a middle rack. It should take 30 or so minutes if in two pans and about 40 in just one. Test by poking a toothpick into the center of the loaf; if it comes out clean, the bread is done.

Let sit in pan(s) for 5 minutes or so, then turn out onto a wire rack.

This is going to be my favorite use of left-over sourdough, I can tell that!

Sorry, no photos; I put it in two 8 1/2"X4 1/2" pans and the loaves are way too flat to be proud of, but they taste great.

Thanks to Foolish Poolish for getting me started on this modification and to Floyd for providing the basic recipe.

Mary

 

 

 

 

 

 

PaddyL's picture
PaddyL

Sourdough vs Whole Wheat

A good friend posted this on the Robin Hood website, and I think it should be of some value on this site.

 

Sourdough bread may enhance health more than whole wheat, says scientist

The type of toasted bread we eat for breakfast can affect how the body responds to lunch, a researcher at the University of Guelph has discovered.

Read full story here.

trenicar's picture
trenicar

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

I have never found a loaf as good.

I live in France, in a small village where we have an artisan baker, he is quite experimental, and I try to bake as well.

I am English, but we both have a passion for fresh bread. 

This seems a great site and I look forward to trying some of the recipes, I will let you know how I get on

 

GrapevineTXoldaccount's picture
GrapevineTXolda...

Outdoor bread baking, gas grill and attempt #1

I tried my hand at baking bread on the grill this past weekend.  With summer upon us, and daily temps at 100 degrees, sometimes higher, it is necessary to forego the kitchen oven and hone my breadbaking skills in a 'cooler' environment. 

Since I normally do the grilling, I had an idea of my hotspots ahead of time.  I'd researched the web, and the many links of TFL to understand that this was a venture where I shouldn't expect perfection, but as with an bread baking, note that with due time I might surprise myself with the results. 

Remember my pizza stone that was unfit for the kitchen?  I'd thrown it out into the garden to use as a stepping stone.  Oh yes!  It's true.  I went for that gem, scoured it with a non-suds steel wool pad, doused it with organically compounded dish soap, washed it some more.  Returned it to the outdoors to air dry, retrieved it and slathered it with olive oil.  Placed this little gem outside to bake in the sun and returned a couple hours later.  Rubbed a paper towel over it and placed it on the center rack of the grill, over an old toaster oven rack.  (I wanted to build a bit more insulation around the stone and grill rack.) Shut the grill door and fired up all four burners to the low setting.  I allowed them to heat for 15 minutes, while back in the kitchen I was proceeding with last minute details for the first loaf:  egg white/cream wash, slashing and a covering of sesame seeds.  (Next time I will slash first, wash and then apply seeds...the wash made the surface a bit tricky to cut).

Back out to the grill, carrying the loaf (set upon a bit of parchment for easy slide to the stone), and my old stew pot I planned on using as a cover/cloche.  Open the grill, slid in the loaf, covered and went inside for a cooler 20 minutes.  Back at that time, removing the cloche item, I would find the loaf burnt on the bottom, but a lovely golden brown on the top.  (what to do, what to do....surely it can't be done in a mere 20 minutes?).  Carried the cover into the kitchen and with furrowed brow set about to panic.  Threw caution to the wind and went quickly to retrieve the loaf.  Picking it up I discovered how hollow it sounded, and the wonderful camelized smell.  I knew I was on to something.

Round two, or, loaf #2.  I turned two of the four burners off, leaving only those in the center on low, dusted the crispy-fried remnants of parchement off and allowed the oven to build even heat for about ten minutes.  Redux of earlier loaf final prep and I am back to the grill for a second attempt. Slid the loaf onto the heated stone, this time leaving the cover/cloche in the kitchen.  Returned the cover on the grill and went to time this prize for 15 minutes.  ... tic, tic, tic.....Lift the cover and note that the loaf is NOT burnt, but a beautiful golden color on the bottom, yet the top is far from being browned.  Quietly lower the lid on the grill and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.  Final result?  Not a golden browned loaf atop, but none-the-less an absolute in all other ways.  I had an open crumb unlike anything I've ever accomplished in all of my prior baking attempts.  With such success I had concluded that I'd never eaten better bread....I truly was a convert to this new way of baking.  Today I will be attempting trial #2.

The camera battery is recharging as I type. 

Anonymous baker's picture
Anonymous baker (not verified)

sourdough pancakes

  I seem to have unused starter all the time that gets trashed. A friend of mine said i should try sourdough pancakes it sounds good to me but don't know anyone that has tryed them. are they good an has any body had them ?

Windischgirl's picture
Windischgirl

firm starter losing it's firm

I have an odd problem which doesn't seem to affect bread quality, but it's something that i'm curious about.

I have a mother starter from Reinhart's WGB that claims to be firm...well, it's thicker than my liquid levain from Silverton.

My question is this: I remove a portion of the firm starter to feed it in advance of baking...I've been working my way thru Local Breads...and I feed it according to directions and get a nice little lump of firm dough.  so I sit it in my little container on the counter and next morning, voila!

I no longer have a lump of dough...I have a thick batter that has risen and definitely shows yeast activity.  And it raises the bread, just as it should.

What I'm puzzling about is why this firm starter changes texture so much, and is it supposed to?  I guess this is more chemistry and less artisinal baking...

Maybe i should just stop complaining and eat the bread?!

 

Windi

Philadelphia PA

Anonymous baker's picture
Anonymous baker (not verified)

Pototo flakes vs. Potato Flour

I need to know if it will make a difference if I use potato flakes instead of potato flour in a pain de mie recipe I have. TIA

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