The Fresh Loaf

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saintdennis's picture
saintdennis

bread alone

   I'm reading the book "Bread Alone" by Daniel Leader.The problem is on the page 58, temperature of flour,temperature of your kitchen and friction factor. What is factor?? If I mix the dough one minute that the dough will rise 1F and if I will mix it let's say 20 minutes that the dough will rise 20F??? He is saying that his friction factor number is 14. He is saying 60 F flour temperature, 80 F kitchen temperature and 14 F friction factor total is 154 F then 240 F ideal total minus 154 F real total is 86 F temperature to make the water. How he found the friction number with out the mix water and flour first??

 

                                 Saintdennis

holds99's picture
holds99

Ciabatta loaves made from Rose Levy Beranbaums Bread Bible and Bread Board

These are ciabatta loaves I made using Rose Levy's Bread Bible recipe.  She doesn't call for "stretch and fold" in her recipe but I did 3 very gentle stretch and folds during proofing, then divided the dough into 4 equal pieces and it seemed to give the loaves better rise and crumb.  The dough is very wet so I very lightly floured the work surface and top of the dough when doing "stretch and fold" (be careful with the amount of flour used to dust the dough or it will leave tell tale lines embedded in the interior of final loaf).  I very lightly dusted with flour before each of the 3 "stretch and fold" procedures (at 30 minute intervals).  Some folks use water on the counter and water on their hands but I found this dough to be so wet that if you use water you destroy some of the air bubbles that is so important for the light airy texture you're trying to achieve.  Anyway, after final proofing I divided and shaped them (her recipe is for 1 loaf, I made 4 loaves) for final proofing on parchment lined baking pans placed, coveded with a large clear rectangular plastic storage bin that accomodates two baking pans containing the 4 loaves.  I think the "stretch and fold" technique helped produce a better, more open crumb in the ciabatta loaves and gave them better oven spring.

 

Ciabatta Loaves No 1Ciabatta Loaves No 1

 

 

Ciabatta Loaves No 2Ciabatta Loaves No 2

I had mentioned previously, in a response to a question re: getting the ciabatta loaves off the work surface and onto a parchment lined pan or baking stone, that I made a bread board using a legal size clip board with the clip hardware removed.  My wife purchased a pair of panty hose for the project and here's a photo of the front side of the bread board with the panty hose stretched over the surface.  It works well with wet dough, as the dough doesn't stick to the nylon.  I moved the loaves from the work surface onto the nylon covered bread board and then onto parchment lined bread pans for final proofing.  This photo below (Bread Board No 1) is the work side of the board, where the loaf is placed on the board.  It is hard to see but the board is covered with the nylon hose.  If you wanted to make a longer bread board (and have an oven that will accomodate longer loaves) you could use thin plywood cut to the size you need and sanded to take of the rough edges after cutting the shape.

 

Bread Board No 1Bread Board No 1

 

The photo below is the back side of the bread board, with the nylon hose tightly pulled across the front side of the board and tied on the back side.  You could, if you wish, tape the back side with packing tape.  I didn't bother and it works fine.  I also use the board for baguettes (up to 18 inches long) and batards, when removing them from the couche and placing them onto parchment lined pans.  During the final 10 minutes of baking they can be removed from the parchment line baking pan(s) and placed directly on the baking stone to finish out the baking phase, if one wishes to use the stone as the preferred method.  After use I let the board dry completely at room temperature, dust off the excess flour and store it in a plastic bag for the next use.

Bread Board No 2Bread Board No 2

obrien1984's picture
obrien1984

Working with rye dough

Last night was my first attempt at a rye loaf. The texture of the dough was completely different than anything I had worked with before (usually I bake 100% whole wheat), and I was wondering if perhaps I did something wrong.

I used the recipe for 65% sourdough rye in Reinhardt's WGB. I used Hodgson Mills All Natural Stone Ground Rye Flour and King Arthur Whole Wheat.

Rather than a soft, slightly sticky, homogenous, dough, the rye dough was more like modeling clay. For example, when I tried to shape it into a ball (by tucking the sides underneath), it just split on the top. Instead of stretching, it just broke apart. I tried adding more water, but it became gooey and sticky. I don't see how it would be possible to shape this in the traditional method of stretching and folding, as it lacked both elasticity and extensibility.

Is this the correct texture?

The resulting 32 oz loaf was quite dense and chewy, but very good. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, which was much milder than the caraway-laden rye bread I remember from the fried fish sandwiches of my childhood.

 Thanks so much for reading! I look forward to your responses, oh wise Internet!

 

Joseph 

Anonymous baker's picture
Anonymous baker (not verified)

Cracked Oven Glass

Ever since I read the BBA, bread baking finally made sense and it finally clicked for me.  (Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook's bread section--what a waste!)

 I've been been baking bread...a LOT.  As much as I can manage it--which is several times a week.  I'd probably bake more, but my family and the occasional unsuspecting neighbor can only eat so much so fast.

 However--the other day I came across the worst thing ever!  I opened my cold oven to put a cookie sheet in it for storage purposes (smallish kitchen) and noticed that the glass on my oven door (the peep thru window) was cracked!!!  Not one crack but several.

 I'm the ONLY one in my house that uses the oven.  And I never slam it.  EVER.  

What I'm wondering is it possible that it cracked either a)having the oven at 500 on occasion (not normal several months ago) or b) creating steam?   or c) just a fluke?

I confess I've baked a few times since noticing this without a noticeable problem..but how long do I have before I need to replace it?  Can one replace just an oven door?  I've tried looking on the manufacturer's website to no avail.

=( 

 

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Something to do with bread: Crostini

The sourdough bread is cool enough to slice, and the oven is now free to roast the chicken for dinner. The chicken liver, heart and gizzard are sitting there, forlorn and neglected. Don't let it happen! Make crostini! 

 

Crostini
2 T olive oil 
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
1 large chicken liver, chopped very fine
1 chicken gizzard chopped very fine 
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
Dash or two of salt
4-6 grindings of black pepper
3 T of Marsala  

 Heat a small frying pan on medium heat. Add olive oil and shallots. Saute until translucent. 

Add the gizzard and saute to brown (2-4 minutes). Then add the liver and saute until no longer pink, mashing the mixture while it is cooking.

Add the salt and pepper and tarragon and mix well.

Add the marsala and let evaporate, mixing frequently, until the mixture is still moist, but there is no free liquid left.

Transfer to a small bowl and serve with thin slices of sourdough baguette.

 

Enjoy!

 

David 

Doughboy's picture
Doughboy

Bread Stick Recipes please!

Hey,

I'm looking for some good breadstick recipes. I have Peter Reinhart's American Pie book, I don't know if any of those doughs transfer well into bread sticks. Also any good tips for shaping the sticks? Much appreciated.

Doughboy

syllymom's picture
syllymom

Using Fresh Ground Flour in SD Starter seems to kill the starter, Help!

Still learning with fresh ground flour so here is my new question.  It seems that when I feed my SD starter with fresh ground flour it seems to kill the starter.  I can save the starter by refreshing with store bought flour.  But the fresh ground flour looks like it the water and flour seperate and it just is not the same.  Any ideas?  It looks like when you are starting a new starter and in the early stage you get that layer of liquid at the bottom.... you the bad stuff.

Help!

Sylvia

Marni's picture
Marni

Seaweed and Other Cracker Recipes from the Los Angeles Times

I saw these recipes in the LA Times this morning and just don't have the time to try them, but thought I'd pass along the article.  Maybe someone would like to give them a try.  They sure look interesting to me. 

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-cracker28-2008may28,0,112729.story

Marni

Eli's picture
Eli

Scones Question

Has anyone made the cream scones recipe found in Crust and Crumb by PR? I made them for the first time today and had to add more cream. One cup wasn't going to bring any moisture to the flour at all? With one cup I could barely get a shaggy mess started. Just curious as to whether anyone else had had the same problem.

Thanks,

Eli

Felila's picture
Felila

How to fire a brick oven - nice pix

Over at Joe Pastry's Blog

http://www.joepastry.com/

he's talking about his new brick oven, and his difficulties learning to use it. Nice pix. I hadn't realized that firing a brick oven was such an art. 

 

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