CeciC's blog

Last week I made a similar loaf which ended up with a flat disc. With enormous help I get from Josh and DA. This week I pull myself together and try again. I got so excited when its out of the oven, coz it looks like a successful bake to me.

Heres my formulae

200G white Levain (100% hydration)

600G Wholewheat flour

400G AP Flour

780G Water 

20G pre-soaked raisin water

20G Salt

3cups Raisin

2Tbs Cinnamon

1) Mixed starter, flour and water autolyse for 60mins

2) At the same time, soak raisins with warm water

3) drain the raisins. Add 20G of Raisin Water and salt into the dough and mix with pincer method until some gluten is developed

4) Bulk Fermentation for 3 hours (dough Temp @ 75F)with 3 S&F (30,60,90)  Squeeze in raisin during the first fold. 

 First Fold

 Second fold

5) Bulk Fermentation Complete and ready to be divided (To determine when it is ready, I did a finger poke test, poke it if it doesnt bounce back, it has completed it bulk fermentation.)

 6) Pre-shape and  it into a boule. Retarded for 12Hours in the fridge. Then baked in Corning casserole Dish.

After 12 Hrs Retard

One i didnt seal the seam very tight and proofed it seam side down and bake in forkish style with natural explosion.

The other one with tight seam proofed seam up. 

Cumb Shot - coz of my poor photo taking technique, the crumb has a nice brown color but apparently is not showing in the picture

This post has been submitted to YeastSpotting http://www.wildyeastblog.com/

I used the most basic formula,

250 G Bread Flour

750 G WW Flour

800 G Water

22 G Salt

3 G Yeast

After mixing it I gave it 3 S&F, and it hold it shape pretty well. Im gonna increase the hydration to 85% to see if it will give me a better crumb. 

BTW This is my first time to get an ear.

Heres the crumb Shot

Following Txfarmer WW sourdough Bagels formula apart from I did a room temp proof rather than a 12hrs retardation.

It gives a nice chewy crumb n crispy crust. But my shaping is a bit doggy. Heres a crumb shot. 

Another Disastrous Bake

Last weekend I misread the book, I ended up with a sluggish layered tartine. 

This week I remember to cut in the add-in, but I ended up with a flat disc. I took a few pic during the process hopefully that could help in spotting the issues.

I am pretty sure I have overproof it as I have warm it up on counter, it expanded quite a bit, shaping isnt the best as it didnt hold its shape. Could it be possible that my first bulk isnt at the right timing as well?

After mixing and before bulk fermentation 

Unfortunately I forgot to take a pic when it has completed its Bulk. Before retardation

After 10hrs Retardation 

 Then I invert n score. I bake it in a casserole pot with lid on but it didnt give me any oven spring at all. Thats them when they are out of the oven. 

Can anyone help with my flat disc? 

Lately my English muffins bake has been a soft crumb and holes is getting smaller. Not sure what I did wrong.

After reading "Tartine" I tried out its wholewheat SD with Flaxseeds, I substitute Sunflower seeds with roasted Sesame seeds. 

Everything was going well until the second fold. It said in the books to add the seeds during the second fold. I add them in there an perform the S&F as usual. Issues Happened

The seeds mixture layered between bread instead of mixed into the dough. I thought maybe they will eventually come together. Obviously I was so wrong. They never did. After baking my first loaf, i thought wait, it shouldnt look like this I flip around n found CUT THE ADD IN INTO THE DOUGH!!! Nothing much can be done to help so I marched on. 

I cant believe I missed the most important part. Im gonna try again next week. When I taste the loaf its like a layered bread. Thanks to the gooey seeds mixture my bread didnt hold it shape very well. This is a pretty good bread apart from the layering.

A Trial Version of Stollen

Followed the Recipe word by word as I havent got any bitter almond nor bitter almond oil I have left that out in this recipe. Will definitely add it when it comes to gift time. 

A crumb shot will be posted when I have it cut up.

It smells so good when its cooking in the oven. cant wait to try it out. 

Thanks to Isand66 inspiration on savory english muffins, who saved me from my plain or sweet boring english muffins. 

I mixed the cooked onion, tomato and dried basil into the dough, with a few S&F, divided and proof for 45 mins.

Heres the crumb n front shot.

After eating it, im still craving for his bacon and cheese *Huff huff" :( , I will definitely grab some bacon for my next english muffins bake.

The white used Forkish overnight poolish method, due to my poor time management I cant mixed the dough at its peak, so i refrigerate the poolish for a couple of hours. Seems like retarding poolish doesnt give the bread extra flavor. Then I proceed as the book discribed mixed the flour using pincer method (but I didnt incorporate the flour completely, which could be seen in the crumb shot below, there are strands of flour showing in the middle of the crumb.) Im still making silly mistake after so many months. I did 2 in bowl S&F within the first 90 mins, while the poolish is straight out of the fridge, it took over 3 hours to rise to 2.5 time in volume. Divided it into 2 loafs. Shaped it as a huge batard, used parchment paper to hold its size. Leave it in room temp for 15 mins then retard it for 4 hours, while I go for my daily RUN. It was almost fully proof in the fridge, but i still Slash it, hoping that it will give me an ear, OPPS, it doesnt. Luck enough it will gives me some oven spring and not a flat loaf. 

Texture wise, it is soft, shiny with irregular holes. BTW I finally have the guts to pour hot water onto the bottom of my oven and its still alive. 

For my SD WW, that is the best one Ive ever bake. I proof them in two ways, slash one no retard, natural crack on with retard for 8 hours + 30min room temp proof (thanks to my poor time management). 

overall the retarded has a better taste and crumb structure. But it didnt "explode" as I have wished. Next time I will medium tight seam. 

Finally Desert TIME!!

Chocolate muffins filled with chestnut pure and choco chip

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This post has been submitted to YeastSpotting 

After my white bread I decided to bake another load with higher whole grain content. 

this is based on peter Reinhardt cinnamon sticky bun, I charge it to 25% wholewheat and sub part of the yeast with sourdough. 

did a 6+ 4 slap n fold and 3 s&f over the initial 2 hours of bulk fermentation, total 3.5 hours till double in size.

I used water wash with bran topping which added nutty flavor from the side it looks like a shreddable crumb. A crumb shot with filling will be posted tomorrow