Blogs

March 20, 2021.

almost time for Easter breads/braids (not that it’s a thing in our house but I like playing with the bread calculator over at FoodGeek’s site - recipe here)

This was made with an overnight preferment instead of my usual TZ method. I’m gonna double the recipe for a wreath version next. Maybe with some eggs wedged into the dough like “Pane di Pasqua”. 

The lil swirls got smooshed!?

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Hi i'm back. Yikes i  proofed in oven using proof setting and dough reached its height in 45 min.  i need time to preheat oven and by that time the dough hit the lid of the pan.  hope it'll be ok , oven temp acting funny.  anyway timed for a 40 min bake. supp to be at 375.   will rotate half way thru.  will prob add extra time due to the moisture from the red bean paste may need more time. yikes i forgot to rotate the pan half way thru the 40 min bake.  rotated with 8 min left. i added 5 min to bake. I love the consistency of using a pullman pan but the loaf seems to have sunken a bit with cooling   hope it's ok. 

Now for the taste.  It tasted good toasted with butter but i don't taste much red bean or matcha.  I'll have to put a thicker layer of red bean next time.  i forgot to note that i subbed 5% with WW and used APF instead of bread flour as stated in formula.  I'm really happy with the crumb. You can't beat the predictability and the consistency of commercial yeast i have to admit. 

This started out as Eric’s Sourdough Deli Rye, but I started to worry about my KA mixer after I added the levain to the developed initial dough as is just wasn’t building any strength.  My KA mixer is a newish model with the plastic gears so I didn’t want to kill it just to bake this as a hearth loaf.  So I decided to make my first lean sandwich loaf.  I poured the dough (it was pretty loose) into the greased pullman pan, smoothed the top and placed it into the proofing box.  I baked it after it had risen to 1 cm below the rim of the pan.

It turns out that this makes a great sandwich loaf and one that is super fast to put together.  This is just like an Approachable Loaf from the CB but with far less whole grain.  So like Dan’s method with the Approachable Loaf, this gets one fermentation, no shaping just a rise in the pan and then a bake.  Sure a shaping and another rise would give a more even crumb, but I didn’t care, it was a perfect vehicle for a fried egg sandwich for dinner.

The recipe for this bread is located here ——> Community Bake Rye

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Some of you maybe familiar with anko, but for those of you who aren’t it is a paste that is made from azuki beans and sweetened with sugar and is a popular component in many Asian desserts.  For this bread, I made a Koshian Anko (smooth anko) but a Tsubuan or chunky anko could be used as well.  If anyone is interested I can post the recipe for the anko.

Overnight levain build

14 g starter + 86 g cold water + 86 g bread flour left to ferment at 77ºF overnight.

For the Black sesame powder

Grind 86 g of toasted black sesame seeds (I used a coffee grinder) then combine with 18 g of sugar.  Cover and set aside until the morning.

Prepare Koshian  (smooth) Anko 1 day ahead of time, use 65 g.

The next morning mix the following except for the butter.

312 g bread flour

1 large egg

30 g sugar

126 g milk

6 g salt

180 g levain 

Using a standmixer, mix until incorporated at low speed.  Then mix at higher speed until gluten well formed.  Then gradually add the butter and mix until the dough is elastic, shines and smooth.

Remove the dough from the mixer, shape into a ball and divide into approximate thirds.  Shape the largest third into a boule and set aside covered with a towel.

Take the smallest third and combine with the black sesame powder and knead by hand until the black sesame powder is well incorporated.  Shape into a boule and set aside under a tea towel.

Finally take the third dough ball and gradually combine with the anko paste smearing it on the surface and folding it in.  Knead until the dough is a uniform colour and smooth.  Shape into a boule and place under a tea towel to rest for 5 mins.

Lightly flour a work surface and the plain dough boule.  Roll out to at least 12” in length and almost as wide as the length of your pan, set aside.  Continue to do the same with the other two balls next rolling the black sesame dough out to 12” and placing that on top of the plain rolled out dough.  Finally rolling the anko dough out again to 12” and finally placing that on top of the black sesame dough.

Next tightly roll the laminated doughs starting with the short end until you have a swirled log.  Place the log in your prepared Pullman pan with the seam side down (I like to line it with parchment so it is easy to remove from the pan).  Place in the proofing box set to 82-84ºF to proof until the dough comes to approximately 1 cm below the edge of the Pullman pan.  This takes about 8-8.5 hours at 82ºF. 

At about 30 mins before you think your dough will be at 1 cm below the edge of the pan, preheat your oven to 355ºF with a rack or baking steel/stone on the lowest rack.  At this time prepare an egg wash and gently brush it on the top of the dough.  When the oven is ready 30 mins later, brush the top of the dough again with the egg wash.  Bake for 45 mins turning once halfway through.  Keep an eye on the top crust and be prepared to shield it with either aluminum foil or a cookie tray above if it is getting dark too soon.  After 45 mins remove from the pan to check for doneness.  Place the bread back in the oven for another 5 minutes to ensure that the crust on the sides is fully set and baked.

Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool completely before slicing.

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This was on my list of things to bake. It was good, though the anise flavor was a bit srong for me (and I like anise!). It overpowered everything else. It was a new jar, and likely more fresh than the fennel and caraway I had on hand. 

I followed the recipe as described, but made it in a small pullman pan instead. So much easier for sandwiches and toast! It was fantastic toasted with butter and marmalade.

The dough was pretty wet and sticky, and I almost didn't score it. It would have been fine without, I suspect, still learning when to just let that go.  A few slices made it into the freezer for another day. Next time I'll try a little less seasoning and a bit more orange zest. 

Now my second post of a bread from the Kingdom Bakery videos.  The prior was for a polenta based bread.  And his method of mixing and folding this dough had me curious enough.  Also this employs a poolish, something I hadn't done before with ciabatta, as it was always either biga or levain.  

A third curiosity for me is the low hydration.  At 73% this is certainly the lowest hydration ciabatta that I've ever made.  And it all went along smoothly. Of course with learning my way though this.  

I would have rather had shorter length loaves, but that will be corrected, along with other minor corrections, the next time.  I already like this method and formula.

A very soft crumb, and an extra-crunchy crust.  Just what I like!

Ed. The dough is actually 76% hydration with the consideration that the oil is a liquid and is to be included in the overall hydration.

500g x 3 ciabatta loaves

This is our favorite currently. Even with the lower hydration than what we are used to, it’s a delicious bread! 

This is Bertinet’s version: 

Preferment (Fermented white dough 10 - 12 hours) 

• 3g instant yeast 
• 500g all purpose flour 
• 350g water 
• 10g salt 

Dough 

• All of the preferment 
• 3g instant yeast 
• 50g water
• 250g all purpose flour 
• 50g unsalted butter 
• 5g salt 

and this from Bake-Street.com

Preferment (10-12 hours) 

• 450g bread flour 
• 270g water
• 1g instant yeast
• 8g salt 

 Dough

• 690g preferment
• 250 g bread flour
• 65g water
• 45g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2g dry yeast
• 4g salt

Day 1 evening:

1. Mix all preferment ingredients until just combined with no traces of flour. 
2. Cover and let it stand at room temperature for 10 to 12 hours. 

Day 2 morning:

1. Add flour, salt, yeast, butter and water to the preferment. Mix until a homogeneous dough forms. 
2. Then, knead the dough by folding it on itself and pressing down hard with the heel of your hand. Continue kneading for about 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is smooth. 
3. Alternatively, the dough can also be kneaded by bringing a rolling pin down hard across the dough, then press the dough down to flatten. After that fold it on itself. Repeat this for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is smooth.
4. First proofing: Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let it rest for 1 1/2 hours.
5. Pre-shaping: On a clean counter (no flour), shape the dough into a ball. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. 
6. Final shaping: Shape the dough into a boule or bâtard. Lay it seam side down on a lightly floured cloth-lined tray.
7. Second proofing: Cover with and let it proof for 1 hour at room temperature. 
8. While the dough is proofing, place a tray or dish on the lowest shelf of the oven and a bake sheet (for the loaf) on the middle rack. Preheat the oven to 450ºF/230ºC. 
9. Gently transfer the proofed dough to a piece of parchment paper or a floured peel. 
10. Score the dough: Begin by scoring a deep line (about 1 cm deep) in the middle of the dough. Then score shorter lines (about 2 or 3) on either side of the middle line. 
11. Pour about 1 cup of boiling water into the tray at the bottom shelf of the oven and spray the walls of the oven with water.
12. Quickly transfer the scored loaf to the bake sheet using the parchment paper or peel. 
13. Spray the walls of the oven again before quickly closing the oven door. 
14. Bake at 450ºF/230ºC for 10 minutes. 
15. Then, lower the temperature to 420ºF/220ºC and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and registers at least 190°F/88°C. 
16. Turn off the oven. Remove the loaf from the parchment and baking sheet. Then, let it cool in the slowly cooling down oven on the middle rack with the oven door partially open. Let the loaf cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.  

I am not having any luck with my 100% whole grain bakes.  I thought I’d give it another try, but this time with a different grain, this is a stoneground 100% whole wheat.  I should have applied some of the lessons from my previous two whole red fife bakes, those would have been to lower the hydration (isn’t that what we always advise new bakers?  I should take my own advice) and reduce the proofing.  Being a bit stubborn I went ahead and ignored some of that advice and thought that it was the red fife flour that was the problem.  No I think my methods and high hydration are the problem.  

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In the morning add levain to saltolyse dough, mix to incorporate with Rubaud mixing.

Slap and fold to good gluten development. 

Rest 30 min then bench letterfold ferment at 82ºF removing 30 g of dough for aliquot jar

Rest 30 min then lamination

Then every 30 mins coil fold until dough showing good structure

End bulk when aliquot jar 60% rise

Shape then bench rest until aliquot jar 100% rise  

Then cold retard until next day.

Next day

Preheat oven 500ºF with dutch oven inside.

Once over reaches temp, turn dough out of banneton, score and bake in dutch oven for 20 mins at 450ºF with lid on.  Drop temperature to 420ºF and bake 10 mins with lid on.

Remove lid band bake for 20 mins or until done with the bread out of the dutch oven on rack directly.

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Not sure I will keep banging my head on the wall with doing 100% whole grain.  Perhaps for me, doing 75-80% might be the sweet spot.  That amount of whole grain certainly has the flavour and has been much more successful for me.  On the other hand I hate calling it quits and not figuring something out so who knows.....

Anyhow, not my finest baking that’s for sure.

Benny

March 16, 2021.

I didn't get around to taking pictures of the loaf. But I wanted to share the baking set-up.  This was the first time that I've used an inverted bowl to steam.

I used a 15" Lodge cast iron skillet. 15" is the outer diameter at the upper rim. It has a 12-1/4" inside diameter at the inside bottom.  I bought it new on Amazon when it was on sale for $40, including shipping. https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L14SK3-Skillet-Cast-Black/dp/B00063RWUM?tag=froglallabout-20

The Lodge 15" skillet fits in my American 30" outer-width oven. Inside oven width is about 23".

I used a 14-7/8" diameter cordierite pizza stone to shade the skillet from the radiant heat of the lower electric heating element.  I use this same pizza stone with my Lodge 3.2 quart combo cooker. I always put it on a rack one position lower than the baking vessel, so the baking vessel is not sitting on the stone.

The banneton is 11-7/8" outside diameter at the rim, and 11-1/4" inside diameter at the rim. Bannetons are listed by outside diameter on Amazon, so figure that the inner diameter is  5/8" or about .6" less than outer diameter. https://www.amazon.com/Agile-Shop-Banneton-Brotform-Proofing-Handmade/dp/B01FXA5K3S?tag=froglallabout-20

The steel bowl is 12-3/8" outside diameter at the rim, and 11-3/4" inside diameter at the rim.  So it sits on the sloped sides of the skillet, just barely above the flat inner bottom.  The bowl surface is shiny/polished (not the dull "burnish" if that's the word) inside and out. I likely purchased it at Big Lots or an Indian grocery store. 

My dough did not fill the inner diameter of the banneton. So comparing the dimensions, I figured if the dough did not spread too much, it would not touch the sides of the steel bowl.

As usual, I didn't get  the vertical loft that I wanted but the # style scoring opened well, and the crumb was decent.

The dough mass weighed 2040 grams, 4.497 pounds,  right before putting it in the banneton. It picked up some rice and bread flour from the banneton, and I sprinkled some durum semolina onto what would be the bottom of the loaf. Though it lost moisture during final proofing.

The loaf weighed 1847 grams, 4.140 pounds, about 1/2 hour after baking. 

It was my biggest loaf so far. I now wish I had photographed it.