Today's breads - SF SD from AB&F and Sourdough Italian with Durum Flour
I'm fighting a nasty cold. I don't have the snowstorm excuse to stay shut in and bake bread, so ... whatever.
I baked the San Francisco Sourdough from Michel Suas' "Advanced Bread & Pastry" again. Delicious, and not at all aggressively sour.
I also made Italian Bread with biga naturale - my sourdough version of Peter Reinhart's "Italian Bread" in BBA, which uses a yeasted biga.
I like this bread a lot (my version, not PR's). The formula has been posted in a previous blog entry, Sourdough Italian Bread and Sandwich Rolls. I'd been meaning to make it with some Durum flour after my last bake, and I finally got around to it. I substituted 25% of the total "Bread Flour" with Durum flour. Good choice.
This bread is similar to Maggie Glazer's Sourdough Challah in that it combines a slightly sweet dough with a mild sourdough tang. I definitely like this combination of flavors.
I mixed the biga last night and let it ferment over-night. I mixed the dough this morning after I got "activated' ... 10:30 am? It was baked, cooled and ready for dinner at 7:30 pm.
My formula for Sunday-morning-with-a-cold activation:
It took two this morning.
David
Submitted to YeastSpotting
Comments
I especially like the SF SD boules. That wonderful bold bake is beautiful, and the gel in the crumb is fabulous. I've been reading up on both of those in hopes of improving my own loaves. As always, you've set a high bar. I shall go look at your original post of the Sourdough Italian Bread and Rolls, and thank you for the pointer, because I am struggling to find a good dough for rolls.
That cup'a Joe looks pretty good too! I think two would probably be my standard since I always tend to over-energize.
Feel better soon.
OldWoodenSpoon
I love the look of your crumbs - soooo delicious.
And that cold-activation drink! Did your wife make that for you, or you did?
Shiao-Ping
I made the cappuccino.
David
You will have to add Barista to your CV. Very handsome cup of brew.
Do you toast your sesame seeds prior to adding them to the top of the Italian dough? That is an incredibly good looking loaf.
Eric
My coffee geek phase preceded (but has not been replaced by) my bread baking obsession.
I toast sesame seeds if they are going in the dough. Sesame seeds on top get plenty toasted by the baking.
David
Yeah, I'd like one of whatever you're having!
Great stuff David! Just out of curiosity, what are the dimensions of the crumb of the Italian loaf (height and width)? What's (roughly) the weight of your batards?
Get well soon :)
The Italian loaf is about 12 inches long and about 4 inches high, in the middle. These are estimates. The Italian loaves were 531 gms, before baking.
David
Beautiful blistery crusts and lovely crumbs plus nice cup of Java. Hope you get over your cold soon.
Don
David
Now I want to try the SF sourdough. Hope you get better soon!
Suas' SF Sourdough is very good. It is not as sour as most of the sourdoughs made by Bay Area bakeries like Acme, Semifreddi, Boudin, etc., but probably more pleasing to those who dislike aggressively sour breads.
David
I sure hope you are feeling better. Are your sesame seeds hulled ? The reason I ask is that we can only get unhulled in bulk here and they do need to be pretoasted to get the lovely flavor. I put the semolina flour in so many things these days...it has the niceset flavor. As always really enjoy your posts. c
I believe the sesame seeds are hulled.
David
Great looking crust and crumbs. Duram wheat, just love the stuff. It makes a great addition to Italian bread and also delicious in pizza doughs in the flour or semolina grind for a little added crisp. I keep a few bags handy at all times and actually stress a little when the supply gets low. The cappuccino makes me want to sipphon the screen : )
Sylvia
David
A nasty cold and rather than resting, drinking lots of liquids, and reading a good book, you're in the kitchen baking more gorgeous breads!
Love the scoring pattern on that sourdough; it's a lovely pattern.
If I were sick I wouldn't be baking anything. Your pictures are amazing and they make my mouth water! Al