YouTube videos
Hi! I just stumbled onto this fascinating site yesterday while I was trolling YouTube for videos demonstrating techniques described in Reinhart's BBA. I've owned my copy of BBA for a year, but I only just got up the courage to attempt my first foray into artisan bread baking last night. The detail and precision in the techniques is rather intimidating, even though-- or maybe because-- I've been baking conventional direct method bread for years. Anyway, someone whose YouTube moniker is Cornycornguy did a couple of videos demonstrating such things as shaping batards, and he hyperlinked this site, which was my introduction to the friendly obsessives of this excellent community. I really hope that some of the people in this community, who have much to teach novices like me, will likewise post YouTube videos demonstrating such things as preparing home ovens for hearth baking, the use of proofing devices and methods, when to use the fold and stretch method, how to get loaves off a couche and onto a stone without destroying them, etc., etc., etc. Thank you!
I'm cornycornguy there. I appreciate your comment; it is good to hear that you found it helpful, and I like your ideas for future videos.
JMonkey has posted a video or two that are worth checking out.
Welcome to the site!
Oops, just hit "post" a little prematurely.
I've got my first batch of pain de campagne in the oven, and I did all the oven preparations described in BBA. I just peaked at the bread. Instead of making three loaves as the recipe directed, I made only two loaves. They're very small, not impressive as I was hoping.
Also, I'm really going to have to work on my technique for getting the loaves onto the baking stone. I ended up shoving them from the parchment-lined baking sheet onto the stone with my hand, none too gracefully. I suppose I'll be needing a peel, but I would think some technique would be required in using a peel successfully.
AbbyL, you can move the whole parchment sheet onto the stone -- just grab the end and pull. I do my second proof on parchment on a baking sheet (with a curled edge on only one side, to hold it by), then slide the parchment onto the stone. I've never had a problem with it. The parchment will turn brown but there's no odor or residue, it doesn't catch fire at least up to 500 degrees, and your bottom crust has no adverse consequences. When the loaf is done, I pull the end of the parchment to get the loaf back onto the baking sheet. So the baking sheet functions as a peel, and the loaf is minimally disturbed when you move it.
Hi, and welcome to the site!
If you already have the bread proofing on parchment paper, just slide the whole thing, parchment and all, onto the stone. Parchment is meant to go in the oven, but doesn't release until it reaches a certain temperature, so bread dough will actually stick to it more than the finished bread will. I can't remember where in the BBA Reinhart describes this, but I think it might be in his bagel recipe?
Keep at it, it only gets more fun!
edh
Before I got married, I was AbbeyL and I love Peter Reinhart too! Who'da thunk? :)
FloydM, what moniker did JMonkey use to post his/her videos on YouTube?
I don't blame people for not want to post on YouTube, because there's something about YouTube that brings out the meanest qualities in viewers, even when it comes to something as benevolent as bread-baking. But if people would post demos of baking techniques and brave the spiteful comments, I at least would be grateful.
Here is a link to one of JMonkey's videos.
Yeah, I've definitely gotten some nasty comments about how bad I suck. I'm the first to admit, my technique is not great; I don't claim to be Jeffrey Hamelman or anything. Still, if my tips can help anyone out a bit (if nothing else, to feel more confident about giving baking a shot), I'm happy.
You shouldn't take sniping on You Tube to heart. The place is infested with trolls who roam around posting nasty comments by way of recreation. They are (at least figuratively) bored 13-year-olds making prank calls. They're an annoyance, like mosquitos. Their words rarely have anything to do with the actual content of the videos.
"I am not a cook. But I am sorta cooky."