Can somebody slap and fold me??
Ever since discovering this place, I've enjoyed reading and learning all sorts of new things and making online friends. I'd spend hours on my little phone reading article after article...
And then I stumbled onto something I never knew existed, The Fresh Loaf Handbook!
I was searching about salt and one of the pages was at the top of the list. And it was a part of a larger, most excellent handbook.
Dear Diary,
As you know, it's been four years since our last sourdough bake. Long time, huh? Do you think we'll remember anything?
It was fun rocking out Debra Wink's Pineapple Juice Solution (TL;DR... go to the end of Part 2) for whipping up a new starter from scratch.
Dear Diary,
Thus spake DanAyo, a goodly baker:
"The flop became a precious treasure because I learned something new."
Word.
This is my new mantra! I love this.
Here's a man staring into the jaws of defeat and sees a victory. And he's no fool.
May beginners like me take note. This... is the name of the sourdough game. NEVER get discouraged!
This is a hobby for me. This is how it's SUPPOSED to be. Else, it's no stinkin' fun.
Dear blog,
Just checking in today. I just cut into dabrownman's Deli Rye having baked it last night. It was 60% bread flour, 40% rye at 75% hydration. I used 15% levain at same ratios with about 7% bread spices and 2% salt. Total dough weight was 800 g. The flour came straight out of bags of King Arthur's finest. No sprouting, milling, or sifting. His recipe is here:
I've been incredibly lazy for the past three weeks or so. Beats me why. I'd like to blame the unbearably hot summer we've had but I know myself too well. No excuses. Just lazy.
It's turning cooler and just in time! I'm running out of the 12 loaves I baked a few weeks back to give me the practice and confidence I need in proofing and shaping bread. I've said it before and I'll say it again: practice, Practice, PRACTICE!
I mixed up some NMNF starter on 6/25/16. I thought I'd share some at a friend's July 4th cookout so I pulled some of the NMNF out, added more rye to make a thick dough and kneaded it in. Rolled it up, and wrapped in plastic wrap, ready to share my science project. There were no takers. Silly rabbits.
These dough balls, about the size of jumbo marbles, have been sitting in the refrigerator ever since. Wrapped in plastic, placed in a plastic container, and stored in a zip-loc baggie. Today, I thought I'd take one out for a spin and start Ru007 and Dani3ll3's oat bread.
I've noticed that my dining room is consistently 79°F this summer with the air conditioning on. What a great time to try making yeast water following dabrownman's Yeast Water Primer.
I bought my organic raisins and apples at the local foo-foo health nut store, mashed and cubed per instructions and will worry the mess to death for the next few days with shaking and fanning, honeying it up and feeding it more oranges than I would ordinarily eat myself.
Are bread heads out of their minds? :)
Murph
This weekend's bake was a bread with honey in it. I decided to try to get a honey swirl in my bread by flattening the dough, smearing some honey on it and rolling it up. Since honey is 17% water, I thought I'd make a paste to equal the hydration of the dough.
Let's repeat the King Arthur Flour Classic Sourdough Bread and really nail that down before I try anything more complicated. The recipe makes two loaves but let's just make one over and over again with an eye towards practicing a baking schedule to fit everything easily into my day. My prediction is that the levain will rise 75% in three hours.
