Jeff P's blog

It's that time of year again! Cooler weather means back to the kitchen for more baking. I've been gathering recipes and trying some different breads recently, with mixed results. My rustic country boule was a bit of a let-down, and so I'm in the process of getting my sourdough starter going again.

In the meantime, I came across this recipe for white bread that I thought looked interesting.

800g All Purpose Flour 9g Instant Yeast 100g Fine Sugar 7g Salt 4 Eggs ( weigh 65-67g each with shell) 180g Milk 60g Oil

I recently discovered a fantastic Youtube Channel called Tasting History, in which the host presents recipes from across history. In one such video, linked here, he describes the Sally Lunn Bun, a traditional bun made in Bath, England.

After seeing the video, I decided to try them for myself. The recipe is very straightforward. The only part that takes some extra attention is warming the milk and combining in the sugar and butter.

Ingredients:

Snow flying outside, Christmas tree up, and a day off from work. Sounds like the perfect day to bake up some baguettes.

Since yesterday was my day off, and the weather was a crisp 30 degrees outside, it seemed the perfect time to do some baking. I used a recipe that I tried the first time last year with great success. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to use a pate fermentee this time, so resolved to let the loaf sit longer in its fermentation to balance out.

It's good to be back! With colder weather comes more time indoors, more warm stick-to-your-ribs meals, and more baking!

I tried to do some baking in the Spring and Summer, but it was just too hot. Besides, I like to be outside when it's sunny and warm! Now that we're getting into late Fall and Winter, I'm looking inward once again, and planning to do some major baking projects over the next few months!

My wife was craving cinnamon rolls Sunday morning, so I figured I'd give them a shot. I used the recipe in The Baker's Apprentice, with the exception that I omitted the lemon zest.

Overall, I liked working with this enriched dough. The addition of the egg and sugar made it a bit different than my usual bread dough, but it ended up with a very nice consistency. 

Another day off, another baking adventure!

I don't have my notes with me as I write this, so I'll just give an overview.

After last weeks attempt at a basic french loaf, I went back to re-read a few things, including my copy of The Baker's Apprentice. This book has been a big part of my push to get into baking, and it includes a lot of great tips and ideas that are easy for me to get my head around.

I had the day off yesterday, and decided it would be a good day for baking! I even got a new scale, and was very excited to try it out!

I decided to try out the basic recipe listed on the site here. I was hoping it would yield a decent loaf that I could then add to in the future for more variety.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/8 cup water

Or something like that...

To be honest, I'm just starting out as a baker. I've made a few loaves of bread, some cookies, and some dinner rolls.

I originally tried out baking as a way to relax on my days off. Something about the mindfulness associated with the whole process - mixing, kneading, waiting, working, baking, enjoying - really appeals to me. I don't have a lot of time or money, and so my baking is done "by appointment". I block out time, find some recipes or plan my day in advance, and do most everything by hand. No mixers, no scales.