justkeepswimming's blog

I'm going through the discovery process on how to do things on the new site. Sadly I deleted my profile photo (it needed replacing) before figuring out how to do things. Looks like most photos upload much more easily. I just can't seem to reduce the file size enough for the profile pic. 

Also, when I click on "preview", it shows me what things will look like before saving the blog entry, but I can't actually change anything on that screen. Using the back button gives fair warning that everything will be deleted. 

Meanwhile.... 

Things have cooled down just a bit the last few days, enough to make cooking more pleasant. This loaf is based on Trailrunner/Caroline's WW YW Pullman 13" bread. As Caroline mentions, this is a spin off of Danayo's 1-rise only bread. I scaled Caroline's recipe down a bit for use in my 9 in Pullman pan, and made just a few substitutions:

235 gm AP (Bob's Red Mill organic)

235 fresh milled Central Milling hard red spring wheat

I needed something to spruce up our leftover lentil stew that was planned for dinner. This is such a quick and easy recipe and has never failed me. I usually make 1/2 of the total recipe and cook it in an 8x8 (well greased AND lined) pan. There are multiple recipes available on the web, and most of them use identical formulas overall. I have always followed the KA recipe and use rye flour as they suggest, but others say you can use barley flour.

First, a heart felt thanks to Abe, Caroline, Clazar123, as well as multiple previous TFL members for sharing your methods! Especially the reminder about using the microwave with the light on. I did a test run (empty) and left a thermometer in there with the door slightly open and the light on. After 3 hours, the temp was holding at 76F, so that should work. 

Edit: Formatting fixed. That's better!!

It has been a while since I did anything creative with my bread making. If there is such a thing as a "comfortable rut", our usual 75-100% whole grain sourdough sandwich bread has been just that. With the pending visit of a family member, I was inspired to dust off the clay baker and do something more creative for her. My scoring skills are rusty could use some work (they were never all that great really), but otherwise it looks pretty good so far. It's cooling at the moment; I'll edit and add a crumb shot later as time allows.

This video popped up on my computer several weeks ago and it looked intriguing to play with. It definitely isn't going to win any awards for appearance or presentation.  

I tweaked the flour a bit (she uses 100% AP) and added a few seeds. I didn't take time to weigh some of the ingredients, this loaf was "flying by the seat of my pants" in some respects, lol.  

Flour 280 gm  (48 gm AP, 48 gm KA bread flour, 185 gm sprouted spelt)

We're (finally) getting settled in our new home, and I have mostly figured out what needs doing for a successful bake at 6,000 ft. My starter had been on (to borrow a medical term) "comfort measures only" for about 4-5 months. It was fed just often enough to prevent death by neglect, but it wasn't exactly thriving. After series of feedings a few weeks ago, it was back to it's robust self. 

We just moved from sunny AZ to Cheyenne, WY. My starter seems to have made the move just fine, bubbling up nicely when fed. Unpacking is progressing, and I am starting to find kitchen things bit by bit.

I threw together a sandwich loaf yesterday just so we could have something, and wasn't sure how things would turn out. This was a no recipe/no notes concoction, put together after discovering my loaf pans. 🎉

I don't post very often anymore, but I'm still out here, still baking, still reading about everyone's beautiful bakes! Hats off to you all!!

I often do a same day bake. I mill my own whole wheat, and the starter/levain goes crazy with that. I have over proofed more often than I care to remember. Now that I have found the sweet spot for proofing time, I haven't wanted to try an overnight refrigerator proof. Maybe this summer ... I could also reduce the amount of starter vs levain and let it go longer, but this timeline works so I haven't fussed with it.