I have been taking a Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Bread class on Craftsy and these loaves are from the rustic bread lesson. Craftsy is an online learning platform for a wide range of subjects such as knitting, baking & cooking, weaving, crochet, quilting, and much more.
I tried isand66’s recipe for Ricotta Garlic Knots http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/36664/ricotta-garlic-knots and I am very glad I did. The addition of ricotta and the baking style intrigued me. While this is a straight dough (it uses instant dry yeast), it is bulk fermented in the fridge and baked at a high oven temp with steam. I didn't have kamut flour so I substituted white whole wheat. Here are the rolls after shaping and before proofing.
There have been a lot of English Muffin recipes posted all over the web. While I yearned for a homemade muffin, I didn’t relish the steps to make them. I don’t have a griddle and cooking them in batches in a frying pan seemed problematic.
I have been working on developing a sourdough sandwich bread. I have taken my inspiration from recipes here on TFL and from King Arthur Flour. I finally settled on a formula that I am really happy with. The bread is soft with a tender crumb but the best part is the flavor. I used a starter to provide a very slight tang to the bread flour and added white whole wheat flour, golden flax meal, whole rye flour, and hi-maize cornmeal. I learned from Jeffrey Hamelman’s formulas that a small amount of an ingredient can have a big impact.
Hi everyone. Even though I have been baking, I haven’t posted in quite awhile. This semolina bread is from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread book. It uses a flying sponge which allows the baker to start and finish a bake all in one day. Great for the absentminded who forget to build a levain the night before! A flying sponge uses commercial yeast along with flour and water and ferments for about 75 minutes.
I want to share with you how happy I am with the Brod & Taylor proofer (I am not a paid spokesperson, just a happy customer). It is well worth the investment. Why? Because it provides a consistent, controlled environment for your dough to proof. It works for building a levain, fermenting dough, and final proofing. I can achieve exact dough temps without it being a hassle. I can predict the timing of the dough much better since the temp inside the proffer is consistent. What a difference it has made in the final bread.
Today I made my first baguettes. I have shied away from the intimidating baguette - the shaping, the proofing, the scary, scary slashing! But I have made enough boules, batards, and rolls to gain confidence in my skills. I am quite pleased with my first attempt. Like all things baking, improvement will come with experience and practice. The recipe is from Hamelman's Bread: Baguettes with Pate Fermentee. While the crumb is not as open as it should be, the flavor is delicious and the texture light and airy.
I have been tinkering with an oat and whole wheat english muffin loaf for quite a while. I used to make this recipe with AP flour but now we try to eat only whole grain baked goods. This is my latest tinker and I am quite happy with the results. I increased the water for a higher hydration loaf hoping to get bigger nooks and crannies to better simulate an english muffin. The recipe follows the pictures. Happy baking!
I baked two sandwich breads yesterday - sandwich buns and a multigrain sandwich loaf. Kind of had a theme...
The sandwich buns are adapted from a King Arthur recipe. I added white whole wheat flour and milled golden flax (both from King Arthur). I have used the golden flax a few times and really like the nutritional goodness and the texture it produces. Pictures first, then the recipe.
Hamelman’s Vermont Sourdough is one of my favorite recipes. It is so consistent in both flavor and texture. It’s hard to mess up this formula. It’s still pretty warm in Tallahassee, FL so paying attention to the Desired Dough Temperature (DDT) is important. Following Hamelman’s instructions I needed chilly water.
Desired Dough Temperature 76
Multiplication Factor 4
