Made a batch of hoagies this morning. I have baked these many times. Recipe is from http://www.pizzamaniac.com/archives/2005/08/10/grinder-hoagie-roll-recipe/
I mix, rest 20 min, add salt and OO, knead in Bosch compact 10 min, mostly on 2. Rise about 90 min (room temp 66 F)
I have been wanting to try the Tangzhong method for a while when I want soft, fluffy bread. I also was very impressed with txfarmer's demonstrations of kneading technique to get soft and fluffy (and everything else she does!). I finally got around to it. I made up the Tangzhong yesterday and put in fridge overnight. There are good videos of this process on youtube, but it is easy. Just 5 parts water, 1 part flour (by weight) and medium heat, stirring till it thickens (149 degrees F).
My wife told me this morning that we were having Italian Sausage on pasta for dinner. I said "But I don't have any bread!" I decided to make Italian Feather Bread (which I have made quite a few times, but not lately) and try the steaming technique SylviaH described since I felt my previous steaming attempts were pretty weak. I am also using Better for Bread flour for the first time. (It is Buy One Get One Free at Albertson's this week.)
My friend and former neighbor Big Al loves to cook. He gave us one of his Focaccia masterpieces a couple of years ago and it was so good I convinced him to show me how to make it. Big Al isn't into measuring much (never mind weighing to the gram like me!), but he got me started with ingredients and his process.
I baked this bread for the second time and made a couple of changes. Here is the ingredient list as printed.
Buttermilk White Bread
Recipe By: James Beard in Beard on Bread
Changes I made were to use instant yeast and reduce the quantity to 1 tablespoon, next time I'll use even less.
After having drooled over Floyd's Blueberry Cream Cheese Braid for a long time, I finally made it yesterday. I made half a batch and am glad I did. I would recommend at least 3 braids if you make a whole batch. The half batch was so big it was hanging of both ends of my 15" sheet pan. That being said, after breakfast this morning there is a big piece missing! It was great.
Changes and observations.
This is the 3rd recipe I have baked out of Peter Reinhart's Artisan Bread Every Day. I followed the recipe quite closely, choosing to go with 1 cup of buttermilk and the rest no-fat milk (from instant powdered milk). I used white sugar and canola oil for sweetener and fat. The only real change I made was to add 1 Tablespoon of Hodgson Mills Vital Wheat Gluten (first time I ever used this).
I recently purchased Peter Reinhart's artisan breads every day. I have been kneading by hand and wanted to try the minimal mixing, overnight cold ferment sytle recipes he provides to see what kind of rise/crumb structure I could get. We were having company for dinner last night whose diet required only whole wheat bread so I decided to make a half batch of each of the Lean Bread and 100% WW Hearth Bread. I had never made a 100% WW.
