Blog posts

Don't ever be tempted to shave off a few minutes here and there. So you are in a big rush today......... Then make a decision to bake another day (your starter will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days) or  just be a little late for that not-so-important appointment.

My time this morning was very tight and the bread had to be ready to go by 11am but as I was baking 2 loaves at the same time, I decided to shave a couple of minutes off where I could. 

Pumpkin season is in the full swing and what a better way to celebrate it than making a golden fluffy Pumpkin Bread?

Sorry, no photos as it was so popular it was gone in a day, but a full recipe is here

Last week end was lesson 5 for me: Yeasted goods. The lesson spanned over 2 exhausting days with so much to bake in so little time. Moreover, we had to mix all doughs by hand; not an easy quest for 90% of the new faces  that have signed up for only those two days. First we had to prepare our laminated dough and refrigerated it for next day. We’ve used high quality margarine for fat, but for sake of comparison, I chose plain butter. During intermittent refrigeration, we had to make foccacia, baguette, grissini (Italian flavored bread sticks), spelt loaf, and a wholemeal seeded loaf.

This bread is made using 50% Golden Temple Atta durum wheat flour (not semolina) and 50% King Arthur bread flour.  In the past I have used King Arthur durum flour.  For this bake I decided to try Golden Temple Atta.  The main difference I noticed between the King Arthur and Golden Temple durum flour, is King Arthur durum gives a yellowish color to the crumb, whereas Atta gives the crumb a light- golden tan color.  Other than color, I think the flavor of the two flours are comparable in taste/flavor.  After I finished baking this bread, I was putting away the Golden

As previously advertised, I turned to the rye side this week. I baked a couple loaves of Greenstein's Jewish Sour Rye, which is still a favorite, especially toasted. The loaf in the photo is a 4 lb loaf of Hamelman's 3-stage 80% Rye Bread. It was baked this afternoon and is presently cooled and wrapped in baker's linen, "curing." I will not slice it for at least 36 hours. Crumb photos will follow.

1.  Starter, beautiful cobweb, ready to use.
2. At 75% hydration, very wet and sticky.
3. Out the bowl and resting for 10 minutes.
4. 1st stretch and fold, looking better.
5. 2nd stretch and fold, nice.
6. 3rd stretch and fold and ready to proof for 2 hours.
7. Dressed, scored and ready for the pot.
8. Done, now lid on and into the oven.
9. 30 minutes, lid off and back for another 15minutes.
10. Lots of Bloom.
11. Out the pot and cooling.Mmmmmm

The final result!

80% Sprouted Whole Wheat Soughdough (with poolish)

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Poolish and Starter getting it on…….(cheeky I know)

Well we've missed a few markets but I'm back.  And the great news.  The farmer's market will continue through the winter for the first time.  It will obviously be toned down by 75% as there are much fewer folks with product during the winter but a victory for humanity none the less.  I've built of a rye starter over the past couple of weeks and have been feeding it bi-daily and then retarding after letting it sit out for a couple of hours.  it's doing quite well and I opted to put it to use.

I was having so much Levain sate I thought I would amp it up a notch and make 4 boules.  Ooh, it is getting wild in Casey's kitchen!  Watch out the flour will be flying.