Blog posts

Sourdough Ciabatta and San Francisco Sourdough

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These are both "a first time" for me. I never made ciabatta before, and I never made SFSD before. The formula I used for ciabatta was from Txfarmer blog, the one that is made in 36 hours (I made in 40 hours), and I was so pleased with the result, I baked it twice, one after another. First time with some whole wheat in it, and second time with some rye and wheat germs, toasted. I'll defenitely make this formula again, I still have to learn when to stop the fermentation and how much to develop the gluten before putting the dough in the fridge.

Beginners nightmare

I am a beginner in the making of bread and starter.  Nothing is turning out.  My starter was bubbling .  I would stir ir and refresh it then it stopped rising.  So I thought it was done.  used it in a recipe for squaw bread and it wouldn't rise.  I put aside the starter and used rapid rise yeast and again no rising of the dough.  Can the temperature of the house make a difference in the rising of bread dough or starter? If there is anyone out there HELP.

The Inside the Jewish Bakery Challenge -- Semester One (December, 2011 - March 2012)

Toast

Hi, everyone! It's almost time to start the Inside the Jewish Bakery challenge! 

We'll be baking nearly every recipe found in the wonderful "Inside the Jewish Bakery" by TFLs very own Stanley Ginsberg and Norman Berg. Not only will we get a chance to bake all the recipes -- we'll get to eat all the recipes! I can't wait!

Sunday Morning Deli Brunch

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Though my favorite bread to eat alone or with a dab of butter or cheese is French-style sourdough, there is nothing better than a good Jewish deli-style brunch, featuring bagels and rye bread.

Like a dog walking on its hind legs...

Toast

You’ve heard that expression, right? It isn’t that it does it well – it’s that it does it at all.

In that vein, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why we love the wheat from America’s Heartland. The gluten is strong and tolerant – mix it gently or intensively, it stands up.  Throw it in the retarder – it just gets stronger.  Put it in a poolish and let it go slightly over ripe – well, it won’t be perfection, but it will still make decent bread.  Shape it aggressively and it still holds together.