Blog posts

Well I'm just getting in practice...the fire needed to be hotter today..Im still very much in the learning stages! At least I know how to build a fire!  That took practice..now I can make a fire with only a few minutes of the smoke you get when first lighting up the logs and let me tell you...you can get a lot if you don't do it right!  The first time my daughter and I lit it up...the fire department drove by in our neighborhood!!  I guess they saw what it was and didn't bother us.  A neighbor probably called!!  We had such a 

Posted on www.evilshenanigans.com - 3/25/2009

When I was in England last Fall I fell in love.

I've been spending most of my week-end baking since the first 'Bread from lesson 2'. It is so addictive! (but I love it).

Here is the bread I tried* on sunday night and it turned out great. The recipe is from Emeril (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/three-tiered-braided-christmas-bread-recipe/index.html). 

Here is the dough before the final rise:

I recently set up m.thefreshloaf.com so that I could monitor the site while away from the computer.  It isn't perfect, but it works fairly well on cell phones or other portable devices like the Kindle. 

Published on www.evilshenanigans.com - 3/23/09

A few nights ago my husband and I had the opportunity to have dinner with a very old friend.  We had not seen him in a very long time and during our time apart he had gotten married to a lovely doctor who brought to the marriage her beautiful daughter.  A year and a half ago they had an adorable daughter of their own.  His family is beautiful.  He is very lucky!

This is a blog entry of a rye sandwich loaf.  Rye content is only one-third cup rye and two and two-thirds cup white bread flour.  My blog on a little rye is the opposite.

 For the few of you following this adventure in milling, I thought I would post the baked results.  I used my standard baguette formula which is posted elsewhere on this site, but briefly is all levain, 65% hydration with 15% of the flour pre-fermented with an inoculation rate of 25%.  This is a formula that I have been baking every week for years with fairly consistent results.  My standard baguettes are pictured elsewhere in my blog.

mixed breadbaking experiences, this weekend. On the positive sides: I was able to produce 'a lot of bread' and consume most of it (since we had visitors). In the picture: on the left sourdough from a few weeks starter (top), the others below were 'quick sourdough', I used a dried powder I bought in the store. The starter wins it by far with taste, according to the expert taster at home. In the middle simple buns, on the right pain d'ancienne (front) and plain bread.

J.H. Bread Book recipe for Baguettes with Poolish.  I made a morning poolish and baked this evening baguettes and rolls.  I used KA AP flour.  The Baguettes were so light and the rolls are delicious!

These rolls are great alone or for sandwiches..so light!