Blog posts

I took another shot at Vermont Sourdough today.  After my attempt a couple weeks ago, I wanted to see if the tweaks I made to my starter maintenance would speed up the bulk ferment.  Ironically, I think it actually went slower.

Overall, can't complain.  Got decent oven spring, a nice color and crispiness to the crust, and the aroma is pleasant with just a bit of tang.  I think it will taste good.  Was shooting for my typical sandwich loaf type crumb, and will see tomorrow if I hit that. 

March 20, 2021.

almost time for Easter breads/braids (not that it’s a thing in our house but I like playing with the bread calculator over at FoodGeek’s site - recipe here)

This was made with an overnight preferment instead of my usual TZ method. I’m gonna double the recipe for a wreath version next. Maybe with some eggs wedged into the dough like “Pane di Pasqua”. 

The lil swirls got smooshed!?

This started out as Eric’s Sourdough Deli Rye, but I started to worry about my KA mixer after I added the levain to the developed initial dough as is just wasn’t building any strength.  My KA mixer is a newish model with the plastic gears so I didn’t want to kill it just to bake this as a hearth loaf.  So I decided to make my first lean sandwich loaf.  I poured the dough (it was pretty loose) into the greased pullman pan, smoothed the top and placed it into the proofing box.  I baked it after it had risen to 1 cm below the rim of the pan.

Some of you maybe familiar with anko, but for those of you who aren’t it is a paste that is made from azuki beans and sweetened with sugar and is a popular component in many Asian desserts.  For this bread, I made a Koshian Anko (smooth anko) but a Tsubuan or chunky anko could be used as well.  If anyone is interested I can post the recipe for the anko.

Overnight levain build

14 g starter + 86 g cold water + 86 g bread flour left to ferment at 77ºF overnight.

For the Black sesame powder

This was on my list of things to bake. It was good, though the anise flavor was a bit srong for me (and I like anise!). It overpowered everything else. It was a new jar, and likely more fresh than the fennel and caraway I had on hand. 

I followed the recipe as described, but made it in a small pullman pan instead. So much easier for sandwiches and toast! It was fantastic toasted with butter and marmalade.

Now my second post of a bread from the Kingdom Bakery videos.  The prior was for a polenta based bread.  And his method of mixing and folding this dough had me curious enough.  Also this employs a poolish, something I hadn't done before with ciabatta, as it was always either biga or levain.  

This is our favorite currently. Even with the lower hydration than what we are used to, it’s a delicious bread! 

This is Bertinet’s version: 

Preferment (Fermented white dough 10 - 12 hours) 

• 3g instant yeast 
• 500g all purpose flour 
• 350g water 
• 10g salt 

Dough 

• All of the preferment 
• 3g instant yeast 
• 50g water
• 250g all purpose flour 
• 50g unsalted butter 
• 5g salt 

and this from Bake-Street.com

I am not having any luck with my 100% whole grain bakes.  I thought I’d give it another try, but this time with a different grain, this is a stoneground 100% whole wheat.  I should have applied some of the lessons from my previous two whole red fife bakes, those would have been to lower the hydration (isn’t that what we always advise new bakers?  I should take my own advice) and reduce the proofing.  Being a bit stubborn I went ahead and ignored some of that advice and thought that it was the red fife flour that was the problem.