Blog posts

Been getting my head round sourdough and this is probably my most successful loaf yet! Can't remember where I read it, but distinguishing dough that has come to the end of its bulk as "whipped cream", vs "just cream" at the start, has made a big difference to aeration. I'm also practicing my slap and folds.

Here in Switzerland we have some great flours. My German and my French is pretty poor. I've stopped trying to follow English recipes stringently and just go by feel instead. This is 100% Ruchmehl, which I think is a whole grain flour. Either way it tastes lovely.

So after much prodding from certain people, you know who you are, I finally tried making baguettes.  I decided to try to keep it as simple as possible and just try an IDY recipe.  I had a look at Peter Reinhart’s recipe and decided to have a go at that.  It didn’t require a poolish nor levain, just IDY.

I have been baking at my parents' home where I have access to one Le Creuset DO and one vintage aluminum DO. Bake after bake, the loaf baked in the aluminum DO has inferior rise and oven spring. Heat retention really does make a difference (at least that's what I have been finding). Both of these loaves are 50% whole grain and followed the exact same fermentation process, but the loaf on the right has superior spring. 

My latest bake Finally found a topping recipe I like. Love tiger bread rolls. Very pleased with the results.

As a very part time home baker that's got into it more during lockdown, like many, and due to no dried yeast anywhere, I have dabbled with sourdoughs etc.

However having read up on many posts I was fascinated by the Pullman pan and its history and the way it makes a loaf look. Then watched a video of a Japanese Hokkaido loaf being made and I had to have a go.

I must say I was so happy with the outcome, it was soft and pillowy (is that a word?), tasted great and looked just like I hoped it would.

The left row versus the right row.  Any guesses ? 

I've made bagels the last two weekends with this recipe, and while I have little to compare it to as far as homemade bagels, I'm very pleased with it!

wildyeastblog.com/sourdough-bagels/

My batch last weekend turned out well, nice chewy crust and dense crumb, good keeping qualities. I kept a couple out to eat the following day or two and froze the rest pre-sliced.

I tried to put together another variety of sourdough discard cracker this morning, furikake.  Those of you familiar with Japanese food will know that Furikake (振り掛け / ふりかけ) is a dry Japanese seasoning meant to be sprinkled on top of cooked rice, vegetables, and fish. It typically consists of a mixture of dried fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. ... Furikake is often brightly colored and flaky.