Blog posts

This is baking batch #2 of the Xmas sourdough orders. 

I want to thank Wendy (Lazy Loafer) for outlining her method of bulk fermentation in the fridge and proofing/baking the next morning in her posts as I used this for the first time to accommodate my schedule. 

Recipe

Makes 3 loaves

696 g unbleached flour

4 g vital wheat gluten 

250 g high extraction red fife flour (I milled 285 g of red fife berries and sifted it. Save the bran for the levain)

I'm planning on doing some regular weekend baking and started this weekend with a batch consisting of a 70% hydration sourdough shaped in several ways. This batch made a boule, batard, baguettes, dinner rolls and sandwich rolls. 12% WW flour and 7% rye flour.

My wife and daughter said I had to make Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday a few days late because they missed our dressing, sides and especially the Cognac gravy for the sweet and golden potato smashed that wasn't served at cousin Jay's.  I missed the brown sugar carrot and butternut squash and braised / baked little cabbages.known as Brussels Sprouts.  For the dressing,  we always mix some yeast white, cornbread and some sourdough for the dressing bread mix.

I don’t know why I do this to myself but I am doing Xmas Sourdough orders again like last year. The plan was to simplify and only offer two kinds of breads but somehow, I can’t say no and I am doing 3 kinds. And not only that… last year, I limited my orders to 36 loaves… somehow things go away on me and I am doing 48. So that means 4 baking sessions as I can only make 12 loaves at a time. 

happy thanksgiving !

It has been weeks since we last baked bead due to a no a carb diet where I am trying to lose 40 odd pounds and now half way there.  But Thanksgiving is upon us and there are no diets allowed by law for this holiday fete.  It is always a total carb blow out.  Many people do not now that dieting during Thanksgiving is against the law but many folks don’t know the slightest thing about physics either or that Lucy only speaks Swedish….and poorly at that.

 Rus's instructions on YouTube 

Below are my notes of this bake, please contact Rus directly if you need to clarify any of these steps.  

These are such fun I can’t believe I never made them before! I substituted about 15% milled and sifted hard white wheat for part of the bread flour and increased the hydration accordingly. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

-Brad

Wanted to post this because I got schooled by this today. The recipe was the basic sourdough from The Bread Baker's Apprentice. I added a significant amount of additional floor because what I was using was new to me and the dough didn't feel right. After 4 hours of bulk rise (also and fold every 30 minutes) I tried to shape it into batards and they would not hold. I couldn't get what I thought was the right surface tension, and they rose flat. I almost have up but figured at the worst is have good crutons. Glad I didn't give up though... The oven spring totally saved the day.

I haven’t done this bread since the spring so it was time to give it a shot with the slap and fold method that I have been using for the last little bit. I increased the amount of whole grain a bit to get a bigger and healthier loaf. Hoping that this isn’t too much for the 3 quart Dutch ovens I have. 

Recipe:

 Makes 3 loaves

200 g spelt berries

200 g rye berries

200 g Kamut berries

820 g unbleached flour

50 g freshly ground flax

950 g filtered water

26 g Himalayan pink salt

40 g local yogurt