Blog posts

I’ve long wanted to try making steamed buns.  Char Siu Bao are a long time favourite of mine from my childhood.  Since I haven’t made anything like this before I decided that I’d make the plain buns first to test the recipe I found in a book called Mooncakes and Milk Bread.  These are IDY and I think I’ll try to convert them to sourdough eventually once I get the hang of the steaming and what to expect of the dough as it ferments.  I purchased a bamboo steamer in order to makes these.

I finally screwed up enough courage to attempt the Latgalian Rye from Stanley Ginsberg’s website. It’s a more complicated recipe with several steps at elevated temperature. But @Econprof, @Martadella, and @squattercity have all made some beautiful looking breads.

I needed more bread now that I’ve returned to Toronto.  Despite making 24 rolls there were none left after Christmas dinner!  I wanted to do the braiding again like the loaf I gave to Alfanso and show that it doesn’t have to have a pinched waist.  After baking this loaf, which admittedly is a bit darker than even I like because of the cinnamon sugar getting on the outside of the dough, I believe that my oven in Fort Lauderdale is running a bit low in temperature.  I’ll have to get an oven thermometer to check on it when I return.

Hello TFLers! I can't believe that I still haven't posted for the whole year of 2022! No post for a whole year? Of course, I can't let that happen.

Face-to-face classes have come back this year so I'm even busier, work has increased exponentially compare to pre-pandemic times; catching up from the two-year absence of face-to-face learning, while still dealing with the challenges of the pandemic. Still, we're so thankful, we are still alive with God's help and mercy.

All of that means limited time to bake and almost no time to post. Here is one of my seldom bakes.

Inspired by Tony’s (CalBeachBaker) last week, I couldn’t wait to give the Hazelnut and Fig Levain a try. Last night I made the stiff white levain and this morning I hand mixed 1400-gram dough and found the dough a bit sticky to start with but soon smoothed out as the gluten developed. I thought that the number of figs and hazelnuts were a lot, but I was surprised that I got them combined into the dough. Bulk proofed at 24C for 2 hours, divided and shaped into two 700-gram oblong doughs. Final proof at 24C for 2 ½ hours in a Couche seam side down.

A few weeks ago, Abe posted a 100% emmer loaf.  Earlier this year I baked a 30% emmer loaf from a posting by leslieruf, and that was followed by one of 60%.  When Abe posted his, I was intrigued to give it a go.

Today's bake: Madras Curry and Raisin Loaf

Based on - Bake Magazine - Chef Julien Otto, faculty instructor at The Fresh Pastry School

This bread is made from a majority of  bread flour, some 100% Stone Ground Organic Durum 100% Extract and a bit of whole rye which is in the culture. The Madras Curry and Raisins add-ins really dominate the flavor of this bread with the durum flour mostly contributing to the crumb texture.

This is my 1st attempt making this bread and I am still trying to dial-in the following:

We are back in Toronto and I’ve just gotten a couple of feeds in and the starter is looking good.  However, I needed to get these rolls done for our family dinner at my sister’s quickly.  So using IDY I made these rolls.

Ok, it isn’t all bread, but bread is prominently featured. My husband has been talking up my baking to his family so I couldn’t disappoint them. Most of this is now packed up in a suitcase on its way to Bangalore. Fingers crossed there is something left other than crumbs!

Breads, left to right:

Ginger plum loaf from the Rye Baker with triple the ginger and 1.5x the prunes

I own all five books written by Chef Grégoire Michaud, the owner and founder of Bakehouse in Hong Kong, but I didn't have his autograph. So when travel restrictions in Hong Kong are relaxed, I return to Hong Kong around Thanksgiving to visit family and ask Chef Michaud to sign my book.