Bread Thread

Zak said:
I never named my starter. If I had to pick a name, maybe Sloan after Robin Sloan who wrote a fun book titled "Sourdough."
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How about RS Starter to keep it mysterious??
 
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flybill said:
Where's the recipe from? I almost exclusively use the King Arthur site!
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I used the same "easy everyday sourdough" recipe that I posted above. After mixing in the Cambro tub (no kneading, no stretch and folds), I let it proof overnight in the tub, about doubling in size.

Then today, I pressed it out into a flat rectangle, sprinkled cinnamon and brown sugar on it leaving half an inch bare on all sides, fold the top third down and sprinkle same, fold bottom third up and over and sprinkle same, then roll the whole thing up, pop it in the clay baker, let it rise and soak the lid in water. Then put it in a cold oven, set oven to 400, bake for 45 minutes, then 10 minutes uncovered until browned on top.
 
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Figuring out that this pursuit is not easy. Lots of minor variables that must be controlled and the effects anticipated. This is my fourth loaf and in an effort to get the bulk proofing before shaping done in my cold house I have been putting the dough in my bathroom which has a heated tile floor and stays around 80. I learned yesterday that I really need to monitor the rise closely as this batch was left in the warmth too long and was over proofed. The dough was really wet and didn't want to leave the bowl in one piece. Having gotten that far I went ahead with the process, shaped as well as possible, into the banneton overnight in the fridge and baked this morning. I read something yesterday that was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me. I'm sure the accomplished bakers here are aware of this but I was not. The designs cut with a lame were done with a purpose years ago. Many villages did all their bread baking in a communal oven and the artistic scoring was the way individual families could identify their own loaves among the others in the oven. Neat stuff to me. It's still cooling and I look forward to seeing what the inside looks like. Didn't get the oven spring I hoped for so my guess is that it will be a bit dense.
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albula said:
Figuring out that this pursuit is not easy. Lots of minor variables that must be controlled and the effects anticipated. This is my fourth loaf and in an effort to get the bulk proofing before shaping done in my cold house I have been putting the dough in my bathroom which has a heated tile floor and stays around 80. I learned yesterday that I really need to monitor the rise closely as this batch was left in the warmth too long and was over proofed. The dough was really wet and didn't want to leave the bowl in one piece. Having gotten that far I went ahead with the process, shaped as well as possible, into the banneton overnight in the fridge and baked this morning. I read something yesterday that was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me. I'm sure the accomplished bakers here are aware of this but I was not. The designs cut with a lame were done with a purpose years ago. Many villages did all their bread baking in a communal oven and the artistic scoring was the way individual families could identify their own loaves among the others in the oven. Neat stuff to me.
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Been there! Looks pretty regardless of your struggles. For my typical country style loaves, I don't mind a long slow counter proof as my house is always on the cool side (65-67 except for during the summer). Yesterday, from mix to going in the fridge was 8.5 hours and that's with 20% inoculation.

I've found that some of my formulation really want to go quick, with preferred temps 75+.

I think sourdough bakers can either try to control as many details as possible OR be as flexible and responsive to their dough as possible. I think the flexibility is harder because there's almost an intuitive sense requires to know when the dough has enough strength and has risen enough, etc. plus it requires a day where you'll need to be around most of the time.
 
Speaking from experience, the bread always tastes good, despite the over or under proofing. Unless you leave the salt out accidently, then it will taste bad. And it will over proof quicker. My house is around 70 degrees, but I have been putting the dough for bulk fermentation in the oven with the light on, though I just got a new oven and it has a proof setting, seems to be about 80 degrees. If you overproof a batch, you can always bake it in a bread pan, so there will be less spread and more upward rise.
 
So this is what it looks like inside. To you bread gurus does the irregular crumb with large pockets support my belief that it was over proofed. Tastes great and marvelous texture and in spite of being butt ugly. Made this loaf with alder smoked salt which adds a pleasant subtle touch.
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albula said:
So this is what it looks like inside. To you bread gurus does the irregular crumb with large pockets support my belief that it was over proofed. Tastes great and marvelous texture and in spite of being butt ugly. Made this loaf with alder smoked salt which adds a pleasant subtle touch.
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To me it looks a touch over, but not by much, that irregular crumb is desired by a lot of people. Is it sticky/gummy inside?
 
Gary Knowels said:
To me it looks a touch over, but not by much, that irregular crumb is desired by a lot of people. Is it sticky/gummy inside?
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It's pleasantly chewy but not what I would call gummy. If I squeeze the inside it does not stick to my fingers and bounces back immediately. I did cut the baking time without the DO top down a little as the color of the crust was what I was looking for and something I read who knows where in one of the innertube bread rabbit holes said that was the approach to take. Perhaps it could have been in a little longer but that wouldn't have affected the crumb I don't think. The crust is not as "solid" or thick as previous loaves however.
 
Next on bread bakers and fly fishers…. ‘Making sourdough peasant bread early AM before swinging the fly on the Methow’. You guys killze me. So Much awesome bread. Half of my breakfasts consist of lightly toasted bakery breads with some really nice almond type butter spreads. Pistachio almond butter is one of my favorites right now. With a good cup of tea …. Vanilla mint or green lemon tea. Yum. 😋

Love rustic sourdough and dense wheat bread!
 
Well I now have the edible and ugly parts down. But I am starting to get a few ideas of what changes to try next. It's encouraging to realize that it is not entirely magic.
 
Zak said:
No sourdough. I used this NYT recipe (substituting buttermilk powder for buttermilk and mixing the powder in first with the dry ingredients):


Small-Batch Buttermilk Biscuits
By Erin Jeanne McDowell
Small-Batch Buttermilk Biscuits
Julia Gartland for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Total Time
45 minutes, plus chilling

Here’s a recipe for when you want towering, fluffy biscuits, but don’t want a large batch. You can use pretty much any ovenproof dish — a baking sheet, a square or round cake pan, or even a skillet — but be sure to butter the pan beforehand. If you like things a little less seasoned, reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon, and if you use salted butter in the dough, reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon. Fun tip: Bake these beauties in the toaster oven by following the same temperature and timing guidance as you would when baking in a standard oven. Serve them warm.

Featured in: Big Love for Small-Batch Cooking

Ingredients
Yield:
4 biscuits
2cups/255 grams all-purpose flour
1tablespoon baking powder
1teaspoon kosher salt
6tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, plus room temperature butter for greasing the pan
¾cup/180 milliliters cold buttermilk, plus more as needed
1large egg


Preparation
Step 1
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt to combine. Add the cold cubed butter, and toss until each cube is well coated with flour. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Step 2
Make a well in the center of the bowl, and pour in the buttermilk. Use your hands or a silicone spatula to mix the ingredients together until they form a homogenous dough. (It will look quite shaggy.) If the dough is not coming together, add more buttermilk by tablespoons.

Step 3
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Toward the end of chilling, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 4
Butter a 9-inch square baking pan, a 9-inch round cake pan, an oven-safe skillet or a baking sheet.

Step 5
On a lightly floured surface and using floured hands, pat the dough into a rectangle ½-inch thick. Fold the dough in quarters. Using floured hands, pat the dough out again to a square about 1¼-inch thick.

Step 6
Cut the square of biscuit dough into four even pieces. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared pan in a cluster, with about ½ inch of space between each biscuit.

Step 7
In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the surface of the biscuits, and bake until deeply golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before carefully separating and serving.
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I tried this yesterday it had the taste was wanting but I made them too thick. I will be back in the kitchen soon.
 
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