The Bread Thread

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I've been using bread flour to keep faithful to recipes until I become a more proficient baker. One thing that I tried when I lacked bread flour was substituting 1-1/2 teaspoons per cup of AP flour with vital wheat gluten. It certainly helps develop the gluten. I've also found that extra kneading can do the same thing.
 
I've been using bread flour to keep faithful to recipes until I become a more proficient baker. One thing that I tried when I lacked bread flour was substituting 1-1/2 teaspoons per cup of AP flour with vital wheat gluten. It certainly helps develop the gluten. I've also found that extra kneading can do the same thing.
Which bread flour are you using? Gold Medal, Pillsbury and King Arthur are all over 12% protein. White Lily, on the other hand, is only 11.7%, same as KA AP
 
I use generic bread flour and found it works as well (considering my capabilities) as KA. I found it much cheaper to buy flour in bulk — 20kg bags.
BTW, I found the best way to store bulk flour is to place the bag in a large ice chest that keeps pests and moisture out. I buy coolers second hand for $10 each at Goodwill.
I use another cooler as a cooler to eke the last bit of wine from sediment that I put in a jar and as a cool space to prolong feedings for my sourdough starter. I freeze water in wine kit bladders as the cooling medium.
I also use coolers for their ability to keep things hot, e.g. as a hot water bath when I bulk sous vide large quantities of ribs, steaks or even a full-size brisket.cooler storage.jpg
 
The struggle continues.........

1619709470947.jpeg

100% KA AP flour. Made the long almost horizontal cuts. They did seem to blow out more on top instead of the sides for the most part. I think I may need to deepen the cuts even more. I think I was at ~0.25" and I think I may need more like ~0.5-0.75" deep.

On the other hand the Boules are C'est Magnifique!

1619709650919.jpeg


Taking all this out to SoCal next week for a visit with the Grand Kids and of course a trip to Paso for a few days for some much needed R&R and wine tasting!


The Cafe' oven is amazing still. Today I had a double dutch oven going on. Cooked both Boules at the same time. Both were done perfectly with no increase in time or temp needed. Yea and I turned on the oven to preheat 450 while still in bed @630AM which was fun...... :db
 
Very nice
The struggle continues.........

View attachment 73959

100% KA AP flour. Made the long almost horizontal cuts. They did seem to blow out more on top instead of the sides for the most part. I think I may need to deepen the cuts even more. I think I was at ~0.25" and I think I may need more like ~0.5-0.75" deep.

On the other hand the Boules are C'est Magnifique!

View attachment 73964


Taking all this out to SoCal next week for a visit with the Grand Kids and of course a trip to Paso for a few days for some much needed R&R and wine tasting!


The Cafe' oven is amazing still. Today I had a double dutch oven going on. Cooked both Boules at the same time. Both were done perfectly with no increase in time or temp needed. Yea and I turned on the oven to preheat 450 while still in bed @630AM which was fun...... :db
.
 
Very nice. There is a technique to forming the loaves so they bake evenly. About 50% of the time my baguettes and bâtards are bigger on one end or the other. It all starts when you roll out the "logs"
 
The struggle continues.........

View attachment 73959

100% KA AP flour. Made the long almost horizontal cuts. They did seem to blow out more on top instead of the sides for the most part. I think I may need to deepen the cuts even more. I think I was at ~0.25" and I think I may need more like ~0.5-0.75" deep.

On the other hand the Boules are C'est Magnifique!

View attachment 73964


Taking all this out to SoCal next week for a visit with the Grand Kids and of course a trip to Paso for a few days for some much needed R&R and wine tasting!


The Cafe' oven is amazing still. Today I had a double dutch oven going on. Cooked both Boules at the same time. Both were done perfectly with no increase in time or temp needed. Yea and I turned on the oven to preheat 450 while still in bed @630AM which was fun...... :db
As I said earlier, there is a technique to rolling out the loaves. Mine are frequently bulbous in one place or another. This video was helpful. forming baguettes - Google Search
 
Started another batch tonight for a boule tomorrow. The "interesting" thing is that I used EC-1118. I have tons of packets from kits where I swapped out the yeast. I realized that I will never use them all on wine, so I decided to give it a try with bread. It took off like gangbusters so far!
 
I needed to pick up some more bread yeast (having gone through two of the 4 oz. jars of Red Star). Hmm, the 4 oz. jars are $6 at my normal (~Kroger) grocery store, but I was at the local fru-fru co-op, where it was $9 for 4 oz. But lo and behold, next to it was a 2 lb (32oz) vacuum pack for $9.50. (Which, I just checked, runs $21 at Kroger's and $9.50 at Walmart, but $6 on Amazon.)

So, anyway, I am set for bread yeast for a while, yo?! Anyone want any? :)
 
I needed to pick up some more bread yeast (having gone through two of the 4 oz. jars of Red Star). Hmm, the 4 oz. jars are $6 at my normal (~Kroger) grocery store, but I was at the local fru-fru co-op, where it was $9 for 4 oz. But lo and behold, next to it was a 2 lb (32oz) vacuum pack for $9.50. (Which, I just checked, runs $21 at Kroger's and $9.50 at Walmart, but $6 on Amazon.)

So, anyway, I am set for bread yeast for a while, yo?! Anyone want any? :)
You should be all set to rise to any occasion. :slp
 
I have been doing the same thing over and over. I stopped following a recipe months ago. (Hint: question coming!) I have been happy enough with the results, but not sure I am operating optimally. I do things more by feel than by measure. I use usually 1/2 whole wheat flour (Dakota Maid) and 1/2 bread flour (King Arthur), and also salt and yeast, of course. BUT, I just add the water to my sense of how much water I should have.

Well, today, I did exactly the above, as always, but I also measured my water intake. It turned out to be exactly 0.750 hydration. By most accounts, this is quite high, but not outrageous. I would like to ask the collective: Do you strictly measure your hydration? Do you have any feedback on my hydration level or my results?



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