The Bread Thread

[ceeaton]

Listening to Dayton radio stream and cookin' (and drinkin'). Made some soft pretzels for my youngest daughter. The smile she just gave me made the "work" worth it.

 

[ibglowin]

Playing with flour, yeast, water and salt. Pane Toscano....... Oh and a TBS of sugar!

 

[bstnh1]

 

[Boatboy24]

Dang. I didn't realize it was Bread Day. Thought it was Presidents' Day. My bad.

 

[bstnh1]

More bread.

 

[ceeaton]

Did an overnight fridge ferment. Started up the oven around 4:30 when I got up to micturate, with the dutch oven already in the oven. First loaf was very "blonde", left the lid on for 30 minutes followed by 20 minutes uncovered. Second loaf was the opposite, 20 covered/30 uncovered. 1st loaf is very good (had a pastrami/swiss toasty cheese for lunch) but really soft. Second loaf is more what I'm used to making.

 

[ibglowin]

I cut my usual recipe in half in order to make a single loaf instead of two. I used the same amount of starter that I usually use for two loafs (1 cup or ~200gms). Seem to not get as much spring as usual but plenty of sourdough flavor for sure!

 

[joeswine]

That looks like excellent, yummy

 

[Rocky]

I cut my usual recipe in half in order to make a single loaf instead of two. I used the same amount of starter that I usually use for two loafs (1 cup or ~200gms). Seem to not get as much spring as usual but plenty of sourdough flavor for sure!

View attachment 99100

Mike, you are truly an artist with your breads.

 

[ibglowin]

Mike, you are truly an artist with your breads.

Thank you!

 

[joeswine]

I think I need to try

 

[vinny]

I'll post the recipe, but be warned, proper timing is key not to ruin a good meal.

One night these were dinner, but only due to lack of self control.

 

[vinny]

I made these years ago and they were amazing. I likely followed the recipe exactly.

I cut the sugar in salt and half, tonight. I didn't miss the sugar, but I double brushed with butter to get some salt to stick after the first bite. It seemed like salt, sugar, garlic, and yeast were overly aggressive, but apparently what do I know? It needed more salt, and the garlic was hardly notable with a couple pinches tossed in.

Still chewy, cheesy, and completely without regrets.

1 cup warm water (probably somewhere between 105º and 115º. I just get it hot from the tap. Don't get it too hot or it will kill the yeast.)
2 tablespoons yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt

-At least 8 oz. of cheese, the more the merrier (I used chunks of mozzarella for the inside and a mixture of shredded colby and swiss for the top. I was just trying to use up all the forgotten chunks in the hidden corners of the fridge)
-Parmesan cheese
-A few tablespoons of melted butter mixed with a sprinkle of garlic powder and some fresh herbs if you want.

Mix together the yeast and water and let it sit for a couple minutes. Add the sugar, garlic powder, melted butter, and oil. Add the flour a little and a time, mixing in your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt. Knead for 10 minutes, in the stand mixer or by hand. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl (I used the same bowl) covered with a wet cloth for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375º. Divide the dough into about 20 pieces or so (you can make them as big or small as you want). Put about a 3/4 inch chunk of cheese in each one and make sure you pinch all the edges back up tightly. Put the pinched side down on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the buns with more shredded cheese and some parmesan cheese. Bake at 375ºF for about 11-15 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Brush with the melted butter and serve warm.

 

[Merrywine]

Spent grain bread

 

[vinny]

Sourdough attempt number two. Cut the recipe in half with the full amount if starter to try and get a more sour loaf.

 

[Merrywine]

Sourdough attempt number two. Cut the recipe in half with the full amount if starter to try and get a more sour loaf.
View attachment 99178

Looks good, you may know this already… a longer cold ferment should result in more sourness.

 

[BigDaveK]

Looks good, you may know this already… a longer cold ferment should result in more sourness.

According to Peter Reinhart in "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" (my favorite bread book) acetic bacteria prefer a denser starter and lactic bacteria prefer the wetter starter, the kind most home bakers use. And also proofing around 85F will increase sourness. But then retarding in the fridge increases flavor so I guess a mix of procedures is called for.

 

[vinny]

For this loaf I had a three week starter with hooch on top. I dumped it all in, and used the same 190 grams in half the recipe. I proofed it in the oven for 3-4 hours as I stretched it, then into the fridge over night. It has a hoochie smell, but it is still not sour. I baked it at 425 and the crust is much nicer, thick, but not painful. It is wonderful, and I would aim for this for certain purposes. It would be amazing with bruschetta.

I guess same with all the wine experiments I just want to understand how to push to the VERY sour side. I fed my starter with some rye flour this time. I unintentionally made it very thick as well, so that should make for some comparable differences in the next loaf. I think I will try to do a 2 day rise in the fridge as well.

Any other suggestions.

I saw that some folks actually add citric acid. Has anyone tried that? Is that the commercial sourdough flavour? Time cuts into profits so I can only imagine that many commercial loaves would be made with additives to speed the process up.

 

[BigDaveK]

Finally back in the saddle!
I was shocked that my starter didn't survive in the fridge without being fed for 6 months.

 

[ceeaton]

Overnight sourdough bagels. Proofed up a bit bigger than I though they would as they rose overnight at around 45*F. Glad I didn't add any commercial yeast like I normally would to make sure they rose. I think the high gluten flour helped the rise as well.