The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Recent Blog Entries

fredsbread's picture
fredsbread

When my wife and I went to Italy earlier this year, we had a pizza in Bergamo that became my wife's favorite combination of toppings: red onion and bacon. I was itching to make some pizza, and my wife said I could make it any time as long as it had onion and bacon.

Typically for sourdough pizza, I make a basic dough with white flour at 70% hydration. This time I decided to try a variation based on Robertson's recipe in Bread Book. The only changes I made were reducing the leaven (from 20% to 5%, for an overnight room temp bulk ferment), replacing the spelt with whole wheat flour (because I thought I had spelt but didn't), and doubling the durum scald (because his method made far more than required and it seemed a shame to waste half of it).

The dough was wonderful to work with, and the pizza tasted great. I'm looking forward to more pizza for dinner for the next two days.

yozzause's picture
yozzause

Almost qualifies for Paul's CB but not quite 

This bread idea was thrust upon me when a fellow bee keeper at a bee buddy meeting  gave me some SPENT GRAIN from a mash that he had done earlier that day for a stout brew.  I had used SPENT GRAIN before in bread and it was excellent so not wanting to waste it i knocked up  2 doughs the next morning one was a ricotta cheese and olive bread that i already had planned and the other was this Brewers Spent Grain.

i decided to do a long Bulk Fermentation of 4 hours for this one and most likely an overnight retard in the fridge. i worked out my desired formula and then used that to work out thedough size and ingredients list

the formula was set out as follows

 FLOUR 100%   

SALT 2%

MALT2%

BREAD IMPROVER 0.5%

CANOLA OIL 4%

FRESH COMPRESSED YEAST 1%

SPENT GRAIN 20%

WATER / STOUT  60%

I then decided on a dough that would yield 1 x 750g  and 2 x 500g loaves so i needed 1750g of dough . i tally up the total percntages in the formula which was  189.5%

i then divide the total dough required 1750 by 189.5 the toatal percntage figure and it gives me the value of 1% for this particular recipe. In this case it was 9.234 

i then go back to the formula and apply that to each ingredient   which gives ne the recipe

FLOUR 100%                                                         924g

SALT 2%                                                                  19g                                      

MALT2%                                                                  19g

BREAD IMPROVER 0.5%                                     4.5g

CANOLA OIL 4%                                                    37g

FRESH COMPRESSED YEAST 1%                      10g

SPENT GRAIN 20%                                             184g

WATER / STOUT  60%                                        554g  (50/50)

 

As a quick check if you add up all the ingredients it should be very close to your desired yield.

i also used the same formula to give to Stewart and the recipe that would yield him 1000g of dough, ive included that too for comparison.its at the end of this post.

This dough mixed up nicely  and finished at the ideal 27c It was placed into a large stainless steel  saucepan that i now use for my bulk fermentation as the larger doughs have outgrown my Tupperware containers, It works well and the lid prevents any skin forming. The dough was finished mixing at 12.00 mid day  and was spot on ready at 1600 it was then scaled , handed up and given a good amount of bench rest before final shaping with the larger dough piece going into a banneton and the other two direct into heavy round 9" pans that i picked up brand new as part of a job lot at a bakery auction. All the dough containers were slipped into plastic bags to prevent drying and went into the fridge  at 17.15. 

Just prior to going to bed  at 10.30 i decided to take a peep at the sleeping beauties only to discover the bigger girl  was ready for the dance,the smaller ones looked like they were behaving . So bed time was delayed the oven cranked up to as high as it would go. The errant Banneton lady was striiped bare onto some baking paper  and lowered into the Romertoph clay baker,   I elected not to score as the plumpness of her form hinted that she might object and disappoint me.  So claybaker lid on and into the oven that was still coming up to temp.  

My thoughts turned to the disparity of the dough pieces and satisfied myself that the cane Banneton probably gave some insulation to the dough piece which was also a bigger mass for the cold of the fidge to penetrate as well as the smaller pieces sitting direct in steel pans conducting the cold quicker and more efficiently to slow the fermentation process. Not bad for brain cells that should have been turned off in slumber. The lid came off after 15 minutes, i usuall do 10 but seeing as the oven was not fully hot at the commencement seemed a good choice the lid removal revealed a nice looking loaf  and pleased me that i had forgone my bed. The oven was now dialed back to 210C for the remainder of the bake. As soon as it was onto the wire rack, oven off and light out, BED.

I was late to bed but up early, oven on  full blast again and the other two were brought from the fridge, again  they looked fairly full proofed and i did look to score and even did a little run of the blade but thought Nah! and they went in as they were i did employ the terry towel steam tray for these two for 10 minutes and it did temper the oven being on at full blast. Once the steam tray came out the dial was set on 210C.  They all looked good smelled amazing and the large loaf was destined for consumption after the seniors living longer living stronger keep fit class.It got polished off in no time and enjoyed by all! Unfortunately no pictures of its lovely open soft crumb

      the 750g loaf unscored 

from the other side showing its natural tear

 

all 3 loaves

 

together again

Stout is responsible for the colour as its white flour in this dough

inside story

 

 

The dough below is the same formula but adapted for Stewart who gave me the Spent grain as he wanted to make a 1 kg dough

 

BREWERS BREAD FOR Stewart using SPENT GRAIN

    
 

%

 

grams

flour

100

 

528

salt

2

 

10.5

malt extract

2

 

10.5

Bread Improver

0.5

 

2.1

oil

4

 

21

yeast (fresh)

1

 

5.3

spent grain

20

 

106

water

30

 

158

stout

30

 

159

 total %           189.5 

 

total dough weight  1000.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martadella's picture
Martadella

Soaker:

1 cup Bob's Red Mill 7 grain cereal

1 cup coarsely ground rye berries 

½ cup whole grain coarse corn meal 

2 cups raw unsalted pumpkin seeds

½ cup golden flaxseed 

Lukewarm water to cover the seeds and grains

1 heaped tablespoon of rye starter

Mix everything together,  add more water if necessary, cover and let stand overnight in a place that's not too cold

Dough:

2 cups of wholegrain rye flour 

2 cups of wholegrain wheat flour 

2 ½ cups water 

2 heaped tablespoons of rye starter

Mix together,  cover, place in lukewarm place (oven with the lightbulb on) and ket ferment overnight 

In the morning mix the dough and the soaker together, add 3½ teaspoons if salt, 4 tablespoons molasses or dark syrup, adjust amount  of water (I like this dough to be really loose, but it's not necessary) 

Let the dough rest for 30‐45 minutes in the bowl. Then spoon it into prepared pan or pans. I used two IKEA aluminum loaf pans for this amount of dough. Brush surface with water. Let proof until the dough reaches the edge of the pan and shows some broken bubbles on the surface. Bake 10 minutes at 490, then 20 at 475, 30 at 390. Take out of the form, put back in the oven, lower the temp to 365 and bake additional 15 minutes or until done

Recipe adapted from the True North Kitchen website

https://true-north-kitchen.com/easy-overnight-danish-rye-rugbrod/

 

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Walnuts and pecans are my two favorite nuts and what's not to like about cherries? This one has all of my favorites in one bread except for cheese (I'm baking a bacon cheese bread as I type this :)).

I also added some fresh milled Spelt flour and high extraction whole wheat (Rouge de Bordeaux) freshly milled as well along with some KAF Artisan Bread flour. A small amount of purple sweet potatoes roasted and mashed was also added. You could also use mashed regular potatoes as the potatoes just add a little extra softness and help the bread stay fresh longer.

I milled the whole wheat in my MockMill200, sifted with a #30 sieve, re-milled and then sifted with a #40. For the Spelt I find it necessary to only sift once and re-mill at the finest setting.

This bread was chock full of flavor with all the nuts and cherries and made an amazing grilled cheese sandwich. I also enjoyed it toasted with some cheese or butter.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Soak the cherries in water for about an hour or more if you are using dried cherries. Strain them well before adding to the main dough. If you are using fresh cherries make sure to hold back even more water in the main dough and adjust as needed.

Mix the flour and liquids (leave about 50 -70 grams to add after the first mix), together in your mixer or by hand until it just starts to come together, maybe about 1 minute.  Let it rest in your work bowl covered for 20-30 minutes.  After 30 minutes or so  add the salt, starter (cut into about 7-8 pieces), mashed potatoes and remaining water as needed and mix on low for 5 minutes.  Note: If you are using the Ankarsrum mixer like I do, add your water to the bowl first then add in the starter and flours.  After your autolyse add in the salt and potatoes, and remaining water and mix on low to medium low for 15-20 minutes.

After the dough is fully mixed you can either add the nuts and cherries to the mixer until it is incorporated or take the dough and spray some cooking spray on your work surface. Spread the dough out into a rectangle and laminate the dough with the add ins.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 1.5 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours or if using a proofer set at 80 degrees for one hour.  Remove the dough and shape as desired and cover with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap Sprayed with cooking spray and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.  (I use my proofer set at 80 F and it takes about 1 hour to 1.5 hours).

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F. 

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist. 

 

jkandell's picture
jkandell

A simple bread that turned out well.

Rye Salt-Sour

19g stiff rye starter from fridge, unrefreshed.

108g whole rye

111g water, warm enough to leave a DT of 95F.

2g salt.

Heat for 17 hours going down gradually from 90-95F at start, down to about 70F the next morning. The starter should smell fruity.

Dough

229g of starter above (after taking out about 19g for next time)

180g white flour

72g whole rye flour

134g water

90g walnuts, chopped

2g IDY

4.5g salt

Mix all. Add walnuts last. 

Ferment 78-80F X 60m. Form into a free-standing bâtard. Proof 60m 78-80F.  

Bake 450 under cover X 15 then another 10-20 at 375F.  Makes one small 700g loaf containing 360g of total flour.

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

Test bake #1

Formula: Hayden heritage grain mill cookbook.

The original formula called for pecan & lemon zest. I substituted almond, and anise oil.

The players are assembled.

The butter and sugar are creamed. Anise oil and vanilla extract added

The dry ingredients are added with care not to over mix. Finally the slivered almonds are added to the batter.

After a 30 minute room temperature rest the batter is divided.

The two portions are shaped into 6"X3" cylinders. 

The shaped cookie dough goes into the preheated oven (350°F) for thirty minutes.

After thirty minutes in the oven, they smell amazing. I fear my shaping needed to be tighter. After a fifteen minute cool down while the oven is still on, I will attempt to slice them. Then back into the oven to toast.

Not to bad. I hope they are not too crumbly. Now for a toast of 10 minutes on each side. By the way,they taste as good as they smell.

The end game.

The shape needs work to look more traditional. However, I like it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fredsbread's picture
fredsbread

Pork shoulder was on sale last week, so my wife decided she wanted pulled pork sandwiches for dinner and it was up to me to make the buns this past Sunday. I mostly followed Maurizio's brioche hamburger bun recipe, but instead of a blend of whole wheat and white flour I used 100% freshly milled 85% extraction hard red wheat (which I'm obsessed with the past couple of weeks since I bought a new sieve).

The dough didn't rise as much in the bulk ferment as I would have expected, but I was on a strict schedule to get to church, so I put it in the fridge as directed anyway. I had to let it proof longer, but it worked out as the pork also took much longer to cook than I planned and dinner was late.

Martadella's picture
Martadella

100% whole wheat with rye starter using Bob's Red Mill whole wheat flour 

This is a simple sandwich bread that can be done in one day. The texture is moist, but not gummy

 

Night before, feed your rye starter (mine is around 100% but it doesn't have to be precise) 

 

500g flour

500g warm tap water

Mix together with your fingers until lumpy. Let stand 10-15 minutes

Add 100g of starter and work it in with your fingers. Let stand another 15 minutes

Add 15g of salt, pinch in with your fingers

Work the dough gently just by pinching the edge with your fingertips, pulling it up and folding it back on top, all around the bowl, until the dough has lost most of its lumpiness. You may repeat this procedure 1-3 times and add a little stretch and fold if you feel like it 

Wait until you see the dough starts visibly expanding, doesn't have to double, it's enough when it goes up just some

Make one more very gentle strech and fold and slowly slide the dough into your prepared baking form. Now form a nice loaf by pulling the opposite edges of dough and kind of stitching them together on top, similar to stitching the batard dough in banneton 

Cover and let fully proof. It can be done at room temperature (I had to retard it 2 hours in the fridge because I was going to church)

To be honest, I don't know how to say whether or not it is fully proofed, especially that this is really a very wet dough. I just try to guess it 🙂

Preheat the oven to 500, put the pan in, immediately lower the temp to 450, bake 20 min, then 20 min at 425, then 10 min at 375 (this, however,  is an estimation, as all ovens  are different) 

I like to brush with cold water 10 minutes before the end of baking. This makes shiny, chewy crust. For soft crust, butter the top right after taking out from the oven

 

Isand66's picture
Isand66

 

I’m a big fan of Barton Springs Mill grains and one of their specialty grains is called Quanah. This is an Heritage grain which a grower in Texas just started up again. It’s become one of my favorite grains to mill and use in breads and it’s a Hard Red Winter Wheat, 11.5% protein and has a buttery, creamy and malty flavor. Here is a link for some more information.

I also added some fresh milled Spelt flour which I also bought the berries from Barton Springs Mill as well.

I milled the Quanah in my MockMill200, sifted with a #30 sieve, re-milled and then sifted with a #40. For the Spelt I find it necessary to only sift once and re-mill at the finest setting.

I was very happy with how this turned out. The crumb was moderately open and nice and soft and the flavor was very creamy. I gifted one of the loaves to an office mate and she really liked it as well. This made great grilled bread and was excellent for sandwiches as well.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled.  I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me.  Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Mix the flour and liquids (leave about 50 -70 grams to add after the first mix), together in your mixer or by hand until it just starts to come together, maybe about 1 minute.  Let it rest in your work bowl covered for 20-30 minutes.  After 30 minutes or so  add the salt, starter (cut into about 7-8 pieces), and remaining water as needed and mix on low for 5 minutes.  Note: If you are using the Ankarsrum mixer like I do, add your water to the bowl first then add in the starter and flours.  After your autolyse add in the salt, and remaining water and mix on low to medium low for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 1.5 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours or if using a proofer set at 80 degrees for one hour.  Remove the dough and shape as desired and cover with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap Sprayed with cooking spray and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.  (I use my proofer set at 80 F and it takes about 1 hour to 1.5 hours).

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F. 

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist. 

Pages

Subscribe to Recent Blog Entries