Homemade Bread

[Dismount]

Originally Posted by AngryScot

I wish I was, have not had time this week. Still trying to source a good/cheap stone too.

Also, I use a reg mixing bowl then cover with plastic wrap. I tried it with a seal type tupperware thing, but the lid looked like it was going to explode, what is the best/simple container to mix and store for rising? using so much plastic wrap seems like a waste.

I'm just using a kitchen towel with some flour on it. seems to work ok.

clean of course.

[levain]

I'm constantly amazed what a simple fold does for bread dough....

just dumped onto table



after second fold, too early to tell, but it might not need a 4th...

[levain]

It won't get a 4th for the rounds of this bread. Probably a 4th for the Filone shape...

Before fold



After



Nice handprint I'd be screaming at my boys if one of them did that

[levain]

[pilot]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

I'm resisting the urge to comment too much on this thread.

Please resist the resisting. Post more. Us amateurs need the inspiration.

[davsato]

sorry im not up to your standards and you will all want to spit on my unholy breadmaking robot, but my wholemeal with pine nuts, caramelised onions and extra mature cheddar is to die for.
hot out of the machine, a big dollop of butter on top and a cold beer in hand.

[levain]

I'll post back later tonight once I cut the bread to show the crumb.

[levain]

Originally Posted by davsato

sorry im not up to your standards and you will all want to spit on my unholy breadmaking robot, but my wholemeal with pine nuts, caramelised onions and extra mature cheddar is to die for.
hot out of the machine, a big dollop of butter on top and a cold beer in hand.

It didn't happen without a picture

[IDScarecrow]

Sourdough maintenance:

Jim mentioned that any serious baker needs to have a sourdough. We would like to do that, but have had troubles. My wife bakes often but irregularly. Not as frequently as some of you folks (probably an average of 1-2 loaves a week; but some weeks it is none, some weeks 3-4 loaves.) She hasn't had much luck with sourdough - when she has tried, it goes moldy. Are there tricks to sourdough maintenance? Some of the stuff I read on the web talks about feeding it daily. Is that necessary? Because, frankly, that ain't going to happen here. Advice?

[pilot]

I understand. That's why I'm not really interested in sour dough. I'm too inconsistent with my baking. I don't want to deal with feeding it between baking days.

[levain]

=

[pilot]

That's beautiful, Jim.

I have a couple loaves of white on the second rise right now. Into the oven in about 30 minutes. Pics will follow. They won't look like yours. I think I'll go whip up a batch of long rise dough for baking tomorrow.

[pilot]

Mixing.


After about 10 minutes with the bread hook.



Ready to go in the box.



I use this plastic box to let it rise in.





That's risen enough.



Roll it out and roll it up, pop it in the pan.



Let it rise under plastic wrap for a while. Then into the oven.

The result:

[slackmeyer]

Originally Posted by IDScarecrow

Sourdough maintenance:

Jim mentioned that any serious baker needs to have a sourdough. We would like to do that, but have had troubles. My wife bakes often but irregularly. Not as frequently as some of you folks (probably an average of 1-2 loaves a week; but some weeks it is none, some weeks 3-4 loaves.) She hasn't had much luck with sourdough - when she has tried, it goes moldy. Are there tricks to sourdough maintenance? Some of the stuff I read on the web talks about feeding it daily. Is that necessary? Because, frankly, that ain't going to happen here. Advice?

When I worked at a bakery that used sourdough for almost all it's bread, we'd feed the sourdough 3 times a day. It really makes it easier to use (and predict how it will act) if it's kept really active like that.

However, I now make a batch a week usually, but sometimes I'll get busy and it'll be a few weeks (or months), and sometimes I'll bake a few batches in a weekend. I keep my sourdough in the fridge, and I try to take it out about a day in advance of when I use it- I let it warm up, sometimes I feed it, then I use it (I usually use about a third of what I have), feed it again (~1/3 cups warm water, 2/3 cup bread flour), leave it out for half a day or so, and put it back in the fridge).

This is sourdough abuse, but it works- If I take 6 months off from bread baking, I'll have to nurse the starter back to health over a few days of feeding and keeping it warm. When I'm baking a couple times a week, it works incredibly well. I have to be kind of flexible about rising and proofing times- usually I'll make bread by mixing it first thin in the morning, shaping at 2-3 PM, and baking after dinner. If the starter is slower and the house is colder, I'll mix at 10-11 PM, shape in the morning, and bake in the early afternoon.

I really like the bread I get with sourdough, I think every baker should give it a try. I still make pizza and some other doughs with yeast though.

[slackmeyer]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

=

Thanks for the pictorial Jim! I think it's really cool to see that, I'd love to see more bakery pictures.

Do you mix the dough with a rest (autolyse) in the middle? That's something that I still do picked up from where I worked- 5 minutes of mixing, 5 minutes of rest, add the salt, 3 more minutes of mixing, then let it rise.