Homemade Bread

[Eyes Shut]

Originally Posted by Ko

Today I changed the way I do the no-knead bread- tried to find a way to avoid the mess of floured towels, and waste of flour.

So, I used a SS bowl for proofing, turned the bread in it as well, floured the bottom a bit, let it rise there after being formed, then flipped the bowl into the Dutch oven- very little flour was left in the bowl. Don't know if I broke some cardinal rule by using a glass lid instead of plastic wrap- but I avoided the waste of the wrap. I used a cotton towel after folding as a lid.

Bread looks the same...

I don't use any floured towels when I make the bread. I use a glass bowl for proofing and then a Silpat sheet for the turning. I have a large plastic bowl with its own lid that I use a lot for bread making too. I have read of someone successfully using a cookie sheet as the cover for the second rising and the baking. I think the recipe is sufficiently fool-proof to allow for lots of modifications.


On a somewhat-but-not-as related note, my sourdough starter (made from pineapple juice and whole wheat flour) appears to be getting going! I may have my first loaf by the weekend.

[Xeraux]

Variant on the "no knead" bread.

Pizza crust!



About a 24 hour rise. 4 grams of yeast in about 400 grams of bread flour.

I'll bake the pizza in my 12" skillet to achieve something along the lines of the '80s Pizza Hut pan pizza that actually used to be decent. It's a very wet dough. I actually let itself settle and spread itself out in the in the pan during the final two-hour rise before topping it and baking in a 550°F oven.

The crust comes out very focaccia-like.



Here's a shot of the bubbles in the dough before I'll form it into as close to a ball as I can get it to put it in my well-oiled skillet for the final rise before baking.


Edit: Whoops. I forgot to "sign" my post. We wouldn't want my posts getting mixed up with all the others in this thread.


With all my love,

Xeraux

[Bokrijder]

Xeraux,

You simply pop the topped dough in the cold cast iron pan into the hot oven?
That's pretty slick - lot of folks find handling wet dough a real bear.

Bokrijder

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by Bokrijder

Xeraux,

You simply pop the topped dough in the cold cast iron pan into the hot oven?
That's pretty slick - lot of folks find handling wet dough a real bear.

Bokrijder

Correct.

Topped with my slightly spicy pizza sauce, my meatballs from a real Italian Grandmother, pepperoni, browned sweet Italian sausage, and some good mozzarella and Parmesan I've grated.

Bake it for about 15 minutes or so. If the toppings are done before the crust, you can either tent it in some foil or finish the crust on the stovetop.




Sincerely,

Xeraux T. Potentate

[noshoes]

Originally Posted by Mambo Dave

.....So are we talking baking it hotter for shorter amounts of time, or cooler for longer amounts to try to get a better crust? Or... ???

What I did to improve my crust was to leave the lid on 5 to 10 minuts longer than the receipe called for. I was getting too dark/too hard a crust. I've never had the crust get soft on me after baking. Guess that don't happen here in the desert. Last loaf, didn't get eaten within the first day, and I had to be carfeful that I didn't break my dentures on the crust after the second day.

[levain]

Originally Posted by Mambo Dave

I need some advice too.

No-knead... a few times in the past I've made loaves with Crusts ... to end all crusts... and ever since I've got a carmelized, hard crust for about a few hours, but then it's just not crispy-crusty anymore.

I can't really see cooking it longer than I've been doing - I'm already ending up with dark areas on the crust.

So are we talking baking it hotter for shorter amounts of time, or cooler for longer amounts to try to get a better crust? Or... ???

South Florida can mean high humidity. If you're leaving your bread in a humid environment, the crust doesn't stand a chance.

[levain]

Currently on Recon in Paris. I've been here 5 times over the last 20 years, but haven't been in 8 years. I'm happy to say bread is better than its been in 20 years. Good bread here was only a memory for years, but its back with a vengeance, no thanks to government intervention on bread pricing

[Bokrijder]

Jim,

Is that far far away gaze directed towards the Rhine ?
There's also some pretty fine bread on the other side of the river.

Bokrijder

[Barnstormer]

[Big Bird 928]

My wife has a Sourdough starter that we started from scratch, we call it "Bubbles".



Rather than throw away excess when feeding it we make some stuff fairly often like these Garlic Knots.





Here is her blog on the Knots.

http://gnottinggecko.wordpress.com/2...-garlic-knots/

[David R]

I make bread the regular way, I use a Kitchen aid with a dough hook to kneed. Since I got that I make a LOT more bread.

I used to take the dough out of the bowl after rising and kneed it. Then it would be hard to work into a flat to roll up and make a loaf.

One day I split the dough, one I didn't' kneed, just patted out and rolled into a loaf, The other I kneeded it then fought with it to get the loaf I wanted.

Both came out the same in the end.

Is there a preferred way?

I read the first 20 pages and learned about using enough water.
Good stuff. I bake bread once a week in the winter. Some rising right now.

David

[Xeraux]

[Bokrijder]

Somebody buy this man a bigger frying pan !! !!

bokrijder

[Big Bird 928]

Originally Posted by Bokrijder

Somebody buy this man a bigger frying pan !! !!

bokrijder

now that you mention it, that looks like a 4" pan!

[2bold2getold]

You guys been makin me now for weeks. So finely got out of the Barcalounger and made some bread. First, I know nothing about baking, but I follow directions pretty good. So, if I can do it....well you know. Did the "No Knead" first. My inpressions are : easy to make, but not much good "bread smell" and not much taste except toasted with jelly.

Tried the "Almost No Knead" next. More good bread smell and flavor. More rise and a little more dense. White on the left. Wheat on the right. Yummmmm!!!.... Looking for links to more recipes with more great bread flavor. I Love Bread.