Tricia's Bread Baking Lessons Part One thru Part 15

Posted by TriciaE (My Page) on Wed, Jan 4, 06 at 18:19

I've been thinking about a couple things overnight. One is that I've read several posts over the past couple months that some Forum members would like to try yeast bread but feel insecure. The other is Linda's post yesterday about using recipes, or not. I noted in that thread that I don't use many recipes for baking since I learned ratios.
Anyway, I've written down below several yeast breads that are perfect, IMO, for beginners. None benefit from a stand-mixer, although they DO require a hand-mixer. None require any kneading. No pre-fermentation. The "recipes" will make just a single loaf. You will not even need a traditional bread pan. I hope some of you will find them useful. I tried to guage the rising times based on this time of year & using a northern climate. I guessed that your kitchen would be between 63-68 degrees & humidity levels would be below 30% because of central heating. If you live in a warmer climate and especially if your home has humidity levels above 45-50% then these doughs will rise in about 25-50% less time. When I was teaching bread baking, these are the type breads I started with. They're known generically as "batter breads" even though the first one makes a stiffer dough.

I'm going to start with the most basic. Then, progress to others that have more enhancements (add-ins).

BASIC BREAD (This bread has lots of holes so it's great for toast w/butter.)

2 1/2 - 3 Cups AP Flour 1 Scant Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast or Fast-Rising Yeast 1 Tablespoon Sugar 3/4 Teaspoon Salt 1 1/4 Cups Water

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour and the yeast.

Using warm tap water (115 degrees...you don't have to use a thermometer...the water should feel quite warm on your hand)....put the warm water in a small bowl and dissolve the sugar in the water. Add this to the flour/yeast mixture in the larger bowl. Blend everything together with a hand-mixer on LOW speed just to combine.

Then, increase speed to high and beat for 3-4 minutes.

By hand, stir in remaining flour using the lesser of the given amounts first...the dough should be rather loose but hold into a ball. Add the rest of the flour ONLY if you need it to make the dough hold into a ball.

Shape the dough into a ball. Tip: IF YOU WET YOUR HANDS BEFORE HANDLING THE DOUGH IT WILL NOT STICK TO YOUR HANDS.

Place the ball into an oiled bowl large enough to allow the dough to double in size. Roll the dough around a couple times to coat the surface with oil so a crust will not form during fermentation. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until double...this will take anywhere from 1-2 hours. YEAST NOTE: If a yeast dough rises in one hour at 90 degrees...it will take 2 hours at 73 degrees. It doubles for every 17 degrees. So, if your house is cool this time of year...it will just take longer.

When the dough has doubled, gently roll it out of the rising bowl onto a floured work surface. This will sufficiently de-gass the dough. Toss a kitchen towel over the dough and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Grease a 1 quart ROUND baking dish, casserole, or oven proof pan. (I use my 1 quart LC saucepan for this bread.) Sprinkle cornmeal around the greased pan of your choice & knock out excess.

After 10-15 minutes, place the dough gently in the pan and cover with GREASED plastic wrap (spray the underneath side of the plastic wrap w/Pam). Let the dough rise until just about double again. This should take from 45-90 minutes.

Bake on middle rack of a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. If it starts to get too brown on top, cover loosely with a piece of foil. (probably won't happen)

When done, remove the bread from the pan & cool on rack.

MOLASSES/CARROT BREAD

3 Cups AP Flour 1-Scant Tablespoon Yeast (any kind) 1 1/4 Cups Warm Water 2 Teaspoons Salt 1/4 Cup Molasses 2 Tablespoons olive oil (or, veggie oil) 1 Egg 1 Cup Wheat Germ 1 Cup Grated Carrot 1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley

In large bowl, mix 2 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt.

Add warm water, molasses, oil, and egg. On low speed with a hand-mixer, beat for about a minute.

Increase speed to high and continue mixing for another 3-4 minutes.

By hand, stir in the remaining flour, carrots, wheat germ, and parsley. This bread will be more like a stiff batter (looser than the first recipe).

Scrape the batter (wet a wooden spoon to prevent sticking) into a greased 2 quart casserole or pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double...45-90 minutes.

BAKE THIS LOAF AT 350 DEGREES FOR 55 MINUTES. Remove from pan immediately after baking. This loaf is good with the top brushed with melted butter while it's still hot.

Note: This bread only needs to rise ONCE.

OATMEAL BREAD

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups AP flour, 1 cup oats, and 2 scant tablespoon yeast.

In a small saucepan, warm 1 1/4 cups milk, 1/4 cup Crisco, 1/4 cup honey, and 2 teaspoons of salt just until warm & the Crisco has melted. Stir until the Crisco has melted.

Add the milk mixture to the flour/yeast mixture in the bowl. Add 1 egg and 1 egg yolk to the mixture (reserve the second egg white).

On low speed with a hand-mixer, beat for 1 minute.

Increase mixer speed to high and continue beating for another 3-4 minutes.

By hand, stir in 1 1/2 cups AP flour which will make a very soft dough (stiff batter). Stir by hand until everything is well combined and smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap (leave it in the mixing bowl) and let rise until double. This one will take longer...1 1/2-2 hours but don't be surprised if it takes 3 hours. After the dough has doubled, stir it down with your wet wooden spoon.

Grease a 2 quart round casserole or baking pan and sprinkle with oats shaking out any excess. Turn the dough into the prepared dish. Cover with plastic wrap (again, spray under side of plastic with Pam to prevent sticking) and allow to double again...about 45-90 minutes.

Just before baking, brush the top of the loaf with the reserved egg white and sprinkle with a few oats. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. With this loaf, allow it to stay 15 minutes in the baking dish after coming out of the oven...then, remove & allow to finish cooling on a rack.

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 06 at 8:52

Probably the most important thing about bread making is, unfortunately, MEASURING. We each measure a cup of flour differently, hence, problems arise. Yes, you can just add some water, then some flour until it "looks right" & make a yummy loaf of bread. But, that method only takes you so far. Different types of bread require different doughs. It's those differences that, primarily, makes the difference between a basic bread & an artisan bread. I'm going to write a tutorial on measuring flour eventually...but first it's good to know a little about the ingredients themselves.

Tutorial: Different types of flour for breadmaking

You can make a good bread with All-Purpose flour. For instance, with the Honey Wheat bread above...it will not matter much whether you use AP or Bread flour. There are so many enhancements the flavor is coming from those and not the wheat. The flavor of wheat is subtle and the honey/egg/milk overpowers the wheat.

However, if you want to make artisan loaves...you'll need to learn a little about the different types of flour available. I'm not going to go into all the various nuances between Italian flour, French flour, etc. I'm going to stick with just the protein differences since that's what most of us will be putting to practical use. But, you should know that using even a good quality American bread flour is substantially different than the flour used in an Italian or French bakery and, therefore, our loaves will be unique to us...that does not mean they aren't as good (although the snobby artisan bread community certainly feels that way!). Note: Professional bakeries, even in America, frequently grade their flours using such standards as clear, patent, or second clear.

For our use, the way we differentiate flours is by the amount of gluten protein content.

All-Purpose Flour will have between 9.5% to 11.5% gluten protein).

Pastry Flour will have between 7.5% - 9.5% gluten (protein).

Bread Flour will have between 11.5% - 13.5% gluten (protein).

High Gluten Flour will have 13.5% to as much as 16% gluten (protein).

The gluten amount is determined by the type of wheat used to make the flour. Typically, flours are a blend of different strains of wheat. There is hard wheat and soft wheat; red wheat and white wheat (this is where King Arthur get their White Whole-Wheat that I love so much); winter wheat and spring wheat.

Unbleached versus Bleached Flour:

Aside from not wanting to feed my family chlorox...there is another reason for using unbleached flour for bread making. You'll notice right away that unbleached flour has a bit of a yellowish color to it. That is from beta-carotene (VitaminA). This is lost during the bleaching process. We, as bread bakers, don't care about the Vitamin A because it will be lost in the heat of baking anyway BUT.........beta-carotene gives our bread more FLAVOR and AROMA.

Since in an artisan loaf of bread (no enhancements) where the quality comes from nothing more than the wheat...we want the advantage of that beta-carotene.

The sensory benefits of unbleached flour are lost quite a bit when enhancements like milk, eggs, or honey are added. But, there's still that chlorox issue.........

But, even if using bleached flour...a homemade loaf of bread is still MUCHO better than commercially made.

You should not attempt to hand-knead bread flour. The higher gluten content means that this type of flour requires strong, extended kneading that most of us can't do manually. So, if starting your bread making experience w/o a stand mixer...stick with unbleached all-purpose flour. Your bread will be delicious! Personally, I believe strongly that all of us benefit from starting with hand-kneading anyway. I don't know any other way to teach technique unless folks get their hands in the flour.

Later today, I'll do another recipe...

If this is not useful to people...let me know and I'll stop. Otherwise, I'll do the next step which is that nasty MEASURING.

Oh, I've not forgotten about whole-wheat flour! I'm just not talking about it now 'cause it's a topic all of it's own. That perfect whole wheat loaf eludes many bread bakers. We can get there by taking things one step at a time. In the meantime, you can substitute up to 50% of the white flour in any recipes I give and not experience significant disappointments. Allow your bread extra time to ferment and proof if using 50% WW flour. I'd recommend starting with only 25% and then you shouldn't have to change any other parts of the recipe.

Tricia's Bread Baking (PART 2)

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 06 at 11:42

Here's a recipe for a multi-purpose dough that can be made into pizza, pita bread, bagels, English muffins, sticky buns, or a round loaf of hearth bread. NOTE, however, this dough will NOT produce the BEST of any of these types of breads. What I'm giving is a basic recipe that "works" for many types of uses. It's always good to have a stand-by recipe in your bread-baking arsenal that's a no-brainer & that's what this is.

It will also introduce a primer on ratios. But, please remember that "ratios" differ considerably depending on what type of bread you are looking to make...so this first "ratio" is just a basic bread that you can always fall back on. There is NO magic bullet ratio that works for ALL types of bread. Do NOT expect it to produce a blue-ribbon artisan bread...it won't. Your family, however, will think you're a genius and an expert because it's soooo much better than what you can buy (unless you have an artisan bakery round the corner).

I call this my "Go-To" bread.......I start it in the morning when I have no idea what I want to cook for dinner.

GO-TO BREAD:

RATIO PRIMER: You can make a basic bread by using 3 parts of flour to one part of liquid....BY VOLUME, not weight. (Please try to remember the volume thing 'cause I'm going to be talking about it at length in the measuring primer.) So, if we use two cups of water...we'll need 6 cups of flour...or, 2 cups of water + 3 times that of flour = 6 cups.

Here we go...

2 Cups Water 1 Tablespoon Sugar 1 Tablespoon Yeast (any kind) Should I do a yeast primer?
6 Cups Unbleached (preferably) AP Flour 1 Tablespoon Salt

My instructions are not going to read like a normal recipe 'cause I'm going to attempt to describe technique as we go....

Our first hurdle is the temperature of the water. This really isn't as big a deal as some people think it is. Basically, yeast is comfy at the same temperature you are. Now, we each vary in that. For example, I'm ALWAYS cold. My DIL is ALWAYS too warm. We each judge the water temperature for our bread differently...what's "warm" to her is just plain COLD to me! So, how do we fix this? The first thing we do is stop worrying about it. Whew, now we feel better already. Remember, bread will rise in the refrigerator so it's unlikely you'll get the water too cold. As for too hot...if the water makes you pull your hand back to avoid a burn...it's TOO HOT. But, if it feels like something you'd like for a bubble bath temp...then, it's just right. That's going to vary for each of us. My water in bread goes in much warmer than my DIL's. We both make good bread.

FAST FACT: Yeast will begin to die off at 120 degrees but it has to get all the way to 140 degrees before it "kicks the bucket". Try it sometime with a thermometer...140 degrees is REALLY hot, even to me.

My directions will be for active-dry yeast & a stand-mixer. If you're using something else (instant, bread-machine, etc.)...follow along anyway...it won't make a difference. If anybody wants me to describe hand-kneading, let me know & I will.

Pour the warm water into the bowl of your mixer. Add the sugar & stir until it is dissolved. (Remember, this is going to cool things off a little so that's another reason not to fret about too hot of water) Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water/sugar mixture and stir it in.

Let this sit, UNCOVERED, for about 5 minutes while you're gathering flour, etc. You will see small bubbles starting to appear at the surface.

Do NOT add the salt yet. Yeast does not like salt and if the salt touches the yeast...it will kill it outright. So, we want to make sure our yeast is dissolved and, better still, we'll mix a little flour in so the salt doesn't come into direct contact with the yeast. The flour acts as a buffer.

Our second hurdle is not to add too much flour. This is where the importance of MEASURING comes into play in the perfect loaf of bread. How we each measure plays a very large part in the difference between one person's bread & another's. I'll do a discussion on measuring but not here...for now, just measure as you always do because as I've already said...we know this will not be the PERFECT loaf of bread. Just a really GOOD one!

Next step: Stir 1 cup of flour into the water/yeast/sugar mixture. Now, add the salt and beat hard for 3 minutes. (If you're using a stand-mixer...now's the time to let that baby go...crank it up hard) If you're using a hand-mixer beat on your highest speed....it will be just fine.
You're starting to develop the gluten.

Now, add 4 cups of flour and mix SLOWLY to blend. When the flour is mostly wet...crank up the mixer again and knead 4 minutes & stop. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. This will allow the flour to soak up the moisture. Now, begin to knead again...if the dough is not balling up and pulling away from the sides of the bowl add more flour 1/4 cup at a time...knead for 2 minutes before adding the next 1/4 cup. When the dough just clears the sides...stop adding flour. If the dough is whipping around your mixer in a clump & the mixer is jumping all around your counter...you've added too much flour.

Remove the dough from the mixer & pat it into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl & roll it around a few times to coat the surface with oil. This will prevent a crust from forming on the dough which inhibits fermentation. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to double. This will take about 2 hours this time of year for most of us. In July, it will probably only take an hour.

FAST TIP: On a rainy or snowy day, when barometric pressure is low, your bread will rise faster. It's a gravity thing...

FAST TIP: When you can poke a finger in the dough without it springing back...it has doubled.

When doubled, gently roll the dough out of the bowl onto a floured work surface. This is not as much fun as pounding a fist into the dough to "punch" it down...but makes a much better loaf of bread. Allow the dough to sit for 10 minutes.

Shape as desired...see start of post.

For a hearth bread, just gently shape the dough into a ball and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, take your hand and very gently flatten the top (only a little tiny bit). Cover the dough with plastic wrap...it's a good idea this time to spray the underneath side of the plastic wrap with Pam to prevent the plastic from sticking to the shaped dough.

Allow the dough to proof. This will take 45-90 minutes in winter.

At the 30 minute point, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and place a rack in the lower third of the oven.

When the dough has almost doubled...take a serrated knife (or lame if you have one) and make a couple slashes 1/4" deep into the top of the loaf. Cut on a diagonal as opposed to straight down. This allows gas to escape during baking & allows for more oven pop as well as being decorative.

Bake the bread for 45 minutes. Cool on rack for at least 2-3 hours before cutting. The bread will finish cooking and the gluten will complete it's congealing process during the cooling phase. If you cut when it's hot...the texture will be significantly less than it would have been if you'd allowed it to cool.

Enjoy your bread! This will make a soft crusted loaf that's light on the inside but it will not have huge interior holes (those require a special technique...not hard...just different). The crust will not be crackly but will be crisp. If people want me to continue...we can cover the crackly crust, holes, etc. as we go on.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 3) Measurements

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 06 at 13:40

MEASUREMENTS:

Adding too much flour in our bread comes primarily from the differences in how we measure. But, different brands of flour weigh out different, as well.

The thing to remember is that it's not important that we each measure the same. What's important is that we get to the end result the same.

The way I measure...it takes about 3 3/4 Cups of bread flour to equal 1 pound. I always use King Arthur products and each type of flour weighs slightly different. Except for whole wheat (which is heavier), I stick with the same 3 3/4 cups to a pound for all flours. The heavier weight of whole-wheat and our measuring techniques is why it can be a challenge to get a good WW loaf. The problem goes away when we learn about measurements.

You might measure 4 1/2 Cups to get the same pound. Or, somebody else might get as little as 3 1/2 Cups or as much as 5 Cups.

Most general bread recipes are written for 4 Cups to the pound. If your measurements are different than that...it's going to affect the end result. It won't make a huge difference when making a recipe that uses enhancements (although 3/4 cup in either direction will). But, it makes a huge difference in that artisan loaf of bread.

More advanced bread books will write recipes giving both weight measurements as well as volume measurements. The weight measurement will ALWAYS be the most accurate.

When I realized that it was important to me to move beyond basic bread & start striving for that artisan loaf...I purchased a scale and was amazed at how much difference there was in how I measured. It was not the same...day-to-day...recipe-to-recipe. The age of my flour, the humidity in the air, how I felt on any given day all affected my measurements. It was so easy to throw off my ratios. Since it varied so much, I had trouble with being consistent from loaf to loaf. It's hard to get better if you can't duplicate your starting point!

If you have a scale, I strongly recommend you see how many cups it takes you to reach one pound of flour. If you don't have a scale, use this technique for measuring since it produces the closest thing to a four ounce cup short of a scale.

1.) Take a fork & fluff the flour in your canister. Then, using a large sifter...sift flour onto a piece of plastic or waxed paper on your counter.

2.) Take a 1 Cup measuring cup and sit it on the counter. Then, sprinkle the sifted flour with a spoon lightly into the measuring cup.

3.) Scrape any excess off with the back of a knife.

That method is tedious and I don't have the patience for it. So, I used my scale & learned how much MY cups weighed when I just scooped into the canister, bashed the cup against the side to level it off, & hoped for the best.

After much practice, I now know that I need 3 3/4 cups of flour for every 4 cups called for in a recipe 'cause of how I measure. You are going to be different. But, you can see how it will make a difference when trying not to add too much flour.

As with so many things, practice helps a lot. Eventually, you'll learn about your flour's characteristics (I don't recommend jumping around from one brand to another.) & how you measure. Then, make the adjustments in the recipe to compensate for YOUR "1 Cup" of flour.

An extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour in an artisan bread changes the bread's characteristics. It can make the difference between a dense Ciabatta & one that has large, nicely spaced holes. A good Ciabatta has 65-80% hydration. If we vary from that range by adding too much flour we loose the characteristics of Ciabatta.

Measuring is not something to be wary of & it's certainly not hard. We just have to learn how we each do it and adjust accordingly. If you take the time & have the patience to learn your measurements, you're more than halfway to a terrific artisan bread. Time & temperature are the other missing pieces.

REMEMBER: When you're reading a recipe...almost undoubtedly, it's written assuming 4 Cups of Flour = One Pound. So, in the recipe I gave earlier today, we used (hopefully) close to 1 1/2 pounds of flour.

This measurement thing is the reason I grimmace when somebody asks me for a bread recipe.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 4)

Question: (Scotland):

Tricia, I have a couple of questions! I know I said I was a bread virgin, but I should have admitted that I never even had sex ed. Complete novice.

First, I�m assuming that all ingredients should be room temperature unless otherwise specified. Is this correct? Do you store yeast in the fridge?

Second, I have a KA stand mixer. Do you use the dough hook for the first beating (the 1 cup of flour into the water/yeast/sugar salt mixture)? By crank it up hard, do you mean all the way up or most of the way up? In other words, should I go all the way to the beating eggs into stiff peaks level, or a bit below? And do you set the mixer as high for the kneading?

Answer:

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 06 at 15:07

scotland...glad to answer questions (if I can!)

I store my yeast in the freezer & use it cold. Unless the instructions say otherwise, enhancements like eggs or butter should be room temperature or they will really chill down the dough quickly...not a problem but will extend the fermentation time. Milk is often used in place of water & it is warmed just like you would water.

I don't use a KA. I use the Electrolux & had a Bosch for 21 years before getting my 'Assistant'. So, I don't have a dough hook, etc. Many moons ago I had a KA & I'll try to remember how it worked. No, you should use something like a paddle for the first blending. The dough hook won't do much for such a soupy mixture as this flour addition makes. As for speed, again my mixer works different...but, I think you should turn your KA up almost to full blast for the first addition of flour to the water/yeast/sugar mixture. You want to really start to develop the gluten in that step. If your machine splatters at high speed...then slow it down so you don't end up with yuck everywhere! The idea is that this is where you want to work the gluten very hard.

After the next flour addition, switch to your dough hook and add one notch to whatever KA recommends for bread kneading. Again, this is when the primary mixing (that's all kneading is...mixing to fully incorporate ingredients & moistened the flour) is occuring & you want to really develop the gluten. You won't be kneading long enough to overheat your dough...'cause you'll be doing the kneading in the two steps. For the final kneading (mixing), use whatever KA recommends, or even one knotch slower. By this final mixing, all you're doing is trying to incorporate any additional flour you might have added. Primary mixing is already done so you don't need the umph.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 5) Time Issues

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Sat, Jan 7, 06 at 9:59

OK, we've talked a little about the types of flour and how we measure them. We know that if, in a pinch w/o a cookbook, we can make a delicious bread by using our 3:1 ratio & 1 Tablespoon of yeast + 1 Tablespoon of Sugar. We know that our measurements are different for each of us if we're NOT using a scale.

In the last primer, I mentioned that after measurements we still needed some info on time & temperature. This morning, we'll take the "time" issue. We'll discuss the five basic types of PRE-FERMENTS, how they work, why we use them, and I'll give a recipe using one. Be aware though...once you make bread with a pre-ferment...there's rarely any going back. The difference is HUGE. Even with a quick oatmeal sandwich bread, you'll be wanting to play with the recipe to use a pre-ferment, hence, making the bread even yummier. I mentioned earlier that when enchancements were used, we loose a lot of the wheat's subtle taste. With a pre-ferment...the wheat has a fighting chance of coming through all the milk, eggs, honey, etc. Not as clearly as w/o the enchancements but enough so you'll notice the difference. The recipe I'll give today will be a multi-grain hearth bread. It's very nutritious with a wonderful flavor. It uses a pre-ferment but won't take 4 days to make!

In bread baking, when we talk about "time" we're referring to either fermentation or proofing. FERMENTATION is the first rise and PROOFING is the rise after shaping & just prior to baking.

Fermentation starts as soon as you add liquid to the yeast. Controlling the time it takes for the yeast to sufficiently rise the dough is one of the ways we control flavor & texture in our bread. Bread baking has a lot of "art" in it as well as science. How you choose to control "time" is one of the "artistic" parts.

Fermentation is our next KEY in deconstructing the creation of a truly great bread.

You can make a very delicious loaf of bread in a relatively short period of time. In a minute, I'm going to give you some instructions for shortening how long it takes to get that bread on the table. I hope you don't use them too frequently but we should know them...cause sometimes...we don't decide we want bread until 3:00 p.m.!

The first thing to be aware of though is that if we opt for fast the trade-off is FLAVOR. There's just no getting around that. Life is like that...actions have consequences..lol. Darn! This is the most evident in our artisan bread. But, even the whole-wheat/honey recipe given above...could be made better by manipulating "time".

During fermentation, your dough comes to life. I love watching this. It satisfies my soul the same way planting my garden does.

Every dough has its own fermentation requirments that's based on a balance between the amount of yeast used, the nutrients contained in the yeast, enzymes working, the temperature of both the dough & the environment, & the length of the fermentation.

Many of our common recipes ask us to ferment the dough in a covered bowl at room temperature (or, warmer) for 1-3 hours. But, others require a slow fermentation so we chill the dough immediately after mixing (kneading). This cool, very slow fermentation attempts to draw every bit of flavor from the wheat by giving the enyzmes more time to interact.

NOTE: Please remember that kneading & mixing are interchangeable terms. There's nothing magical about kneading. It's just the bread baker's jargon for mixing...makes things sound mystical to non-bakers lol

The addition of SUGAR to our dough is the first way we can control TIME. It also adds some modest flavor (not talking sweet dough here where sugar accounts for more flavor).

Sugar is a MUST HAVE ingredient for fermentation to happen. Sugar is converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the yeast. Sugar can be added to our ingredient list. This addition should be considered a TIME element. It is NOT a necessary ingredient for bread. Sugar is also obtained from the complex carbohydrates in the wheat as the yeast breaks them down into simple-sugars. So, the fewer enrichments (even milk has sugar) in a dough the more flavor relies on the wheat starches being released.

FAST FACT: The less sugar in a recipe...the longer the fermentation will take because it just takes time for the yeast to break down the wheat's complex carbohydrates into sugar. SUGAR = FLAVOR. How we get that flavor puts us to controlling TIME.

FAST FACT: In a "sweet" dough, most of the flavor is coming from enhancements rather than the wheat so a shorter fermentation is best.

I hope the following will prove to be empowering:

There's lots of science in truly understanding how yeast works. It's useful & fun to know but not necessary so I'm not going to make this a science lesson about Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fructose, and maltose.

FACT FACT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF YEAST: All commercial brands of yeast are pretty much the same in spite of advertising to the contrary. But, INSTANT yeast contains 25% more living yeast cells per tablespoon than ACTIVE DRY YEAST (regardless of the brand). Technically speaking, there are conversion ratios for figuring out how much instant yeast to use if a recipe calls for active dry yeast. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THEM! At this point, it's just not going to affect the quality of your bread. So, use whatever you have and stick with the amounts provided. The biggest advantage of instant yeast is that because of the higher number of cells...it can be effectively added directly to the flour w/o proofing. Well, truth-be-told...so can active dry yeast. So, if your store only carries "Bread Machine" yeast...don't worry about it.

FAST FACT: Yeast will start absorbing moisture as soon as the package is opened and, since we already know moisture triggers the yeast to come to life...that's what happened when you open the jar or packet. So, it will loose it's strength, over time, unless you keep it in an air-tight container. Keeping it cold also retards growth...so, keep it in the freezer & it will remain viable for over a year.

Yeast converts sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The alcohol will evaporate during baking & the carbon dioxide will make the dough raise.

FAST FACT: Use only as much yeast as it takes to get the job done. Using a lot of yeast will rise the dough faster but it will also eat up the available sugars & leave a NASTY alcohol taste in your bread. (Beer making, anyone?)

TIP: In summer, when your dough will rise faster due to warmer environment & higher humidity levels (if you live east of the Mississippi)...use LESS yeast. If your recipe requires 1 Tablespoon of yeast...in July, reduce that amount by about 25%. In July, retarding the rise is critical to good bread.

FAST FACT: Yeast fermentation practically STOPS below 40 degrees.

Now, I'm going to spend a few minutes talking about how we can SPEED up making a loaf of bread. This section is like the 3:1 ratio...a fall-back position. After that, I'll give a primer on the five pre-ferments and follow with that a multi-grain recipe.

SHORT CUTS:

1.) After the dough has risen once, immediately shape into desired shape (skip the resting period)...allow the shaped loaves to sit in their prepared pan/baking sheet/whatever you're using to bake them in/on. Slash the tops as I described yesterday. Brush the tops of the loaves with COLD water and put them in a COLD oven. Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes. The bread will be heavier textured but still very good.

2.) You can shorten even more by a substitution of a 15 minute "rest" for the primary fermentation stage. After the "rest", shape the loaves & bake as described in #1 above. WHEN TIME IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FLAVOR & TEXTURE...this is the method to use.

3.) When you're proofing your yeast in the warm liquid...add 50 milligrams of Vitamin C...just cut a regular Vitamin C 100 milligram tablet in two pieces. Since yeast wants an acidic environment, it will grow & divide faster when you provide more acidity. The Vitamin C will be destroyed in the baking process so it will not add any nutrition to the bread. Proceed as normal with making your bread. The dough will rise faster so watch it for doubling...don't let it rise too much.

4.) If you want bread for dinner but aren't going to be around all day to watch it...do this:

In the morning, mix up your dough as normal BUT use only 1 TEASPOON OF YEAST & HALF OF THE REQUIRED FLOUR. Cover & place in a cool location (50-60 degrees...NOT THE FRIG). Just before dinner, add the rest of the flour...give the dough a short 15 minutes "rest", form your loaves, and bake as above. This is great in the winter when your kitchen is cool...when you leave the house, turn down the heat (save heating costs in the process).

5.) Use the reduced amount of yeast, as above, but knead in all the flour. Cover the bowl & put in a cool spot. When you're ready to use the dough, GENTLY roll it out (keep as much gas as possible in the dough), shape, & proceed with whatever baking method you like. If you want sticky buns in the morning, make the dough the evening before and let it rise overnight. This time of year...leave it on the counter...not in the frig...it's cool enough in your kitchen. You want the yeast to rise the dough...just retard the process.

6.) This is useful when you want to bake bread in loaf pans...Use the normal amount of yeast, make your dough as normal and immediately form it into loaves. Place the loaves in the greased bread pans & cover with greased plastic-wrap (LIGHTLY grease the tops of the loaves, as well). Refrigerate anywhere from 2 to 24 hours. When you want to bake the bread, remove it from the frig and let it sit while you pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees (pre-heat for AT LEAST 15 minutes). Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Now, we'll talk about controlling TIME to MAXIMIZE flavor & aroma. Above, we wanted to speed up the process knowing we'd sacrifice some flavor & texture.

A pre-ferment is one of your most useful ways to manipulate TIME. The pre-ferment's MAIN function is to IMPROVE flavor, aroma, & texture. A pre-ferment can hugely improve your odds of winning a blue ribbon with a simple loaf of oatmeal/molasses bread at the fair! Trust me...it's worth the effort & TIME. I judged bread at the Hillsborough County Fair....

We'll not use all of these in today's recipe but I'd like for you to start getting comfortable with the terms, ratios, & types of bread to use each one in.

I've mentioned five types of pre-ferments. Here's the first. I'll mention it here & say no more 'cause you'll be improving the quality of your bread but you have little control 'cause every batch will be different. FOR EVERY BATCH OF BREAD THAT YOU MAKE...HOLD BACK 1/4 CUP WORTH OF FERMENTED DOUGH. PLACE IT IN A ZIP-LOCK BAG...PUSH OUT THE AIR & PUT IN THE FREEZER. THE NEXT TIME YOU MAKE BREAD, REMOVE YOUR LITTLE BALL OF DOUGH, ALLOW IT TO THAW FOR AN HOUR OR SO...AND, ADD IT TO THE NEW BATCH WHEN YOU'RE ADDING THE BULK OF THE FLOUR. Poof, instant pre-ferment!

The second is the sourdough pre-fermant. It's a topic of it's own so I'm not going to discuss further now. If people still want me to continue with this primer...then, we'll get around to it.

So, we're on #3...

This one is slightly off-topic but so useful I'm adding it in anyway. It concerns quick breads. If you want to make a better biscuit, muffic, pancake, waffle, etc. try this...mix 1 teaspoon of yeast with 1/4 cup of warm water...add 1/2 cup of AP flour and stir the beejeezums out of it. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Make your normal quick recipe but deduct the 1/4 cup water & 1/2 cup flour you used above from the recipe standards. Add the yeast mixture. Proceed as normal but let whatever your making sit for about 30 minutes before you stick it in the oven or cook the waffles/pancakes. Instant improvement over a standard leavened quick bread.

#4 & #5 are the pre-ferments you'll encounter in recipe books and are the best for controlling TIME to IMPROVE flavor, aroma, & texture.

4.) POOLISH (aka: sponge, barms, wet sponge)

This is easy to make & best made fresh each time you want it. You can store it for 2-3 days in the frig if you have to and it can be frozen as well. It's goopy & it's an advantage if you remember the wet hands/wet wooden spoon tip.

Poolish Recipe:

2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Bread Flour (use AP if you don't have a mixer) 1 1/2 Cups ROOM TEMPERATURE water 1/4 Teaspoon Yeast

Stir everything together hard. It will look like a thick pancake batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment, at ROOM TEMPERATURE for 3-4 hours. It will become foamy & bubbly. This is enough for two loaves of Ciabatta or three medium-sized pizzas.

Your RATIO for POOLISH is: EQUAL AMOUNTS FLOUR TO WATER + 1/4 teaspoon of yeast.

Equal, you say? Yes, the flour & the water WEIGH just about the same thing (11.25-11.50 ounces). Don't CONFUSE cups to weights.

5.) Biga (aka: pate-fermentee...actually, there's a slight difference which I'll explain just below but many people use these term interchangeably & they shouldn't.)

Biga is the Italian version of a pre-ferment. It's like making a French bread dough & should look/feel the same odd, huh?).

Biga Recipe:

2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Bread Flour 1 Cup Water 1/2 Teaspoon Yeast

Put the ingredients in the bowl of your mixer & combine with the paddle attachment just until it's not showing a lot of flour. Then, switch to the dough hook & knead for 5 minutes. The dough should be shiny, look & feel elastic like a finished French bread dough. It should NOT be too sticky. You want it to form a ball and hold it's shape. Place the Biga into a greased bowl, roll the dough around to coat it with oil, cover with plastic wrap & allow to ferment, at room temperature, for 2-4 hours or until it doubles. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a slightly floured work surface. THIS TIME, we're going to PUNCH down the dough by kneading it for about a minute to degass. Return the dough to the rising bowl, cover with plastic wrap, & refrigerate overnight. It will keep in the frig for 2-3 days or you can freeze it.

This is enough to make a couple loaves of French/Italian bread or Ciabatta.

Your RATIO for BIGA is: Flour = 100%; Water = 67%; & Yeast = .49%

The difference between a Pate Fermentee & a Biga is that the Pate Fermentee uses salt so requires a higher percentage of yeast. Don't worry about it.

A POOLISH & a BIGA are interchangeable. But, you'll need to adjust water/flour proportions accordingly. I don't want you to get too caught up in all this. Just to generally know & understand what these things are so if you run across a term it won't throw you off.

Now, for a recipe using a PRE-FERMENT. It uses a POOLISH or wet sponge.

MULTI-GRAIN HEARTH BREAD

POOLISH:

1 1/2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast (or, Instant) 2 Cups Warm Water 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (Think TIME control..not ingredient) 1/3 Cup Rye Flour (or, Pumpernickel) 1 1/2 Cups Whole-Wheat Flour

In the mixer bowl, whisk together the yeast, water, sugar, rye flour, and whole-wheat flour. Beat very hard for about a miinute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & allow to sit, at room temperature, for 1 hour.

1/4 Cup Bran Flakes (I use oat bran) 1/3 Cup Stone-Ground Yellow Cornmeal 2/3 Cups Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats (not instant) 1 Tablespoon Salt 2 Cups BOILING Water 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

While your sponge is fermenting, place the bran, cornmeal, oats, salt, & Olive Oil in medium-sized bowl. Add the boiling water and stir until everything is dampened. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & let sit at room temperature until the Poolish's one hour is up. This will soften the grains and allow them to absorb some moisture so they won't suck it all out of your finished bread.

After 1 hour.......combine the POOLISH & the grain mixture into your mixer's bowl. Using the whisk (or paddle) attachment blend together the POOLISH & grains.

3 3/4 to 4 1/4 Cups of Unbleached Bread Flour

Add the above flour to the mixer bowl 1/2 cup at a time mixing (kneading) well after each addition. When you reach 3 3/4 cups start watching the dough. Now, add your remaining flour just 1 Tablespoon at a time until the dough just clears the sides of the bowl. It should be quite tacky (from all the grains) but should hold it's shape. If you poke your finger in it...your finger will come up with sticky stuff on it but it needs to clear the sides and ALMOST the bottom, as well of the bowl. When you're happy with the consistency of your dough...mix (knead) hard for 5 minutes.

Remove the dough from the mixer (WET YOUR HANDS OR YOU'LL BE HOPELESSLY TANGLED IN THIS DOUGH!). Place the dough in a greased bowl and roll around to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & allow to ferment for 2-3 hours.

When the dough has doubled, gently remove it from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. You'll need some flour here...this is a tacky dough. With a bench knife, divide the dough into two equal pieces. Cut STRAIGHT DOWN...do not saw back & forth. Toss a towel over the mounds of dough & allow to rest for 10 minutes.

After ten minutes, shape each piece of dough into a large ball with a slightly flat top. Place loaves on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap that you've sprayed the underneath side of with Pam to prevent sticking.

Allow the loaves to proof for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled. At the 45 minute mark, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. When the loaves have almost doubled...slash the tops and bake for 45 minutes.

Cool on rack for several hours before cutting.

This is my standard sandwich dough. It provides good nutrition and is extremeley flavorful. The oats & olive oil keep this bread fresh for several days. Toasted, it's devine! The nutty flavor of the grains really comes through. It makes a terrific grilled ham/cheese sammie.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 6)

RE: Yeast Breads///More

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Sat, Jan 7, 06 at 15:34

Ginger, yes...I always use the same measuring equipment for consistency. But, if you're away from home...take Linda's approach & just go for it. Use the 3:1 ratio recipe given above. You'll still have homemade bread that will be delicious.

Potterhead2...yes, you can improve on that bread which looks good, BTW....very healthy with good keeping qualities. By "improve" I mean you can coax more flavor & better texture by doing the following:

Warm the milk & water together. Put the warmed mixture in your mixer bowl & add all of the yeast + the 1 Tablespoon Powdered Milk + 1 Cup of the Whole-Wheat Flour. With your paddle/whisk attachment beat very hard for 1-2 minutes. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. The dry milk powder has sugars in it which will help feed the starter. It will foam & bubbly away being quite thin in consistency. After 1 hour, add the remaining ingredients, holding back 1/2 Cup of the white bread flour, and mix (knead) for 4 minutes. Add the rest of your flour, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Then, resume mixing hard for another 2 minutes. Proceed as you normally do except do NOT punch down the dough hard. Roll the dough out of the bowl gently so you don't loose ALL the trapped gas...that's enough degassing. During shaping, you'll loose a little more. You'll, probably, find that fermintation happens quicker so watch it closely for doubling. Have Fun!

If anyone would like to try using an instant read thermometer to confirm doneness...here's the standards to follow:

1.) For a hard, crusty artisan type bread (French, Hearth, Baquette, etc.): The bread should be baked until the center of the loaf REACHES 200 to 210 DEGREES.

If your artisan loaf is top-browning too much - tent with foil. The point of reaching this temperature is to get rid of excess moisture to concentrate flavors. Also, this temperature assures full gelatinization of the starches, again pulling more flavor from the wheat.

2.) For a soft bread (my above recipe, potter's recipe, annie's recipe, any enriched dinner rolls or sandwich bread): The bread should be baked until the center of the bread EXCEEDS 180 degrees in the center. Dinner rolls will set as soon as they pass 180 degrees but it's safer for larger loaves to go past 185 degrees. By safe, I mean full gelantinization of the starches for best flavor & texture.

Place your thermometer through the bottom of the loaf and go to the center of the dough. That's the coolest part.

Linda mentioned above my #1 PRE-FERMENT. It will, as we both said, improve on flavor & texture. It's downside is that you have little to no control over the TIME portion of the equation.

DEFINITION OF BREAD BAKING TERMS:

1.) Fermentation = Starts the second moisture hits the yeast. The term is commonly used to refer to the first, or primary, rise of a bread dough.

2.) Proofing = Secondary Fermentation. This means after the dough has been shaped.

Both primary & secondary fermentation are a form of proofing (that is, proving that the yeast is alive). But, in bread baking circles...the above two definitions are what you'll encounter so I believe it's important to understand their meaning to avoid confusion.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 7) Whole Wheat Bread with Yogurt Poolish

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Sat, Jan 7, 06 at 20:33

Julie Child & James Beard are terrific!

Bread baking (other areas of cooking too, if we think about it) has evolved considerably in the past twenty years. The top bread bakers in America like Peter Reinhart are changing the way we bake. He's teaching his new methods to students at Johnson & Wales & others who attend his nationwide seminars. Even those who read his books are learning so much more about yeast & bread making than what was even known just a couple decades ago. New techniques are marching on.....not completely degassing ALL breads is one of those. It't an exciting time to be a bread enthusiast.

I still love my Mom's 1948 Modern Family Cookbook but I don't ignore what's new in cooking techniques either when they improve on the tried & true.

Anyway, we had a 50% whole-wheat recipe above & there have been other requests for similar recipes. Here's a whole-wheat bread and an ORANGE-PASSION FRUIT CURD that we really enjoy with this bread. It uses a Poolish type of starter (meaning basically that it's wet). I mentioned earlier that we could use a Vitamin C tablet to increase acidity to hasten fermentation allowing us to manipulate time to gain flavor, texture, & aroma. This Poolish uses yogurt to accomplish the same thing...raise acidity levels. This boost helps lift all the whole-wheat flour without using excessive amount of yeast that risk ruining our bread by leaving a nasty aftertaste. The milk in the yogurt will also extend shelf-life and help counter some of the whole-wheat's inherent dryness. There's enough olive oil to add some flavor as well as increase self-life, as well.

Think of the yogurt as a TIME control rather than an ingredient. When you start seeing these things in recipes, you're going to know WHY they are there. By knowing WHY they are there...you can start to build your own recipes.

WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD WITH YOGURT POOLISH

For the Poolish:

1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast 1/4 Cup Plain Lowfat Yogurt (or, non-fat is ok) 1 1/2 Cups Tepid Water 2 Cups Whole-Wheat Flour

In a plastic or glass container, whisk together the yeast, yogurt, tepid water, and whole-wheat flour until smooth and the yeast is dissolved. Take a spatula and push down anything that crept up on the sides during whisking. Cover with several layers of cheesecloth. Do NOT cover with an air-tight covering like plastic wrap. In this case, we want excess gasses to ESCAPE. Let the Poolish sit at room temperature for 2 days (about 48 hours), stirring twice a day. It will rise & fall, form bubbles, and have a slight sweet smell. Liquid will form on top. NOTE: IF THE LIQUID IS BLACKISH GREEN...THROW AWAY THE POOLISH & START AGAIN.

DOUGH:

2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast 2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Bread Flour 1 1/2 Cups Very Hot Water (warmer than you'd normally use) 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar 1/3 Cup Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon Salt 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

In your mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and unbleached white flour. Add the hot water, sugar, oil, and salt. Beat hard for 1 minute.

Add the the yogurt Poolish and beat another minute.

Switch to your dough hook and add the whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, sticky dough is formed that just clears the sides of the bowl. Knead (mix) for 5 minutes.

Wet your hands because this is a sticky dough. Pull the dough out of the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Hand knead about a dozen times to smooth it out. You'll need to use a little of your bench flour but the dough should remain moist & sticky. The dough will smooth out during fermentation and loose some of the tackiness. This dough will also feel a bit gritty from the whole-wheat...it won't be smooth & silky like a French bread dough.

NOTE: Doughs made with more than 50% whole-wheat tend to be tacky. Whole-wheat absorbs more water & we have to compensate for that or we end up with a dry, crumbly loaf with a corregated cardboard texture. So, the hydration ratio is higher. Also, the characteristics of whole-wheat flour can vary dramatically bag to bag. So, expect this dough to behave slightly different every time you make it.

Next, place the dough in a well-greased bowl (wet your hands if it's still sticking to you) and roll it around to oil all sides of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap & allow to double. This should take about 2 hours.

When doubled, turn the dough out gently onto a floured work surface. With your bench knife, divide the dough into two equal pieces. (Remember not to tear the gluten by sawing at the dough. Cut STRAIGHT DOWN.)

Shape each piece into a round loaf or an oblong, whichever you prefer. Place the loaves on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap (spray the underneath with Pam to prevent sticking) and let proof, at room temperature, until NOT QUITE DOUBLED. This will take about 1 hour, maybe slightly longer.

ALTERNATIVE TIME CONTROL TECHNIQUE: Cover the shaped loaves TIGHTLY with oiled plastic wrap & place them into the frig for 12-24 hours.

Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. If you have refrigerated the shaped loaves, now is the time to remove them from the frig.

Just before putting the loaves in the oven, slash with 3-5 diagonal slashes.

FAST FACT: Normally, OVEN SPRING (or, oven pop) can be expected to jump the size of the loaf 10-15%. Sometimes, you may get slightly more if conditions are just running in your favor.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Check at 35 minutes. If they are brown and sound hollow when tapped remove from the oven. Overbaking can occur with whole-wheat loaves easier because of their darker color...it's a little harder to judge when they're done. If the loaves are browning too dark for your liking...tent with foil.

Cool on racks.

ORANGE-PASSION FRUIT CURD

I warn you...making this may lead to a serious addiction!

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter 2/3 Cup Passion Fruit Juice (canned is fine) 1/4 Cup Orange Juice Grated Zest of 2 Oranges 3/4 Cup Sugar 4 Whole Eggs + 2 Egg Yolks

1.) In a double boiler set over simmering water, melt the butter.
2.) While the butter is melting, in a food processor using the metal blade...beat together the passion fruit juice, orange juice, orange zest, sugar, whole eggs, and egg yolks.
3.) With the water at a simmer, SLOWLY add the egg mixture to the butter...stirring CONSTANTLY with a whisk. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened...this will take a FULL 10 MINUTES.
4.) Pour into a jar/bowl & let cool, then cover & store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks (yeah, right...never happen!). lol

We now used a Poolish in a couple different ways to control TIME. In the first recipe I posted today, our Poolish was a quick "jump start" in order to obtain more yeast cells quickly to help lift all the various grains in that recipe without waiting a couple days for the bread. It makes a nice, light loaf. This second EXTENDED TIME Poolish is used to pull out all the flavor of the whole-wheat as well as create extra yeast cells for lift. If you adapt the first Poolish recipe to use the second recipe's Poolish...you'd have a better textured loaf with more intense flavor because remember: TIME = FLAVOR, AROMA, & TEXTURE. In that first recipe, we sacrificed some flavor in order to bake in one day.
Don't eat all the curd in one sitting! lol

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 8)

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Sun, Jan 8, 06 at 10:38

Good morning, everybody...

Potterhead...Yes, you can use the whole Poolish recipe I gave above...

Put the Poolish in your mixer, add 2 teaspoons of yeast, 2 teaspoons of salt, 3 cups of unbleached white flour (or, mix 50/50 with whole-wheat), and you'll need between 1/2 and 3/4 cups more water.

NOTE: WHEN ADDING THE ABOVE INGREDIENTS TO THE POOLISH...PLACE THE EXTRA YEAST & SALT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF YOUR MIXER. That helps reduce the changes of the yeast coming in direct contact with the salt.

Proceed as with the techniques I gave above. The dough will ferment faster with the Poolish...so watch.

IN ANSWER TO YOUR GENERAL QUESTION...Yes, you need to subtract the flour/water in the Poolish from the rest of the recipe. Or, increase both & make MORE bread. :)

Jenna, The MOST ACCURATE way to measure your flour is with a scale. Lacking that (and, it's OK not to have a scale BTW)...you are correct...SIFT the flour & THEN measure.

Bread recipes are forgiving as Linda & her son have mentioned. BUT, IF YOU WANT TO PUSH THE LIMITS OF FLAVOR, TEXTURE, & AROMA from your wheat...then measuring is the way to go. Also, how are you ever going to make a better loaf if you don't know exactly what you did the last time?

Crisco was in your older recipes for the same reason more current recipes list olive oil or veggie oil. The fat increases shelf-life & makes the bread more tender.

Jenna, I did a primer on flours, including bread flour, earlier in the thread but it's good to repeat some of it since we're a ways along....

Bread flour has a higher gluten (protein) content & will make a better textured bread. Many bread enthusiasts mix their own flours to get "an edge". It's fun. Try mixing a little bread flour, AP Flour, a high ash flour, or an Italian OO flour. Also, don't forget about that BETA-CAROTENE advantage in the unbleached flours.

NOTE: AN ARTISAN ITALIAN OR FRENCH BREAD WILL NOT USE OIL. Unless you're submitting your bread to someone like me at the fair...add in 1 Tablespoon of good quality olive oil. Yes, it WILL change the texture & even that 1 tablespoon will affect aroma to a discriminating nose; but it will also increase the shelf-life which is important to most of us.

NOTE: Add your flour slowly...It's much HARDER to add water than flour to a dough that's already got its gluten working. It CAN be done...but it makes a mess if you have to add another 1/4 cup and then...you're lost as to your ratios. Again, I stress...we're talking artisan loaves here where ratios DO make a difference. The mess part is relevant to any bread that needs more water added to it...much better to go a tablespoon at a time with the flour after that rest from the mixing (kneading).

NOTE: I keep doing this..."mixing (kneading)". There's a reason for that. I already mentioned it but want to do it again here. They are interchangeable terms. Mixing accomplishes combining of ingredients, developing the gluten, and starting the fermentation. You'll see the older term, kneading, used most frequently in recipes written before KA stand-mixers were so common in American homes. More modern bread books just say... "mix".

ANOTHER NOTE: I've stressed a couple times why we should resist the urge to tear into a loaf of warm bread & smear butter all over it... There's some terminology that needs to be mentioned. IN BREAD BAKING, THE OPPOSITE OF COLD IS NOT HOT........IT'S WET! During the cooling phase, the gluten completes its gelatinization process and excess moisture is evaporated out. Try it sometime, cut a loaf of hot from the oven bread...even a perfectly baked loaf will turn doughier than it would have been if left to properly cool. That said, if it tastes good...go for it! But, don't bring THAT loaf to the fair. lol

I'm going to an antique show today but I've got a fun recipe to share next. It's for a savory, stuffed bread that is just plain decadently yummy! It will also start us working with wetter doughs. I'm glad to see that there are people who share my desire to reach for something more from their bread making. Sometimes, though...I still make a couple of those first 3 recipes I gave just because they are GOOD. All homemade bread is GOOD. And, just as there are many types of cooks...there are many types of bread bakers. Neither is RIGHT or WRONG. Just different...and "different" is OK with me.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 9) Crusts

Yeast Bread Primer, Part II Posted by triciae (My Page) on Tue, Jan 31, 06 at 13:02

It's a rainy day and the pressure is low. So, it's a good day to make bread (higher humidity + less gravity). I'm feeling better so I'm going to start the second part of the yeast bread primer I started a couple weeks ago.

I've noticed in reading through all the recent bread threads that crust & interior texture come up often. This is where one type of bread really differentiates itself from another loaf. To obtain a light, moist interior full of large holes requires both a fairly exact RATIO range of liquid to flour plus different HANDLING techniques. To get that thin, crackly crust requires a SHAPING technique & a BAKING procedure. Were it not for these differences in ratios, shaping, handling, & baking techniques...all white types of bread would be pretty much the same.

As an example, the PA Dutch are known for their white breads. They are absolutely TERRIFIC but they are not what would today be called ARTISAN breads. The typical PA Dutch ("French" bread shaped) bread has a thin & usually soft crust with a moist, tight crumb. I LOVE these breads and so does my family. Traditionally, this is the style of "French" bread most Americans are familar with. It's what you'll likely get if you purchase a loaf of "French" bread at your local grocery store's bakery. At that same grocery store bakery, there's not much difference between what's sold as "French" bread & "Italian" bread. Usually, the "Italian" bread will be shaped shorter & fatter with an only slightly thicker crust. The crust is usually tougher but not CRACKLY & is still quite soft with the bread's interior having the same tight crumb.

Today's American ARTISAN breads are an attempt to mimic European breads. Unfortunately, even today...world consensus is that they make better bread in Europe than we do in America. They have centuries old traditions that we lack. In addition, the characteristics of their flours are different. So, the Artisan bread 'movement' (I love that word...reminds me of "Alice's Reataurant" for those of you old enough to remember!)in America is basically the striving for breads equal in quality to European but with a uniquely American character.

Enough background on the Artisan movement...let's make bread!

There are a few pieces of equipment that will make a large enough difference in the quality of your Artisan breads that I'm going to recommend purchasing them.

1.) Baking Stone...the larger the better. You can also create a stone by using tiles laid on your oven rack. The purpose of the stone is to help approximate a brick hearth oven's baking characteristics. The preheated stone/tiles will first quickly ABSORB moisture from your dough and then RELEASE it slowly back into the oven creating a tad bit of steam. REMEMBER: In the last primer I mentioned this but it's pertinent here too. The opposite of HOT bread is NOT cool bread...it is WET. A good Artisan loaf is baked to the point of evaporating most of the recipe's liquid. (Note: This is one of the reasons Artisan breads stale so quickly.)

2.) A plant mister or a pump bottle. You'll use this to add more steam during the first few minutes of baking & I think it's a safer method than trying to toss ice cubes in a 400 degree oven. The downside is that you loose HEAT every time you open the oven to mist (2 minute intervals for 10 minutes...that's a lot of lost heat). I'll give instructions for both methods & you choose which you like best.

To get that really crackly crust, it's necessary to expose the dough to steam for 8-10 minutes immediately after putting the loaves into the oven. (The French are really, really good at this part of Artisan bread baking!)

The steam will quickly GELATINIZE the starch on the outer layer of the dough setting the crust. As the bread continues to bake, this now gelantinized surface turns into the characteristic crackly crust of Artisan bread. Baking temperature & length of baking time further determine whether the crust is very thick, dark, & chewy or thin, golden brown, & snappy/crackly. Different types of bread are known for their distinctive crust characteristics. Some Artisan breads are baked at high temperaure for long periods of time...50-60 minutes is not unusual at 400 degrees. This type of baking will create that thick, chewy dark crust typically associated with French rustic country breads.

I'm going to give two recipes below. The first will be for a BASIC hearth bread that will have a medium-thick, crunchy crust (as opposed to an extra-thin & snappy/crackly crust). It will use technique in SHAPING as well as BAKING TO GET THE CRUNCHY CRUST.

Some of you might be wondering what SHAPING has to do with a crunchy crust...the answer is really quite a bit! If you don't shape the loaf properly, you loose an advantage in helping you re-create that Euro bread.

The second recipe will be for EZEKIEL BREAD (Ezekiel 4:9). I'm going to give this recipe because it's such a nutrious bread (unlike our Artisan breads which are, unfortunately, fairly empty calories).

BASIC HEARTH BREAD

You'll notice that this bread does NOT use a preferment. It will take 4-6 hours start to finish. The purpose of this particular recipe is to practice the SHAPING & BAKING of Artisan bread. You can then apply those techniques to a pre-ferment recipe to DRAMATICALLY INCREASE the quality of your bread.

2 Cups Water 1 Tablespoon Sugar 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast (or Instant, doesn't matter) 6 Cups Unbleached Bread Flour (or, Unbleached AP Flour) 1 Tablespoon Salt

In the bowl of your mixer, pour all of the water HOT from the tap. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. As the water dissolves the sugar and warms the bowl, it will cool a bit and should be just the right temperature for the yeast. REMEMBER: Yeast is forgiving. A temperature of anywhere between 95 to 115 degrees is fine.

Add the tablespoon of yeast & 2 cups of the flour. Mix for 1-2 minutes. Allow to sit for 5-15 minutes. This will give the flour a chance to begin absorbing the water & the yeast to begin growth.

After this rest period, add 2 1/2 cups of flour + the one tablespoon salt. Turn your mixer on low & stir.

NOTE: Remember the primer on measuring & the assumption of 4 ounce cups?

Now, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough just holds together & clears the sides of the bowl.

When you're satisfied with the dough's consistency, turn your mixer up and knead (mix) HARD for 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off & allow the dough to continue absorbing moisture for 5 minutes. Resume mixing (kneading) at a slightly slower speed for another 3-4 minutes.

NOTE: Allowing the dough to rest halfway through the kneading process lets the flour absorb the water & you'll end up using less flour.

Wet your hands & remove the dough into a greased bowl to rise (ferment). Cover with greased plastic wrap. Allow to double in size...about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

When the dough has doubled...remove the dough from the bowl & place on a floured work surface. This dough we'll punch down hard to remove any trapped air bubbles caused from the fermentation process. (NOTE: Not ALL DOUGH should be punched down...pizza, for example...there you want to retain as many of the trapped bubbles as possible.)

Cover the dough with a towel and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Now, for the shaping & the FIRST PART OF GETTING A CRISP CRUST.

We're going to just shape this dough into two round loaves for ease of explanations.

(NOTE: The hydration of this recipe is considered "standard" or from 57-65% hydration. This percentage of hydration creates a dough that will support itself so we don't need a pan or other means to retain shape during proofing or baking.)

First, using a bench knife, cut the dough into two equal pieces remembering to make one clean, straight-down cut. Do NOT saw back/forth while cutting. To create the round (known as the "BOULE") shape...pick-up one of the pieces of dough and being gentle form it into a rough ball shape. The dough has started to proof by now after its rest & you don't want to push out the newly expanding air bubbles.

Now for the part that will help create the CRUST we're looking for.... hold the ball of dough so that your hands are just a bit below the center of the sides. Create SURFACE TENSION on the ball by using your fingers to stretch the top of the dough down over the sides to the bottom & pinching the dough together at the bottom. Rotate the ball in your hands a quarter turn and repeat the stretching & pinching process. Rotate one more time a quarter turn and stretch the dough again. You've created a tight surface with lots of TENSION. This TENSION will not only keep your loaf from SPREADING during proofing & baking it has created a thin layer of dough on the top & sides that will GELANTINIZE quickly during baking. To finish the loaf, take your hands & squeeze the bottom together to attach the portions of dough you've stretched together.

Place your loaves on a RIMLESS baking sheet LINED WITH PARCHMENT PAPER. This will aid you in getting the loaves to your baking stone. If you're comfortable...of course use a peel to transfer the dough. The parchment paper/baking sheet is just an aid.

Cover the loaves with greased plastic wrap & allow to proof until double...will, probably, take 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.

Now's a good time to talk about ovens. Each is unique even the same model/years, etc. Newer ovens are better insulated (5 years or newer). But even new ovens have temperature variations. I strongly recommend testing your oven with a thermometer. Having your oven off by 10 degrees is enough to change baking times. Also, if your oven is running hotter/colder than recipe instructions you'll end up with a loaf that has slightly different characteristics than what you were expecting. Some of the more expensive ovens even have a misting function. Alas, mine does not and yours probably doesn't either.

STEAM DURING THE FIRST 10 MINUTES OF BAKING TIME is crucial to getting that snappy crust. Here's a couple ways to create steam.

First, PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 50 DEGREES HIGHER THAN WHAT THE RECIPE CALL FOR. You'll lower the temperature after you've cleared the steaming time. Preheat FOR 25-30 MINUTES prior to baking.

For this recipe: PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 450 DEGREES. Then, LOWER TO 400 DEGREES AFTER STEAMING.

STEAM #1: Put a roasting pan on a rack set at the lowest position. Preheat the pan along with your oven. Just before you put your loaves in the oven...pour 2-3 cups of water in the roasting pan. STEAM IS DEADLY...BE CAREFUL & use something with a long handle to pour the water. I often use a metal plant watering can with a 12" long neck. It's also a good idea to use a cheap roasting pan for steaming. The process can discolor a pan. But, do NOT use a flimsy foil pan either...you'll eventually have to remove the pan & don't want the hot water spilling all over you or the oven!

Steam #2: Ice Cubes...toss in a half dozen ice cubes into the preheated roasting pan described above just before baking. The ice cubes will, hopefully, last 8-10 minutes. This creates hissing and crackling so don't be surprised to hear loud noises from your oven! You don't have as much control over the length of steaming time using this method but it's pretty safe.

Steam #3: Mist...Use a plant mister to spray your loaves with water every 2 minutes for the first 10 minutes of baking time beginning with when they go into the oven. Downside is loosing heat when you open the oven. By preheating to 50 degrees above required baking time you can minimize the loss of heat. REMEMBER TO TURN DOWN THE OVEN TEMPERATURE AFTER COMPLETING THE STEAMING PROCESS.

Steam #4: Place your loaves on the stone so that there is an empty area. Then, pour 1/4 cup of water directly on the hot stone's empty space, using a long-handled watering can, every 2 minutes for 10 minutes. This can result in splashing of water directly on the loaves which isn't a good thing so I don't use this method.

OK, after the loaves have proofed & are ALMOST double..now is the time to slash them. If you wait until they are completely doubled the slashing process might cause them to deflate slightly (if that happens, they've probably overproofed a bit anyway). Make 2 diagonal slashes about 1/4" deep. You can get fancy & slash the loaves in a "tic-tac-toe" pattern. The cuts provide a way for gasses to escape & expand in what's known as OVEN POP or OVEN SPRING. Oven pop should give you an increase of about 15%.

Just before putting the loaves into the oven to bake...take a pastry brush & liberally brush the loaves with cold water. You don't want to drown them but the surface should look wet. For a simple shape like a Boule...I just gently pick up the dough and dunk it in a sink full of cold water. If you're not comfortable with this...just brush on the water.

Place the loaves in the oven & proceed with your preferred method of steaming.

Bake for 20 minutes and take a check. If they are getting excessively dark...tent with foil. At the 25 minutes point, turn the oven off & leave the bread inside for another 5-10 minutes.

Remove from the oven & allow to cool on racks for several hours. The crust will stay crackly for 12-18 hours & then quickly begin softening. Also, if you cut the bread while it's still warm the crust will soften sooner.

This bread is best eaten the day it's made. It's a very good, basic hearth bread to serve with salad/soup or as an accompaniment to a cheese tray.

You've probably noticed that the ingredients in this recipe are pretty standard. It's HOW THE SHAPING IS DONE & THE STEAM/HEAT CONTROL that makes the difference between finished products.

EZEKIEL BREAD

This recipe is a close match to the bread Ezekiel lived off of while he was in the desert for two years. The various grains & beans make a complete protein without using any dairy products.

To make this recipe, you'll need a grain mill. I've posted a link to the exact one I have that I found on E-bay. Magic Mill is well known for their grain mills. Mine is ancient & the newer ones look different & are probably better.

Assuming you don't have a grain mill...King Arthur Flour sells an Ezekiel Mix that contains all the various grains & beans ground into a flour that you can substitute.

Yield: 2 Loaves

Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups Wheat Berries 1 1/2 Cups Spelt Flour 1/2 Cup Barley 1/2 Cup Millet 1/4 Cup Dry Green Lentils 2 Tablespoons Dry Great Northern Beans 2 Tablespoons Dry Kidney Beans 2 Tablespoons Dry Pinto Beans 4 Cups Warm Water 1 Cup Honey 1/2 Cup Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast 2 Tablespoons Salt

Directions:

Place the warm water, honey, olive oil, and yeast in your mixer bowl. Sit and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Stir all of the grains & beans together until well mixed. Grind in a grain mill. Add the fresh milled flour and the salt to the yeast mixture. Stir until blended. Then, mix on medium-high for 10 minutes. The dough will be like the batter breads I started Primer #1 with.

Pour the dugh into 2 greased 9"x5" loaf pans.

Let the dough ferment for about 1 hour. When the dough has reached the top of the pan...it's ready.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Cool on racks.

Nutritional Information per serving: (Makes 24 servings)

Calories: 221 Total Fat: 5.4 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 585 mg Total Carbohydrates: 40 g Dietary Fiber: 5.3 g Protein: 5.8 g

Next, I'm going to do a recipe using a "rustic" ratio. These breads are 65% to 80% hydration. Ciabatta & Focaccia are examples of "rustic" breads. They are trickier to work with. Results are strongly influenced by handling techniques throughout the entire process.

Tomorrow, I'll also give a stuffed bread recipe that I intended to do before I had the sneeze "accident"!

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 10) Questions and Answers

Questions:

* Posted by: msrevise (My Page) on Tue, Jan 31, 06 at 14:20

tricia, I'm so glad you're able to continue your tutorial! I'm really learning so much here.

I'm interested in what you say about the use of steam. The very basic bread baking book I picked up last week has a section on steam, and their rec's are very similar, with a couple exceptions. They say to place a pan containing ice cubes on the lower rack of the oven when you start to bake, and to remove the pan when the ice has almost melted (probably less than 10 min.). They also say to mist with water every 2 minutes, but they specify to mist the oven walls and floor (avoiding the elements and light), rather than the bread itself. What's the difference there? Then, they add that if you do both of these things AND use a baking stone, you're optimizing the steam. But I don't get how I can use a baking stone and put a pan of ice in-- Since, don't i need to put the baking stone on the lowest rack (I just got the stone, haven't used it yet)? And my oven has an exposed element, so I can't put a pan of ice on the oven floor. What gives?

Another thing I wondered about--this book says not to use a metal bowl or spoon for mixing the yeast or the dough, b/c yeast reacts with metal and it could pass on a metallic taste to the bread. I never heard that before, and I was frequently using a metal bowl for the first rise, and a metal spoon to stir the yeast into the water. Is that true?

Thank you again for sharing all your experience and information!

If a loaf is too salty for my taste, is it safe to slightly reduce the amount of salt the next time I make it, or could that ruin the recipe?

Thanks again!

Answers:

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Tue, Jan 31, 06 at 15:02

msrevise, I'll answer the second question first 'cause it's the easiest. The answer is both "yes" and "no"...how's that for evasive? :) OK, here's the scoop on using metal utensils, bowls, etc. for bread making. If your recipe is acidic, then you should NOT use metal utensils or bowls. For example, sourdoughs are ACIDIC & you should use earthenware or glass for making & storing your starter. Other recipes might call for sour milk or buttermilk...same thing...acidic ingredients. You CAN, however, use your KA or similar SS bowl to mix (knead) your doughs. But do NOT use a metal bowl for a long fermenting. The dough is not in the mixer long enough for a problem to occur. Acidic ingredients can pit even SS. Also, extemely acidic recipes (like some sourdoughs) can be ruined by reacting with metal. So, just to be sure...don't use metal with sourdoughs except for the short mixing (kneading) time. Oh, it's also OK to bake in a metal pan ALTHOUGH I DON'T WITH SOURDOUGH BREADS. Also, the longer a dough ferments, like a slow rise in the refrigerator, the more acidic it becomes. So, a recipe using a 24-48 hour Poolish should not be fermented in a metal bowl.

Now, for the steaming questions. It's OK to put the rack holding your stone up one level to accommodate the pan holding the ice cubes. I don't like recommending spraying the walls of the oven because of the possibility of hitting either the element or the oven light bulb. It's better, IMO, to mist the bread itself. And, YES, the more you do to increase steam...the better the crust on an Artisan loaf. I find that the ice melts very quickly in a 450 degree oven & really only last 3-4 minutes. But, it does provide additional steam in those first few crucial minutes. So, doing both is a good idea. If you're doing both...remove the tray that's holding the ice cubes when you do one of your mistings to lessen how many times you open the oven.

Great questions! I had planned on talking about the metal utensil thing when we got to sourdoughs but it's good to know now since we've already discussed pre-ferments & they also should not be left in metal for long periods...I should have noted that.

Salt...isn't a necessary ingredient for bread. It's there to retard fermentation & add flavor. You can easily halve the amount called for in any recipe..or, leave it out altogether, if desired.

Without salt, the dough will rise faster. You can counter this by using a tad bit less yeast or by fermenting the dough in a cooler place to slow the process.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 11) - Ciabatta

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Wed, Feb 1, 06 at 11:42

Ciabatta has become almost a "cult" bread in America today...thanks to the introduction of the Panini sandwich. As usual though, with bread baking, we're a little late to the party. Ciabatta has been an Italian classic since about right after WWII. Actually, the bread itself has been around for centuries but was given its common name by a baker in the Lake Como region of northern Italy. The word "ciabatta" is the Italian word for "slipper". Apparently, the baker decided that his rustic loaves of bread resembled the slippers worn by local dancers & hence the name.

Ciabatta from the Lake Como area is light with large holes & a crisp crust. But, throughout Italy each region has its own version & they are quite different. So, the term "ciabatta" is really more of a generic term for a rustic Italian bread than an exact formula. For example, in Tuscany and Umbria...the ciabatta doesn't have the large holes...it's much denser. In Rome, ciabatta is often seasoned with olive oil, salt, and marjoram. Some recipes even use milk as part or all of the liquid which makes for a much more tender bread without the holes or crackly crust we associate with Ciabatta in America. When Ciabatta is made with milk, it becomes known as Ciabatta Latte. Ciabatta made with part whole-wheat flour is known as Ciabatta Integrale.

You'll find hundreds of Ciabatta recipes...some even using olives, garlic, sesame seeds, cloves, & other enhancements that, in America, we normally associate with Focaccia. BTW, Focaccia is just another Italian rustic bread that can be made from any Ciabatta recipe...it's just the shaping that's different...and, of course, the toppings we use in America.

As I said yesterday, were it not for varying ratios of flour/liquid, shaping, handling, & baking techniques all white breads would be pretty much the same. It's how we handle the basic dough that creates each of these regional, or Artisan, breads. In the last primer, I gave a recipe that I stated could be used for either French bread or Ciabatta. That recipe will make a dense Ciabatta. The reason is the ratio of flour/liquid. That recipe will make a Ciabatta more typical of the Tuscany region.

The Ciabatta we are accustomed to, in America, is a very loose, wet dough. Through this super-hydration & also distinct handling techniques...we end up with a light crumb full of large holes.

Since, I think, this is the style most of you associate with Ciabatta...that's the recipe & technique I'm going to give below. We'll use a 65%-80% hydration ratio. This is going to make a very STICKY & WET DOUGH. You'll need to keep your hands wet every time you handle the dough or you'll be wearing it for days!

NOTE: Since this recipe & technique will produce a light, airy fnished product...it makes a terrific pizza as well as Ciabatta.

NOTE: Ciabatta is best known for its slipper shape but you can also shape the dough into individual rolls (easier) for beginners, IMO.

SPECIAL NOTE: Ciabatta can be made without a stand-mixer but, fair warning, the mixing will be a good work-out because of the dough's slackness.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CIABATTA: (Note: Making Ciabatta takes TWO days.)

1 Full Recipe of Poolish (given in Primer #1) 3/4 Cups Warm Water 2 Teaspoons Yeast (any kind) 2 Teaspoons Salt 3 Cups Unbleached BREAD flour (If you're NOT using a stand-mixer...use Unbleached AP Flour. It's very hard to work the high gluten flours by hand and with this wet dough, it's especially tough.)

First, put the 2 1/2 cups of the flour, salt, & yeast in the mixer bowl & pulse to blend. Add all of the Poolish & water. Turn the mixer on low to blend the flour into the Poolish. When there is no more visible loose flour, turn the mixer up & knead (mix) for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer off and allow the dough to sit for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, determine if you need the additional 1/2 cup of flour.

The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but still be sticking to the bottom. It will NOT look like French bread dough which is smooth & shiney. Ciabatta dough will be thready (is that a word?)...pull in long strands and sticky, very sticky. If you push your finger in the dough...your finger should pull back with a long string of dough attached. This is hard to explain...if you have questions, please ask!

If the dough is impossibly wet...add the last 1/2 cup of flour (don't be afraid to use it...remember we have a ratio range of 65% to 80% & can still achieve what we're looking for.)

Once you're happy with the dough...continue kneading (mixing) for another 5 minutes on high. So, you've kneaded for a total of 10 minutes which is a bit longer than usual. The gluten needs to be worked quite hard to get those holes we're looking for.

Now, next is a TECHNIQUE that both aids in getting that crisp crust as well as the holes & it's different than what we've done before. Isn't is amazing what different results we can achieve with nothing more than flour & water! I love bread baking...

Prepare a work surface by making a puddle of flour about a foot square & 1-2" thick. You'll not be working in all this flour...but you'll need a surface to put the dough where it won't stick & I find it takes this much flour on my board.

Grab a wooden spoon and WET BOTH YOUR HANDS & THE SPOON REALLY WELL. Scrape the dough out of the bowl & place on your puddle of flour.

Take a little of the flour from your puddle & lightly dust the top of the dough. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle. Your hands will tend to stick to the dough so use quick pokes to flatten & shape the dough into the rectangle. Throw a towel over the dough & let it REST for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes...LIGHTLY (VERY LIGHTLY)spritz the dough with olive oil or water using a plant mister (like what I suggested for using to create steam in the oven). I like the flavor of the bread better if I use water...but using olive oil makes the dough easier to work with.

After spritzing...LIGHTLY dust with some of your bench flour again. Now, grab both ends of the dough & pick it up. Streeetttchhh the dough out to about 2 feet long. Bring each end of the dough in until the two sides meet in the middle & OVERLAP JUST A BIT. Put the dough bake on your work surface and toss the towel over it again to rest another 2 minutes this time.

After this second rest...spritz again with olive oil or water & LIGHTLY dust with flour. Pick-up the dough & streetttccchhh again. Fold it up like before.

Place the folded dough on your puddle of bench flour. Cover with very well greased plastic wrap (I spray my plastic wrap with Olive Oil Pam).

Let the dough rest a 3rd time for 30-45 minutes. You've covered it with plastic wrap this time because it will be fermenting during this longer rest period.

Here we go again...

After the 3rd rest...spritz with olive oil or water, LIGHTLY dust with flour, pick-up the dough and streeeetttccchhh again. Fold the ends together & put it back on the flour puddle.

OK, one more time...let it rest 15 minutes this time covered with your greased plastic wrap.

After 15 minutes...repeat the spritzing, stretching, & folding processes one last time & put the dough back on the flour puddle.

Cover the dough with greased plastic wrap & allow it to ferment for about 2 hours. It will increase in size but will NOT DOUBLE. It will probably also spread. Don't worry...we'll contain it later but make sure your plastic is large enough to cover it should it spread.

After fermenting, it's time to shape the Ciabatta. This dough is too wet to hold it's shape so we have to set up a COUCHE for support during proofing.

If you don't have a professional COUCHE...use a large towel (don't use terrycloth 'cause the dough will stick horribly!). Use two cotton dishtowels if you don't have one really big one.

Drench the towels in vegetable oil...yes, I know but you'll not have to do this again. You can keep the towels rolled up in a plastic bag & reuse over & over. After drenching the towels...drench them in AP flour until every last bit of cloth is coated in oil & flour. Over the sink, shake the cloth(s) out to get rid of excess flour.

OK, now we're ready to shape the Ciabatta.

IMPORTANT..READ CAREFULLY

Take a very WET bench scraper & cut the dough into 2 equal pieces. HANDLE THE DOUGH VERY GENTLY. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT PUNCH DOWN THE DOUGH. You want to retain as many of those bubbles as possible. THEY ARE YOUR HOLES in the finished product.

Replenish your flour puddle, if necessary.

GENTLY, pick-up each piece of dough & roll it around in your flour puddle just to lightly coat the outside.

HELPFUL HINT: If you can't get your hands under the dough without degassing it...WET your bench scraper & scoop it up with that...continue using the scraper until you can touch the dough without sticking to it as you roll it around in the flour.

Now, spread out your oiled/floured towels flat on the table or counter.

GENTLY pick-up a piece of dough & streettccchhh it out again. BUT, THIS TIME ONLY STRETCH IT TO ABOUT 10" long. Place the dough on the towel about 1/3 of the way from the left side. Now, bunch up the towel just a bit to create "support on just the sides of the dough...be sure to leave enough towel to support the second piece of dough. After you've got the first piece in place...stretch the second piece & put it right next to the first (they will help support each other & are separated by the towel to prevent sticking). Bunch up the rest of the towel to support the right-hand edge of the second piece of dough.

Cover the shaped dough with well greased plastic wrap.

All the dough to proof for 45-90 minutes. Timing on the proofing is a bit hard to give a hard number for. Here's what your looking for. THE DOUGH SHOULD BE POOFEY & LOOK LIGHT...IT WILL BE LARGER THAN WHAT YOU STARTED WITH BUT NOT FULLY DOUBLED. ABOUT 3/4 DOUBLE SIZE.

While the dough is proofing...get your oven going as for steaming instructions of yesterday.

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 500 degrees with the stone & baking pan to hold either water or ice cubes in place.

You can certainly use a peel sprinkled with cornmeal to transfer the dough to the oven. But, I recommend starting with the parchment paper on the back of a cookie sheet routine. Then, move paper & all to your stone.

FIRST though...we have one more shaping technique to do.

After the dough has proofed, GENTLY, pick-up a piece from the couche and LIGHTLY pull the dough out to about 10-12". Place the dough on the parchment-lined back of a cookie sheet. If the loaf seems too high in the middle...GENTLY push it down to even out the shape of the loaf. Repeat with the second loaf.

Gently (wear oven gloves!), slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheet onto the baking stone. Pour 2 cups of cold water in the baking pan. (Please use a long-handled watering can. Steams burns are awful!)

I RECOMMEND POURING COLD WATER INTO A HOT PAN & NOT HEATING THE WATER WHILE YOU'RE PREHEATING THE OVEN. ADDING THE COLD WATER WHEN YOU PUT THE LOAVES IN THE OVEN WILL CREATE A QUICK BURST OF STEAM WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE AFTER. Also, if you add the water while you're preheating the oven, most of it will be gone by the time you put the bread in.
Quickly spritz the loaves with cold water & shut the oven door.

After TWO minutes...open the door & spritz the loaves again. Continue doing this for 10 minutes.

NOW, TURN THE OVEN DOWN TO 400 degrees.

Continue baking for another 10 minutes. If you're using a thermometer...it should read 205-210 degrees in the center. The bread will be golden brown but you'll still be able to see the flour that you rolled the loaves in. The Ciabatta will be hard & crusty right out of the oven but will soften as they cool.

SO, this is an exception to my tooting about allowing the bread to cool for hours before slicing. Let Ciabatta cool for about an hour & then serve.

No need to discuss how to store...there won't be any left!

I've decided not to give the recipe for the stuffed bread here. I think the Ciabatta should be a stand-alone post. Next, I'll get around to that stuffed bread.

Ya know...I've been thinking about this & have decided to provide as many little "tips" as I know in order to help new bread bakers. It will further increase the length of the postings but...oh well...

For the Ciabatta...

#1.)Use PASTRY FLOUR for your "flour puddle"! It's more expensive but the lighter texture is mucho better for its purpose in making Ciabatta.

#2.) Put a teakettle on during the entire second day of making the ciabatta...just keep filling & letting it simmer. The added hummidity will give you a very real advantage in making Ciabatta. It's worth the utility cost to keep the water simmering.

If people would like less lengthy posts & fewer tips or less detailed instructions...let me know. I'm operating here on the assumption that there might be some brand new bread bakers that need detail.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 12) Savory Spirals Recipe

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Wed, Feb 1, 06 at 14:03

Everyone likes (well, almost everyone) cinnamon rolls. Here's my "stuffed" bread recipe. But, instead of sweet rolls...it's a savory filling. The dough's easy to work with & you can easily make these in time for dinner starting at noon. We like these better than garlic bread with pasta meals.

SAVORY SPIRALS

1 Tablespoon Yeast 6 Cups AP Flour 1 Tablespoon Salt 1/2 Cup Hot Milk (120 degrees) 1 Cup Hot Water (120 degrees) 1/3 Cup Olive Oil 3 Large Eggs 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil

FILLING:

3 Cups Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese 1 1/4 Cups Grated Parmesan Cheese 3/4 lbs. Fresh Goat Cheese (room temperature) 2-4 Tablespoons Milk

BASTE:

1/4 Cup EVOO 3 Garlic Cloves, peeled & smashed

In mixer bowl, add 3 cups of the flour & the yeast. Pulse to blend.

Add the hot water, hot milk, oil, & salt. Mix hard for 2 minutes.

Add the eggs & beat hard again for 1 minute.

Add the chopped basil & the remaining 3 cups of flour...adding flour 1/2 cup at a time, blending, then adding the next 1/2 cup.

When the flour is completely added, turn up the mixer & knead (mix) for just 2 minutes (you don't want to break-up the basil or you'll have green bread).

Remove dough from bowl & place in a greased bowl. Cover with greased plastic wrap & allow to ferment for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled. This may take longer to double because of the milk & eggs in the recipe.

While the dough is fermenting, make the filling & the baste.

FILLING:

In a large bowl, combine the Pepper Jack & Parmesan cheeses. In another bowl, mash the goat cheese to a spreading consistency, adding 1 tablespoon at a time of the milk, if necessary, to get a smooth texture. DON'T GET IT TOO THIN OR IT WILL OOZE OUT OF THE ROLLS.

After doubling, place the dough on a floured work surface. Divide in 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece to a 12"x18" rectangle (will be about 1/2" thick).

Spread each rectangle with 1/2 of the goat cheese. Then, sprinkle each with half of the shredded cheeses. Leave about 1 1/2" of free space all around the dough. If you put the filling close to the ends, it will ooze out & be almost impossible to seal.

Starting from the long side facing you, roll-up as if for cinnamon rolls. Pinch the seam together to close roll.

Using a serated knife, cut each roll into six 3" thick slices.

HELPFUL HINT: It's easy to cut the rolls if you take a long piece of WAXED dental floss and place it under the dough roll. Then, bring the ends of the floss up and criss-cross quickly. This will cleanly cut the rolls without smashing them and the waxed floss won't stick.

Place the slices 2" apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (probably will take 2 pans). Cover with greased plastic wrap & let proof for 45-90 minutes, or until doubled.

30 Minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

WHILE THE OVEN IS PREHEATING...TAKE THE 1/4 CUP OLIVE OIL & SMASHED GARLIC CLOVES & SIMMER ON LOW FOR 15 MINUTES TO INFUSE THE OIL. Turn off the heat & let the pan sit on the stovetop to keep warm from the oven's heat while the rolls are baking.

When the rolls have doubled, bake for 20-25 minutes. they will be golden brown & when you push on the dough...it will be set. Remove from oven. I have a convection oven & can bake two trays at the same time. If you don't have convection, I'd recommend baking the trays separately. Move the extra tray to someplace cooler (not the frig) while the first tray is baking.

Before removing the rolls from the parchment-lined cookie sheets...brush each rolls with the garlic-infused olive oil. Remove rolls from the baking sheet onto a wire rack to cool.

Serve slightly warm.

These freeze already baked beautifully. I wait to brush on the garlic-infused olive oil until just before serving.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 13) Question and Answers

Question:

* Posted by: potterhead2 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 1, 06 at 14:57

Tricia,

Welcome back, so glad you're feeling better!

Thank you for your generosity in sharing your expertise and recipes with us (I can't wait to try the savory spirals).

I have a question; what would make my usual bread (50% white whole wheat) sometimes taste slightly bad, a kind of bitter or unpleasant taste in the background. It only happened once that it was so unpleasant we didn't want to eat the bread, but I can't figure out why. That time I used a fairly new bread machine. I thought maybe it was old yeast or old flour so I made bread by hand using old and new yeast and old and new flour, but the breads all tasted fine. Could it be the bread machine? Does length of rise effect taste?

Hope you can help.

Pat

Answer:

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Wed, Feb 1, 06 at 15:41

Pat, did it have a bitter and/or sour like taste?

Problem could have been one of several things...

1.) Since it was a "new" bread machine, possibly the pan had been coated with something & you didn't get it completely clean before baking that first loaf;

2.) The waste products of yeast fermenting are ethanol & carbon dioxide. The gas is trapped in the gluten (Protein) network & causes bread to rise until the OXYGEN & AVAILABLE SUGAR is used up, or you kill the yeast. The ethanol evaporating is what gives your bread that distinctive wonderful aroma. A dough that ferments too long OR AT TOO HIGH A TEMPERATURE becomes sour. The yeast action (and the production of gases) will continue until all the yeast cells are killed when your bread reaches 140 degrees in the oven.

Now, not knowing what your recipe ingredients were...here's a generalized statement. A lean bread (no or few enchancements) made with BREAD FLOUR will withstand a longer rise because of the stronger gluten. Doughs made with milk, eggs, oil (lots), etc. cannot withstand as much proofing because the enchancements weaken the gluten.

So, your bread could have fermented too long resulting in a large build-up of carbon dioxide & ethanol OR it was fermented at too high a temperature which causes the same thing to happen.

In July/August..I have to proof my doughs in the frig if I'm not using the central A/C for this reason...just too warm in the house & the bread quickly over-ferments.

You can check your dough by poking a finger in the side...if your finger leaves an indentation & doesn't spring back, it's ready.

3.) Did you ferment the dough in a metal bowl? If so, you could have had a reaction if the dough was in the bowl for longer than about 90 minutes, or so.

Tricia's Bread Baking (Part 14) Question and Answers

Question:

* Posted by: wizardnm (My Page) on Wed, Feb 1, 06 at 15:38

Tricia, I'm going to make the Ciabatta tomorrow. Can I go ahead and make the poolish now? The poolish recipe says 3-4 hours.... would morning be better? Guess I'm a little confused about the timing since your note says it takes two days to make ciabatta.

Nancy

Answer:

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Wed, Feb 1, 06 at 15:47

Nancy, yes you can either make the Poolish today or make a VERY long day out of it tomorrow. If you add up all the times...it's forever so that's why I said it takes two days. You'll get better flavor if you make the Poolish today...even more if you let it sit in the frig for a couple days...it'll keep for up to 3 DAYS IN THE REFRIGERATOR without having it use up all the sugars & start to go sour.

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Tricia's Bread Baking (Part)15 - English Muffins

* Posted by: triciae (My Page) on Thu, Feb 2, 06 at 14:11

Harper, English Muffins will be quick & easy so I'll give instruction now.

We've already prepared the dough with the Hearth Bread that I started this thread with. It's a 'standard' 3:1 ratio dough with ONE EXCEPTION.

Rather than using all water...SUBSTITUTE 1/4 cup water + 1 3/4 cups BUTTERMILK OR YOGURT, slightly warmed.

Follow the hearth bread instructions through the fermentation stage.

After the dough has doubled, PUNCH IT DOWN, & place on a lightly floured work surface. HAND KNEAD OUT ANY REMAINING AIR BUBBLES. Toss a towel over the dough & allow it to rest for 5 minutes.

NOTE: The REST period will allow the gluten to relax a little which will make rolling the dough easier...it won't tend to spring back at you quite so much.

After the 5 minute rest, dust your rolling pin with flour & roll the dough to 1/2" thickness, keeping enough bench flour underneath to prevent sticking. This is not a particularily tacky dough so it's not going to be a problem.

I have English Muffin cutters...but, if you don't...cut both ends off a tuna can to use as a cutter. Cut the muffins with a CLEAN, STRAIGHT DOWN CUT...DO NOT ROCK THE CUTTER BACK/FORTH. Place the muffins on a heavily cornmeal sprinkled cookie sheet.

Cover the muffins with plastic wrap (probably no need to grease the plastic with these). Let them sit for 30-45 minutes. Timing on this proof isn't too critical...but give them at least 30 minutes.

To cook, preheat an electric skillet to VERY LOW (275 degrees is what I use but every skillet is different). Lightly grease the skillet with butter and GENTLY place 3-4 muffins on the skillet with the CORNMEAL SIDE DOWN. Place the muffins a good 3" apart.

NOTE: You can also use a cast iron skillet for this...just be sure not to get the pan too hot.

Cook the muffins for 10 minutes without peeking. Turn them over & cook for another 10 minutes.

Cool the cooked muffins on a rack. When ready to serve, SPLIT THEM WITH A FORK. WHEN YOU USE A FORK RATHER THAN A KNIFE YOU CREATE THE SHAGGY SURFACE WHICH WE ASSOCIATE WITH ENGLISH MUFFINS.

Homemade English Muffins are so easy and so good...

I was thinking about cherries the other night & goat cheese is still on my mind after yesterday's recipe so I remembered this spread that we love on toasted English Muffins.

CHERRY CHEVRE

3/4 Cup pitted dried cherries 1/4 Cup water 1/4 Cup cherry liqueur (or, white grape juice) 8 Ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature 2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

Combine cherries, water, & liqueur in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Puree the cherries in a food processor.

In a small bowl cream together the goat cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the cherry paste & stir just until mixed.

Transfer to a covered contained & keep refrigerated until serving.

Entered by ann_t

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