Fresh bread and other loves

propchef wrote:
Well done!

You might try using cold water and extending your fermentation times for more flavor. If you're using instant yeast there's no need to bloom the yeast with warm water. Besides, warm water can make the dough somewhat sticky. Did you use any steam to set the crust? Did you use a wash? What flour are you using? It makes a HUGE difference to use something like Guisto's or Central Milling instead of a grocery-store brand.

https://centralmilling.com/store/

http://giustos.com/home_baker

I'd love to see what the insides of those look like! That's a high-hydration formula and should produce some nice voids within the bread.

I retire from behind the stove in a few months and looking forward to it but I'll still keep making bread (and pizza dough!).

If you like experimenting I recommend these books: Breads from the LaBrea Bakery by Nancy Silverman, The Village Baker by Joe Ortiz, or anything by Peter Reinhart, with his Breadbaker's Apprentice one of my favorites.

Breadheads unite!

Hey Chef,

I have to confess that I let my cheapness get in the way of quality sometimes. I try to buy all my ingredients in bulk at Smart & Final. Buying yeast by the pound sometimes means it isn't as zippy later in the year as it is when I first buy it.

Even worse is the flour. My wife and I will share a 25# sack of flour for all of our baking projects, which means I'm making nice bread out of cheap all-purpose flour instead of from good bread flour. It's so much more affordable though.

And yes, my dough is a little sticky, especially since it's such a wet recipe to begin with. I chill it overnight after the first rise though, and that makes it more firm and manageable. I also use a bunch of flour on my hands and on the dough when I form the loaves.

For the crust, yes I use a lot of steam. I add boiling water to a broiling pan just underneath the baking stone. It makes enough steam that you can actually see some of the finish coming off the cabinet above the stove. I also brush on a light corn starch wash to create the sheen on the loaves. I don't think it affects the taste, but it's a nice aesthetic. It also helps the seeds to stick if I sprinkle on sesame seeds, flax, or sunflower seeds.

I do usually get some good bubbles in the crumb. Sometimes there are tons of voids and sometimes they're more subdued.

I love to improvise from that basic recipe too. I can add about a cup of other ingredients without compromising the structure. If I add more than that, then I'll also add supplemental gluten to help build the strands for the integrity. Just a cup of sunflower seeds completely changes the loaf. I also like to swap out half the flower with a light lager beer and add crated cheese and diced jalapeños.

My wife and I improvised a heavy seeded recipe that is too heavy to make free-form loaves. I have to bake those in bread pans. It's better to make the rectangular loaves anyway because it's easier to slice that way.

It's a fun hobby, especially when it's cool enough to bake. I've taught a bunch of the dads in my neighborhood how to bake. It's fun to see guys who normally avoid the kitchen create something that's actually decent. Years ago we baked a ton of bread and had a bake sale for our neighborhood swim league. It was a big hit.

I've also donated baking nights to a local charity auction and had people over to learn how to bake. It's a fun social activity. I always make a batch of dough the night before so we can cheat like a cooking show. I still take them through the whole process, but that way we can trim 24 hours off the job.

Share some pictures of your loaves when you get a chance. It's always fun to see other people's creations. What do you do with your loaves? Are they just for home or do you give them away?