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Cold house
I'm renting a house in Colorado that was built in the late 1800s. It's been updated. But the heaters are actually air conditioners that heat by drawing air from outside. They work for the most part, but more often than not the kitchen is less than 70 degrees. I had a lot of trouble with my SD starter. Even w... | Is there a light in the microwave?
I often use my microwave with the door not-quite-closed so the light stays on. It is a nice,toasty home for a bowl,preferment or a few panned loaves. You may have to rotate the pans as the side with the bulb can get warmer and rise more than the side further from the bulb. Add a cup o... |
I'm giving it all I've got
Planning a loaf to be baked tomorrow and just mixed the pre ferment of 200 grams AP bakers flour, 200 grams water and 1/4 tsp of yeast.I plan an autolyse of the remaining dough flour and water for two hours of 260 grams AP bakers flour 130 grams water.Now my questions?Do I add the salt and su... | The autolyse
is just flour and water no salt no preferment or levain - I do sprinkle the salt on top of it though so I don't forget it. No sugar is needed at all so don't put it in. Then the fennel and rosemary can go in during the first set of stretch and folds or the beginning of what ever dough development you are... |
Cleaning Chemicals?
I'm just 5 days into my first sour dough bread starter, and while I felt I was seeing progress and signs of yeastaction on day 2 and 3, it seemed to stop around day 3. Today I woke up and realized that day 3 was cleaningday (staying at my sister's). The housecleaner sprays a lot of household cleaner... | I think we've all been there...
...It sounds like you're describing the moment in every starter's growth when it becomes quiet. Be patient, keep feeding it and it should all come good. Unless a load of bleach was poured into the starter - and you are keeping a loose lid on it, right? - it is pretty hard to kill it off,... |
Bagel Issues
Hi All,I have been trying to bake professional quality bagels at home for a few months and I am still not satisfied and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I live in NY so I know what a great bagel tastes like and mine are not anywhere near that. If anyone can take a look at my current process/photos and po... | Difficult to Compare
I also live in NYC and make my own bagels. It's a little hard to compare home made to bagel shop because the recipes the shops use often have a decent amount of sugar. That said, I overnight rise mine in the fridge and it adds to the taste. There's a good recipe for that style in this month's Cook'... |
too airy?
Hello, today I tried regular burger buns, recipe>> 2 cup flour, 3/4 cup milk, 2 teaspoon yeast, 4 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, home oven 180degrees bakes for 20 min. 1st proofing for 40 min, second proof for 40 min. The buns came out very soft from top to bottom but it kind of looks... | I prefer my buns just like
the ones you made so conrats and well done! If you want a uniform small cell structure you have to beat the hack out of it to really develop the gluten and then really degas the dough well after it rises and you you can let it rise 3 times times too. so that you get to degas it twice. Don't... |
Spelt
I read so much about Spelt flour I needed to try it. So off to Wholepaycheck Foods for some Arrowhead Mills organic spelt flour. I used the recipe posted in this entry by TXfarmer substitute 50 grams of honey for the Agave. Also watched the video.Its fermenting now. Can I use the usual methods of bulk fermenti... | Empress Ying
doesn't quite say what amount of time the retard was just overnight. She does note often that the dough is fragile and that you don't want to over ferment or over proof it.I will add that is very fast compared to a WW bread. I actually had a shaped retarded spelt bread blow up in the fridge once and it o... |
Lame - get one!
These seemed like a good place to put this opinion of mine.Been baking for years and years. Started high hydration doughs about 3 years ago. And slashing has been the bane of my existence. Knives, sharp, dull, oiled, wet, dry, razors, new, old, etc, etc, etc. Nothing worked well.Spur of the moment p... | Got one but....
In fact I have two and have tried everything else in your list . I have watched the videos and read the books . The perfect slash still eludes me - the " ear " that others accomplish on their first baguette makes me want to sit down and cry ! I must be doing something really really wrong . My other bre... |
What can I learn from this?
This is my latest loaf - Della Fattoria's pane integrale substituting cracked rye for cracked wheat. This is the fifth time I've made this bread and it is by far the best. I had posted before about how it had come out gummy. I seem to have solved this by lowering the temperature to 425° w... | Nice progress!
This loaf looks way better than that earlier sad, gummy one (been there, done that). You're learning with each bake - your eyes, your hands, your palate, all are gaining experience that enable you to make meaningful choices as you proceed. It's powerful - congrats!As for suggestions to improve, the crumb... |
Advice needed for beer bread
This week I made my third beer bread. Not a stellar result. It was quite sour after a four-day bulk fermentation (two on the counter, followed by two days in the fridge). The first two beer breads also took a long time to rise and the dough expansion was not great. This time, dough never go... | A 4 day bulk rise with half on the counter?
What recipe calls for that long a bulk ferment? Here in AZ you would have goo after 1 day.I have a Guinness bread baking today that had 2 hour gluten development ,1 hour hour bulk ferment, 3 hour bulk retard, retard 1 hour warm up for shaping them a shaped 12 hour retard. wi... |
Frozen Bagels to Retarding then Proofing
Hi Everyone,I have a bagel store in Shanghai. The flavor of our bagels is fantastic! I'm now trying to optimize the proofing time and temp. We have a factory that rolls our bagels then flash freezes them. They arrive at our store frozen. Prior to baking we put the frozen bag... | Instructions...
Hello Dave, Welcome to TFL. Like most members, I am a home baker who has done some freezing of dough but not often enough to have answers to your bakery questions. I am surprised that the factory that produces the frozen bagels does not supply you with detailed instructions so you get the best resul... |
Questions about sourdough basics - from a new guy
Hi,I'm new here, and new to baking in general. So I have some questions that may seem pretty basic.I got a sourdough starter working very well by using home-milled wheat. Now I want to make some loaves, but I am a bit confused by the recipes out there.The easiest recipe... | Options options...
One thing I have learned over the past year + (since becoming obsessed with SD baking) is that there are many options. if you are new to baking I highly recommend following jmonkey's instruction found at the link below. He provides good explanation and instruction for each step of the way. Those bak... |
Making Bread in an Instant Pot / Toaster Oven
Hi TFL members, truly grateful for all the help i have got from the members of this team. I have learnt so much. - Thank you!I was wondering if there is a way of making bread in an Instant Pot / Toaster OvenI have an IP which has the 7 features a small 3 qt one with a yogur... | Yes, I have done this....
.... in a toaster oven. We had our kitchen remodeled last summer, and it was out of commission for about 6 weeks. We got an XL toaster oven, and my husband set up an old fashioned outdoor summer kitchen for me. Whatta guy! You can read what I did here and here. In both cases, the bread came ou... |
SOS!! Gas in the building has been turned off
just as my dough began the bulk ferment! I'm making Eric's favorite rye today. As it turns out, they're doing some (unexpected) work in my apartment building today on the gas lines and it's supposed to be off until 5PM. EEK! I began the bulk ferment at 10;20 AM and it's alr... | Only thing for it is the fridge
And time it so you take it out to finish the bulk rise for when the gas comes back on. |
Over proofing. Is this what it looks like, and why?
Hello everyone. I would love some more knowledge on this subject.In my pictures below from past bakes, would this be considered over proofing? As you can see the larger irregular hols that have moved to the outside of the crumb. From what I have learned so far, I beli... | I think it's a combination
Hi,I'm no expert, believe me - but I experienced the same thing on my first two tries at sourdough - here's a pic that's very similar to yours. I was previously using a firm white starter - and I converted it to a 100% hydration rye starter (with the help of posters in the sourdough forum)... |
Is this process even possible?
Hello! I was invited by a chemistry professor to speak about how I make my sourdough bread. The challenge is that I only have 1 hour and 30 min on Tuesday and 1 hr and 15 min on Thursday to make the bread from start to finish. My first approach consisted in mixing all ingredients - making... | Why not your Tartine method?
Hi MT,Why change what you commonly do? If you use the Tartine method you stretch and fold, right? You also get the Oven Spring, you desires? Then why use no-knead or French kneading? After all the theme is "How you make your sourdough bread", am I wrong? |
Using Bread toppings
I have been baking bread now since Christmas using Ken Forkish’s book Flour,Water,Salt,Yeast. I have had good success. I also like to use banneton baskets. Recently I have been trying to add King Arthur’s Artisan bread toppings. When I sprinkle them into the floured banneton, the toppings simpl... | You should apply the topping
You should apply the topping once you got the dough out of the banneton, that would also be the time to eggwash * if you want to use it * and sprinkle your topping. |
Help! Croissants flat and dry inside
Hi All, i baked a batch of croissants and they came out flat, too crunchy and dry from the inside as per the photo. how can i fix this? | Would you mind giving us a little more detail?
Hi, what a shame. At least you didn't get a soggy mess which was my problem until I discovered the importance of 82% fat butter.Here's what we need to know. What were your ingredients? How many turns did you give the laminate. How did you shape the croissants? How long did... |
Help! Rye Bread Cracks While Cooking.
Every time I make my rye, it seems to crack on the bottom and on the edges. I have run all out of ideas. Please help me with any suggestions. Thank you!! | Score the loaf. It will let
Score the loaf. It will let the bread rise through those cuts you made, rather than tearing the bread wherever as it rises in the oven. I read that scoring the loaf lengthwise to the rye bread helps it rise upwards, although people just score it however. On pan loaves like that, usually peop... |
Challah Easter Basket
I received a challenge from a facebook friend and this is the result. I think it came out pretty good. I used this as my guide along with the help of google translate: http://namiotle.pl/5068/jak-zrobic-koszyczek-z-ciasta-drozdzowego/ | hmm
Interesting juxtaposition |
For Best Oven Spring: Problem (Starter | Leaven | Bulk Rise | Final Proof?)
I've encountered some discouraging-looking sourdough boules as of late. They were flat: no oven spring and no ears where I scored them.I'm trying to diagnose the problem. At first, I thought it had to do with my bulk and final rises, but now I'... | It could be any of those, DulceBHbc
Or all of them. Or inadequate shaping. Don't you just love it when someone adds another potential problem to the mix? ;)Let's take them one at a time:1) Yes, there's a possibility that the 2-weeks-in-storage starter wasn't at full strength. However, that's one of the reasons for ... |
What to do when one has has accidentally left out an ingredient
I've yet (touch wood) to leave out the salt by mistake so I can't have been baking long enough! I recently discovered I'd omitted the barley syrup from my Danish rye bread dough just as it was going into the oven. Would the dough have survived me scooping ... | My guess would be "not very
My guess would be "not very well", but it would also depend on how long it had already fermented, how heavily leavened it was, etc. There are plenty of unsweetened rye breads, so I'd be inlined to just bake it and call it something else rather than a Danish rye. I've left salt out until late... |
Sourdough super dense.
Hi friends! I acquired a very old, very yummy sourdough-type starter from my sister. She mentioned its not true sourdough, but there's no other name for it that I am aware of. I'll paste the recipe she passed along below. I store the starter in the fridge and feed / make loaves every 9-13 days... | It doesn`t sound as if you`ve
It doesn`t sound as if you`ve fed it enough for it to mature. One feeding and 10-12 hour is not enough time for recovery and development of an active yeast culture. How long has it been in the frig? Did it actually double in the 10-12 hours? |
Forkish 50% Whole Wheat with Biga
I'm a new enthusiast and have had a few successful loaves, particularly with Forkish's FWSY recipes. I always follow his instructions carefully (including water temps, etc.). But, on this 50% whole wheat loaf with biga, the loaves just didn't seem to spring up in the oven, and the crum... | I don't know anything about
I don't know anything about this recipe, but I have been using a biga preferment lately for my baguette and pizza doughs and I am just couldn't be happier with an oven spring. In fact, it springs so much in the oven that I have to find ways to control the baguette dough by slicing the dough ... |
Hard-bottom no-knead bread
I've been baking Jim Lahey's no-knead recipe with great success...except the bottom crust is too hard, even when I use a cookie sheet or pyrex dish underneath the dutch oven. Any suggestions?(450 degee pre-heated dutch oven for 30 min then removed top for 10 min) | A couple of thoughts
One is that it might be helpful to see what the crumb looks like and how thick the bottom is. Also, when you say it's hard, what kinds of bread are you comparing with? Have you checked the temp of your oven? If it's hotter at the bottom, that may (help) explain your bottoms being harder. You can tr... |
Soda Bread "Spillover"?
Hoping for some guidance.Tried making a soda pan bread using this recipe,(about 115% hydration with baking soda as leavener and acidulated milk as liquid) and got a great result.The second time I tried it, I used Red Fife instead of stone-ground whole wheat - you can see what the result looked l... | Looks like that possibly some
baking soda didn't get mixed as well into the dough at you would have liked? |
watery mess - after proofing
Howdy everyone,after searching on the forums I was unable to find an answer to our question. Hopefully one of yall can shed some light on this.My wife and I have had several failed attempts at making bread.... so much that we have not even made it to the baking part yet. The recipe we are... | too long.
Your prove/ferment has been too long. The yeast has worked, stretched the gluten, then other enzymes have sttacked the gluten, breaking it down, leaving you with the gloop.It may be salvagable by re-kneading but really the solution is to let it rise for a much shorter time. I've no idea how ¼ teaspoon of yeas... |
Please help Bread is not soft and fluffy
Hi Everyone,I have been making bread for about 2 months trying different recipes. I found a recipe on this site that was probably the best i have found.I am following the ingredients exactly and everything looks fine until i cut the loaf when cool and it is a bit dense. I have ... | 1⁄8 tAscorbic acid, that's a mega dosage
helloAscorbic acid is typically added in the 2ppm range by large commercial mills, it's also the main active ingrediant in many "dough improver" mixes used by some commercial bakers, your addition of 1/8 of a teaspoon to 500grams of flour makes for quite a full dosage. This will... |
Dough enhancer guidance
Hello, Since Lecithin granules were not available in my location hence I bought 1200mg HealthAid Soy Lecithin Capsules. I am planning to dissolve one capsule for 500gm of WW flour, will it be ok or I am in for too much or too less? The other questions are: (a) I usually use soyabeen oil as fat, ... | Why?
Why do you think you need to add anything?Obviously I don't know what flour or process you're using, but adding emulsifiers, fats, etc. to basic bread dough has never crossed my mind. What is it that you're making?-Gordon |
Pick a recipe with these few ingredients
So, I'm in the process of building/rebuilding a sourdough starter but it won't be ready to use for 3-5 more days. In preparation for making a rye sourdough, I recently bought an 8" round brotform. Upon unboxing it, my fiancé insisted that I make her a loaf of bread with it thi... | Savoury?
Drop the sugar, butter and honey and use olive oil. Aim for 65% hydration and off you go.-Gordon |
Troubleshooting gummy line at the bottom of the loaf.
IMG_20150303_073632.jpg
I started baking bread about 10 months ago, and have been playing with different recipes and learning constantly along the way. I can make pretty good baguettes, good pizza crust, and a bread that tastes great, and has a great textu... | Airflow
It looks like the airflow/ hot spots in the pan are inconsistent. An easy fix would be to shape your loaf in to a regular loaf, but before placing it in the pan, cut it in to 4 pieces and THEN assemble the loaf as you normally would. In my experience this is the best way to get an even bake in a covered pan. F... |
Persistent gooey dough
After 9 successful months of making breads from Ken Forkish's book, I suddenly started getting a solid core of smooth, sticky, and sometimes slightly odorous dough at the center of every loaf. I replaced yeast and flour, and even sterilized my dough containers with a bleach solution. My latest th... | I'm in Connecticut
and February was the coldest month on record, ever. I'm getting very long fermentation and rise times, also with interior household temps of 64 and 68, sometimes colder. Below is the most helpful post I've found about temperature and fermentation: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/5381/sourdough-rise... |
Temperature control issues in home oven
I am using a LG Convection Microwave oven 32L for home use. For baking a regular white loaf, I use 180 degree Centigrade. The top gets very hard. I have heard convection ovens with fan distribute heat evenly so one can reduce the recipe temperature for 25 degree if using a fan ba... | On principle
On principle I do not use forced air circulation for baking bread as this would dry the surface of the loaf more than just the normal baking, i.e. gravity convection. I also use steam for the first 10 to fifteen minutes to reduce the drying of the outer skin. The steam is produced by a pan of boiling wat... |
Croissant rising problem
Started baking croissants using Thomas Keller's recipe from Bouchon Bread. Previously, when searching for good croissants, would occasionally find a bakery that made a good-tasting croissant with a very good thin, crispy crust and many good layers inside but a wad of unrisen, underbaked dough ... | Rising
I used to give mine a good 2 hours to rise so that they were really puffy, and if I remember correctly, I baked them at a higher temperature than 350F., possibly 400? I haven't made them in a long time; my recipe was sort of a combination of Julia Child's and Beth Hensberger's. |
Challenge - 123 bread
I needed an easy levain-based dough that I could use as a base for testing various flour combinations, add-ins, methods, etc. and 123 bread seems to fit the bill - 1 part fresh levain, 2 parts water and 3 parts flour, with 2% salt. I've used this to test two different starters to see which one is ... | I'm in!
Well, soon anyway :) |
1st time Baguettes
Hey Everyone,I would love your input on these.This is Peter Reinhart's, Pate Fermentee recipe from The Bread Baker's Apprentice. I bought this book awhile ago and finally decided it was time to enter my baguette journey. So exciting!!!All in all, I'm pretty happy with my first attempt.I did not achie... | Those awe awesome!
i have yet to try making baguettes. So I read everyone's experience. Would you mind telling the name of the kitchen store in Toronto? |
Tartine No. 3 - Ode2Bourdon - Questions
Hi everyone, Wanted to put up for your feedback on my first attempt at the Tartine method, in particularly from Chad's Book No. 3 - Ode to BourdonAs you can see from the photos, I suspect my problem was under-proofing. Some quick background: Flours: KAF (White wW); Central Millin... | a good evaluation
to me. Might want to let ferment just a bit longer before shaping and chilling at 7°C. I'm sure the room temperatures slowed it down a bit. :) |
Bagels Not Cooking Through In The Middle - Help!
We are running into an issue with our homemade water bagels. The dough nearest to the hole of the bagel is not cooking all the way through. The rest of the bagel is cooked and if we try to leave it in longer the crust starts to burn and get way too crispy. We cook them ... | Make them thinner perhaps? I
Make them thinner perhaps? I only boil for 2-3 minutes and then bake for 12-15 minutes and have never had a problem with under baking. |
FWSY Field Blend #2 from Seattle
Hi Fresh Loaf friends!Again, huge thanks to your wonderful contributions. I started baking 4 months ago, working my way through Ken Forkish's book (while also reading through many books recommended here). Wanted to share my latest creation, Field Blend #2. Some background: I followed th... | Lovely loaves
I love that book. It's so helpful.To minimize sticking, combine equal parts rice flour and AP flour in the proofing baskets. Make certain all the crevices are filled in with that combination. It helps to minimize sticking.Nice bake you have there.hester |
the elusive honeycomb...help!
Hello,I have been making croissants for quite a while and have followed texasfarmer's posts and other resources but, as of recently, they seem quite squished and irregular/inconsistent within the batch. I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. Underproofing? Overproofing? Shaping? Any adv... | Looks great to me.
If the picture is representative of your failures, I don't see the problem.Ford |
The Anthracite Special at platform 9¾ ....
So with recent chat of steam moving to steam engines and so on, I decided to have a go at cooking some bread inside my multi-fuel fire that I have in my office...I got it going, starting with the usual waxed milk cartons and kindling, and when it was hot enough to ignite the b... | Anthracite special
Interesting! :) -Dave |
Can you over work bread dough?
Yesterday, I made a batch of simple bread dough which I split in half to make two country style loaves. The first I fussed with because the score didn't look perfect and kept working it to make perfect marks ( I know I know anal much?). That loaf ended up with a poor crumb and gummy middl... | Yes. And you saw proof in
Yes. And you saw proof in your own kitchen and answered your own question in the process :*)Janet |
Scaling up a recipe
Background: I have been baking good bread off a recipe from a Jacob Burton video I found on YouTube a few weeks ago. It is a 70% hydration loaf with a sourdough starter. The oven temp is for 500F for twenty minutes, and 425-450F for the final thirty minutes. I actually split this into two loaves,... | If the 4 loaf fits into the
If the 4 loaf fits into the oven, No you dont have to adjust the time if your oven has been pre heated and your DO are nice and hot. |
Tartine Baguettes w/Active Dry Yeast?
Hello - I've been making sourdough bread for several years, and have made Tartine's Basic Country Bread several times. Yesterday I was perusing the middle of the book and found the Baguette recipe. So exciting, and I read with interest about the "Golden Age of French Baking", com... | Might not matter
Hard to say exactly what Mr. Robertson really means--the book to which you're referring (which I am guessing is Tartine No. 3?) is rife with errors. More in the pastry section with weights and measurements and such, but that's just an aside for the moment.More importantly, I don't think it will really ... |
Bread just not rising enough
Two attempts at same basic white bread recipe. Same results. Great crust, great texture, great flavor. Made dough let it rise in electric oven with light on. Let it double---took about 2 hours. Punched it down, reformed it. Bake in the oven for second rise for about 2 hours. Took it ... | Some questions, PAnson
What is the temperature of your kitchen? What is the temperature inside the oven when the light is on? How are you gauging the dough's doubling? Is it in a container with markings that let you see when the dough has doubled? Or are you doing a visual check?What is the size of your loaf pans? ... |
Size of mixer vs flour/dough capacity
Hi ! I have a 5 quart Heavy Duty lift KA mixer. Will it handle almost 8 cups of bread flour for bagels ? | Some guidance is in the manual.
Welcome to TFL!The answer for _bread dough_ is in the manual. Since bagel dough is so much stiffer, I'm unsure what the answer would be.If you don't have the manual, you can see/download the bowl-lift manual here:https://www.manualslib.com/manual/806754/Kitchenaid-Bowl-Lift-Mixer.html?pa... |
Help with sourdough
I am having trouble getting my sourdough bread to rise. I have had my starter now for about 2 months and feed it regularly (about once a week). When I use it I always make sure that I feed it several hours or beforehand so that it is very active when I use it. I get good oven spring and a great f... | How long ...
... do you consider "forever" to be?For me, my dough takes some 8-10 hours to rise at a temperature of about 22C. A bit cooler than I want it to be, but it's fine as that's effectively overnight. Typically I make up the starter some 5-6 hours before kneading (so with it now at 15:50, I made up the starters... |
Gummy Bread...
Hi there, I've been trying to figure out why I always end up with a gummy crumb? I'm trying out the recipe from Della Fattoria's bread but this happens to any loaf I try to make.I've been looking around and found out it might have been from underproofing or irregular oven temperature, just wanna be sure ... | I halved the recipe
following the baker's percentageAPF: 100 % - 315.3gwater: 75% - 237gYeast: 1.3% - 4gsalt: 2% - 6gsugar: 1.43% - 5 gOlive oil: 6% - 19gbaked at 375F for 45 minutes** I noticed the recipe used a baking stone, is that crucial? |
Top Crust Pulled Away During Baking
Recently while working at my local bakery, I had the task of making 4 loaves of a savory bread. Using a white dough recipe scaled to 1# 10 oz. each, to which I added 2 handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese (frozen) to. As well as garlic to one loaf, jalapeno slices to another, and savo... | Sounds like either a shaping
Sounds like either a shaping issue, or overfermentation, either of which could result in an accumulation of gasses at the top of the loaf. But without a recipe or description of the technique, a definitive answer will be difficult to provide. |
Baneton disaster
I'm relatively new to sourdough baking. The last time I made hearth bread one of my loaves stuck in the baneton and when I shook it half the dough fell out leaving the rest in the baneton. Today it happened again (Tartine whole wheat bread), only with both my loaves (in two banetons). I am flouring ... | I flour my bannetons with
I flour my bannetons with cornstarch only and the dough just plops out, I have to be careful as the dough comes out so fast.I have the same with either low or high hydration doughs.When I used flour to flour the banneton's I had the same problems you are having. |
new to bread: troubleshooting sourdough
Hi everyone! So i got a great desem sourdough starter which is absolutely delicious. My first loaf of bread was awesome although it didnt look pretty. Had a great texture and great flavor. Cool, all excited. problem 1: it rose, the crust dried out and the inside seemed to have fa... | Don't give up!
First of all, if you have already managed to produce a nice tasting losf, you are certainly on your way to making consistently good bread.Here are my tips:After feeding your starter, make sure that it is fully developed- is bubbly and has doubled or tripled. Depending on the ratios you are using for feed... |
Need Some Help
I'm trying to recreate dinner rolls that my late grandmother made many years ago. Nobody in our family has a clue how she did it. They were very heavy, doughy, & yeasty, not like the light as cloud ones you find in the store today. Point me in the right direction & I'll report back on how they turn out. ... | More clues, please!
Welcome, Uncle Harley! Hope you have wonderful bread baking adventures.Since there are thousands and thousands of baking recipes out there, we need some more clues about Grandma's rolls.What nationality was she? Or maybe what nationality was the recipe?What shape were the rolls? How big were they?An... |
Slovakian Bread
My wife works with someone whose grandma was Slovakian. She remembers she used to make a bread daily that was a little sweet and was used for every meal. She said it was a meal in itself. Unfortunately she never got the recipe from her grandmother and has been looking for a similar recipe for 20 years w... | is it one these?
http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/breads/ |
Rope Disease
Hi everyone,I have been baking bread by hand in the last 3 months or so. Everything was going well until I decided to store my bread in plastic bags. After a few days, I have noticed that the bread is sticky. I let it sit in the bag for another day and now I have the melon smell. I am pulling the bread apa... | The most interesting
thing about rope is that it usually starts inside the loaf, not on the surface. Bagging too soon might be causing stickiness and encouraging mould outside on the crust but do cut the loaf open and look at the inside. Look at the crumb. If the crumb is getting "wetter" and not drying out but rotti... |
Why are these brioche buns different? Oven Spring inconsistency help, please.
We've begun making brioche buns and sliders for a slowly growing wholesale baking operation. They just aren't all behaving the same and I can't predict which ones are going to be right and which ones have too much oven spring. These are made... | I'm no pro but.....
I'm no pro but it has to be related to temperature-final dough temp before going into the proofer, proofing temp or walk-in temp. Or it can be a mechanical issue with temperature maintenance.Easiest place to start is to measure the temp of the proofer and the walk in and see how variable it is. Per... |
Help! Brioche problem
I've been baking with Jane Mason's brioche recipe, of all the ones I've tried, hers works well in a warm humid climate like mine. She is the author of All You Knead is Bread.Here is the recipe:250g all purpose white wheat flour2.5g dry yeast/1.25g instant yeast15g sugar50g milk heated to boiling p... | Something had to change
A couple pieces of info caught my eye:works well in a warm humid climate like mine......even though I followed recipe down to the letter and proof for 2 hours. Perhaps the ambient temperature is warmer than the first time you attempted?2 hour proof may be too long at warmer temps for a sweet dou... |
Is there, somehow, a way to increase the structure of a dough with high hydration without making infinite folds😬?
Hey, as I already said up there, I wanted to know I there is a trick to add structure to high hydratation doughs. At the moment I'm trying to make breads with higher hydrations to get a moister and lighter... | I really like Trevor's
I really like Trevor's website, breadwerx. The e-book is well worth the price; and his vids are really helpful. He shows his approach with all kinds of hydrations for variants on an open crumb.No connection just really like his work. |
Pretzel bread in large quantities. Need help applying the lye bath.
Hello, all. We have been toying with pretzel bread lately as a lot of our clients (restaurants) have been asking for it. We made a few test batches that came out pretty good with the exception of efficiency. It took FOREVER to dip each pretzel bun (3 o... | Sorry, i can't help but your
Sorry, i can't help but your recipe sounds delicious - brioche pretzel bread. would you mind sharing the recipe or point me in the direction of a good one? thanks. |
My own version of the "take n bake"
Before I started baking my own bread, I would often buy the frozen "partially cooked" artisan bread loaves to keep in my freezer. 15 minutes in the oven and I had what was supposed to be a fresh baked loaf of bread. I have been experimenting with my cooking times, removing my bre... | Hope this helps
Being a newbie, I have nothing to offer from my still very limited experience. However, I recently read Bertinet's book Crust. A number of different recipes include comments on freezing. They're not all the same. Some say to bake just until the crust starts to color, others 3/4 bake, and some just say t... |
Flour everywhere!
Ok so maybe this is naive of me, BUT-is there an simpler way or preventative measure for dealing with flour dust and cleaning up loose flour from kneading?after kneading on my work bench there's flour everywhere. But even harder to clean up is the dust coating my entire sink/counter/dish drainer area ... | RE: Minimal flour scatter
The easiest way to minimize flour dust problems is to adapt one of the methods that utilize minimal to no kneading during the production process. I have a link to a post by an esteemed TFL member that just might help by explaining his approach.http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/31102/sfsd-handmi... |
croissant form
Hi, how do I keep the form of croissant? I form them perfectly and after baking they get a l;little bit funky. The open up and the points are all over the place. Wow it makes me crazier!!! Thanks. | If they're coming apart
If they're coming apart during baking I'd say they're under proofed. After baking, maybe too much flour on the dough while rolling them up so that they can't stay together. |
Problem - Bagel Bread Curst Pigment
Hi Everyone,I'm hoping someone out there has the answer to a problem I'm having. When baking bagels I'm getting this strange pigment in some areas on my bagel crust. The bagel in the picture attached has not been glazed with any solution and you can see the strange discolorment on ... | Have you baked a loaf in your
Have you baked a loaf in your oven with similar results? Are you using an steam when baking the bagels?I would also buy a cheap oven thermometer and put it in different spots in your oven and see if that really has anything to do with it.Try adding steam when baking if you are not doing t... |
Help Please with Not Fully Successful Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread
I am new to baking with sourdough and whole grains. This is my latest attempt, which is Michael Pollan's interpretation of the whole wheat Tartine loaf from "Cooked", with the addition of about 2 cups of toasted walnuts and 1.5 cups of soaked raisins. ... | couple tips
Firstly, don't rely too much on following the recipe to the letter, especially when it comes to proving times. Check regularly and judge by eye. You may have proved it a little too longNo biggie though, your bread looks beautiful. I'd have been delighted if that had been MY first sourdough bread.Why not sta... |
Bread pan 2-3/4x8-13/16x4-3/4
Can someone provide a bread recipe that would fill this bread pan? | Inside or outside; top or bottom
My bread pans are labeled 9 5/8 x 5 1/2 x 2 3/4. If I measure at the top to the outside of the rolled rim the measurements are very close to those measurements, in inches, but the inside measurement would be less. The sides are sloped so the bottom measurements would be much less. F... |
Sourdough loaf not rising, Also Gummy, wet texture
Hi everyone!I made my own sourdough starter this summer-- It was fully active starting in August. Since then, I keep it in the fridge, and 2-3 days before baking I take it out and feed it twice before using it. In this time, it gets bubbly and smells delicious. Sometim... | Have you verified that
your oven is hot enough with a oven thermometer? Sounds like these very long baking times are an oven not heating properly or one of the elements is burned out. |
deflated bread
Hi All, I'm having issues with my pretzel loaf. I usually get a nice dark color from my lye and wide open slits. I've done the recipe very slowly step by step and keep getting the same result - the attached picture. A lighter brown color and more deflated dough with slits not opening. I can't figure out ... | New flour?
Even if it's a new bag of the same brand?if your kitchen temperatures have dropped 20 degrees, you may need to allow for a longer oven preheat. Deflation and pale crusts are classic signs of over proofing. How do you gauge readiness to bake? Paul |
More sour taste in my sourdough loaf?
I'm new here and did a search on the above topic, with lots of advice and discussion available, but wonder if anyone would be so kind to give me specific direction?I'm wish to obtain a much more sour taste.Below is the recipe I used and pictures of the loaf, it really came out grea... | I would look for a bread that
I would look for a bread that is made with flour, water, starter and salt. These are the ingredients used to make sour sourdough breads. You want a long slow cool process not a fast warm process. The recipe you used reads more like a cake recipe than a bread recipe.Jeff |
Injera... anyone making it successfully and consistently?
I have become obsessed with making the injera I used to enjoy with every Ethiopian meal in San Francisco, and which is impossible to find where I live now in upstate New York. The bread I am talking about is light in color, though not so light as something made ... | Yes !
Glad to hear another Fresh-Loafer is on the quest for a good injera ! I got bit by the injera-bug (a wildly efficacious transmission vector) after discovering Ethiopian food a few years ago. There is nothing quite like the sour punch of a well-made injera . . . and even better when you get to the end of the cours... |
Emergency proofing basket alternatives?
I'm mixing bread dough at work and forgot my baskets at home. Currently in the bulk rising phase, I am supposed to bake after work on a co-worker's bread stone. Any suggestions on what to do post bulk rise? | Use a cardboard box
a smallish one or make it smaller and bunch up some paper to round out the lower corners. Then line with a few open paper napkins or paper towel. Dust a little flour on it and roll the dough in flour before placing in the nest of napkins. If you are in a regular office see what you can do with a p... |
Help needed with shaping loaves please
My loaves are misshapen. I can't get rid of of flaps that form when I shape the loaf. Please help.Many thanks | Here's a photo of the finished product
IMG_1194.JPG |
Sweet Rolls kneading issue
Hello. I am very new to baking so please bear with me on this. I've made this old recipe for sweet rolls a few time, but I always have a hard time at the end. I mix all the ingredient together, flour, water, eggs, etc. let it rise for an hour or so, and then comes the hard part. The recipe ca... | I think
most recipes of this nature don't work in the way you describe. Typically they melt the butter and whisk it with the other "wet" ingredients inc water/milk, eggs etc and then the "dry" ingredients are added to the wet. The dough should still rise just as well so maybe worth a try. |
BBA Pain a la Ancienne -- question
Hi everyone. I've been spending a lot of time here on TFL and finally have a question to ask!Reinhart's Pain a la Ancienne recipe (BBA version) lists 19-24 ounces of water in the ingredient list. In the instructions he says to initially use 19 ounces of water and then "dribble in wa... | Humidity, etc
The amount of water used will depend on a few different factors. Weather is a big one (especially humidity). Flour brand, type, and age are another factor. Whatever the reasons, the amount of water added is not always the same when looking for a specific feel to the bread. What Reinhart is saying is that ... |
16 times, and my Tartine's loaf is still a disaster!! Why???!
I think I'm going insane! I tried the basic Tartine's loaf 16 times and I am not getting it! I must be one in a million that does not get this. I'll list in bullet points what was wrong with my loaf:- Absolutely no oven spring- Crust is too thick and ined... | My first thought is
My first thought is overproofing, and my second is insufficient gluten development. Excessive acidity from the starter might be a factor as well, but I don't know enough about your process to be sure.It would be helpful if you posted about what your usual process is like. Timing, starter refreshment... |
Hand Tossed Bread Dough
I have recently moved out of state and I am living without my Kitchen-Aid mixer. I just have to make bread so I would like to get some advice about mixing and kneading dough by hand. My hands aren't exactly as strong as they used to be but I want to give it a try.I am a big fan of challah bread ... | Challah
Here is my recipe. Though it calls for a mixer, I have no doubt it can be done all by hand, even by me and I am 89 years old. Use a whisk for the eggs and oil, and a wooden spoon or other large mixing tool for the rest.Enjoy, FordChallah, Braided Sponge 3/4 cup (6 oz., 170 g) warm water (100°F to 120°F)2 pac... |
Poor quality home oven and struggles with Tartine
Hello all. I'm new here - it's my first day so I hope you can show me around!Basically, I've been baking Tartine loaves for about six months, but I'm struggling to get the correct oven spring/crumb consistency with my home oven, which can't get above 230 C/450 F.I'm fin... | I would start out at 450F and
I would start out at 450F and after 20 minutes turn the oven down to 400F, then finish baking as you have been.Jeff |
Help with dough formation and getting those nice EARS! (I don't have a stand mixer!)
Hi Guys!I've been MIA from TFL for quite a long time now. Been working on building up my blog www.nothymetowaste.org which is primarily baked goods, and I haven't been making much bread. Especially during the hot summer months! But, it... | I make dough down to 55%
I make dough down to 55% hydration (bagels) by hand with no issues. I knead and rest the dough just like the higher hydration. Work it for 5 min then rest for 30 min. The dough gets really nice after the third knead then I just let it double, or stick it in the fridge if its late. Early morning... |
Failed attempt at rustic dough :(
Hi everyone,I'm a beginner and just tried my hand at rustic dough (80% hydration), but I think I made a miscalculation with the formula and did not use enough yeast, so, sadly, my dough didn't rise.I only baked half of the dough, and since I know it's not a winner, I don't want to bake... | pâte fermentée
What you have is called old dough (or pâte fermentée) and can be used as a pre-ferment. Just subtract the yeast from the final formula as you would with flour and water. Don't forget to subtract the salt too or it might be too salty. |
Asking with Pyrex vs cast iron
I don't have a small cast iron enameled dutch oven for baking TARTINE SD. Can I use pyrex? Or not? | It might not e a good idea.
It might not e a good idea. |
Seeking a more open, less dense crumb
Posted this same over on Reddit, hopefully it’s ok if I cross post here since I think it’s different people here on this forumand might get some different ideas I need some help with my sourdough. All my breads come out ok and taste pretty good, but almost always are too dense at t... | Overproofed
Your bulk fermentation is far too long. Try shortening it to the point your dough feel arrayed and pillowy. Watch the dough, not the clock and good luck! |
Emergency dough question
I am making a bread that calls for 24-hour refrigeration after four stretch and folds. The dough then goes directly into the oven. I actually only have time today to make this bread. Can anyone translate the 24 hours in the fridge to time on the counter? Should I just shape, let rise, and see w... | one more detail
I have the time to leave the dough in the fridge for a few hours, so feel free to suggest that as part of the equation. Actually, my flexibility extends to 12 hours (which might call for middle-of-the-night baking, but an obsession is an obsession). |
Gummy loaf bread
May I ask you experts here why I almost always get a gummy crumb of my loaf bread? I can bear with the irregular holes since it is only for our family's consumption but the gummy crumb? I dont feel like Im doing a good job to keep my family off of grocery bread. I used to make a good loaf with good cru... | Interior temperature?
What is the interior temperature of the baked loaf when you remove it from the oven? It should be 195 to 205°F (91 to 96°C). I suspect your interior temperature has not yet reached 195°F. Ford |
Bakers percentages
Anyone have an easy conversion method for bakers percentages? | What are you converting?
Are you trying to take a recipe you have and turn it into a formula using baker's percentages? Or do you have a baker's percentage formula that you want to use but you're not sure how to get amounts/measurements from it? |
Ripe Test?
Hi All, I've been making pretzel dough (50% hydration) and everything has been going great. I follow the recipe to the T and it goes perfect every time. I had a problem the past two days and I can't quite figure out what I did wrong!When I'm rolling out the dough, it is very tough and difficult to roll out. ... | Temperature?
Has the weather changed? The temperature might be the reason your results are so different. Another possible cause could just be a different batch of wheat that needs more or less moisture. |
Why swirling water?
I love watching this video of Nicolas Supiot preparing and mixing large amounts of dough. However can someone explain why he is swirling water before he mixes it in with the flour?Thanks,Redgehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B_7AFYmkYo | swirling water
He says "to give it life!". I.e. Nick first explains that modern water is dirty and lifeless, so he filters it from nitrites, pesticides, chlorine etc. and then agitates water 'to give it life', and warms it up a bit to achieve proper dough temperature. I first thought he agitates water to get rid of ch... |
Bulging Bread
I've made this ciabatta style 77% hydration bread using .004% traditional yeast in a baguette pan about 40 - 50 times and suddenly I get bulging. The seams were well sealed and still obviously on the bottom of the loaves. I slashed the tops for oven spring and don't know what caused the 'bulge'. Can anyon... | I would take a guess that the
I would take a guess that the loaves are a little bit under proved and the extra kick that the still active yeast is giving causes the splits. Another possibility is that the steaming isn't doing a good enough job at keeping the crust from setting before all yeast-driven expansion has end... |
A beginner question about cinnamon bread
I have tried several different recipes for cinnamon bread. They have all turned out pretty decent (beginner here-pretty decent being edible and having a cinnamon swirl and taste). But every. single. time. there is a gap between the crust and the bread when it's sliced (after the... | Is it the cinnamon layer that
Is it the cinnamon layer that's preventing the dough from adhering? If so, why only at the top/crust layer and not at every swirl?Yes, this is what is happening possibly combined with a "flying crust". You can search for that term on this site to learn more about it. When you are sprinkl... |
Could it be the fineness of the flour?
My family has made 100% whole-wheat bread for a long time and we all love it to pieces. I have taken over responsibility of family bread-baker for the past 2 years and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, within the past month or so, the bread suddenly ceased to rise nearly as well. I ... | Simply Adjust,,,,,,
I doubt you could wear out the stones, maybe somebody bumped the fine-coarse adjustment when cleaning.The only change in our mill over 35 years is the motor start capacitor has dried out and needed replaced,,,TWICE! |
Pretzel Buns sticking.. driving me nuts!
Hello all.. we are finally getting around to baking wholesale numbers of pretzel hamburger buns (pretzel brioche actually!) yet we are still dealing with the problem of the pretzel buns sticking to the cooling racks we bake them on. Why do we bake on cooling racks? I'll explain.... | Have you thought about
Have you thought about shaping then dipping. Let them proof on sheet pan and bake? Would possibly create a crackle looking crust which maybe a selling point. |
sourdough starter - high altitude
I've been trying to bake sourdough bread for quite some time now. High altitude bread baking is quite different. I want a really sour bread, as well. I'm keeping the starter really firm, and when I create a sponge, it's really active. I've resorted to using a bread pan, and refrigerati... | a couple things
1. what is the hydration of the sponge (levain) you are using? As with your starter, a firm levain favors acetic over lactic acid production. You can give that firm sponge lots of time to get sour.I also recommend Dan Wing's book The Bread Builders for one of the better explanations of the dynamics o... |
Schwarze Muckel Problem(s)
I made an attempt at the Schwarze Muckel bread on the Homebaking.at website (Schwarze Muckel). This was probably the first bread I have made that was nearly inedible. The crust was thick and nearly burnt, but the inside was split and very gummy/underbaked. The crumb of the loaf was also not t... | Well the very first thing that jumps out at me is...
The colour is very different so i'm thinking you haven't used exactly the same ingredients. Did you use the same malt or did you swap it out for the beet syrup? I'm not saying this is the answer but that is the most obvious thing so starting with that. Secondly... di... |
What went wrong, please
I'm still quite new at sourdough baking but tried my hand at an Eastern European Black bread, which I baked in a Pullman pan. I don't know how well you can see the surface of the loaf, but it is decidedly hollow. I followed the directions precisely. | looks good from here
You'll have to let it rest wrapped in linen for 24 hours before you cut it to it or it will certainly be gummy. These Rye Breads require a long rest after baking to set the crumb. Joshafter following comments I looked closer (the upside down is throwing me off) and I see the depression. I'll ag... |
Another newbie question
Can one re-bake a loaf that sounded hollow when it was tapped after baking completed, only to have a small amount of dough stick to the tester? | Yes.
You can re-bake an undone loaf. |
Work around solution
In the book the bread bakers apprentice peter says to allow to let the bread get that mahogany color in the top picture which will prevent the bread from being under cook if I want to achieve a lighter color cook for a longer period of time lower temp? Any temp and time would be appreciated | Are these egg breads?
Your photos look like egg breads or challahs. I bake mine for 32 minutes, but when I make round loaves (similar to your second photo) they take up to 40 minutes. I bake them at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. |
milk
Good morning allI have been away for a very long time,welcome backThank you in advance for helping me with this question.I am reviving an old recipe that my grandfather used to use to make a bread called mosbolletjies(South African)the old man used to use hot milk to make a brioche type dough, I read on the forum ... | My advice, don't change yet!
Albert,Have you made this recipe successfully before? I would recommend making the bread successfully without any changes, then try again with your change. That way, you will know what the change actually does. If you jump right into a recipe making changes the first time and you have some ... |
Is this a REALLY TERRIBLE idea?
I made a starter from the water of boiled potatoes, flour, water, and yeast, a couple of weeks ago, and I've been baking bread almost every day. One issue I have is getting the dough out of the brotform after the second rise. I'm using plastic brotforms, because I'm in Hong Kong, and I'm... | Try it, yourself
Try it, yourself, what do you have to lose. If it works, that was a good idea!Ford |
Problem with pasta dough that separates
I normally have no problem making my pasta dough ( I usually make pasta 2-3 times/month) I use the basic pasta recipe from the King Arthur pasta class ( flour / eggs/ olive oil). One or twice though, when I'm kneading the dough, it starts to "separate" rather than coming togethe... | Separates?
What separates? Are you saying that the oil does not incorporate? When I make pasta I just use flour with eggs and some sprinkles of water. There is enough oil in the egg yolk, I never used any extra oil and my pasta turns out just fine. |
One source for bakery sweet dough creations.
I have been looking for a cookbook for the past week on Amazon to learn to make all the sweet dough comfort rolls that were once displayed in Bakery cases across america. Rolls like Cinnamon Rolls,butterfly rolls, pecan rolls,long johns, twists, chain twists, bismarks, bear... | Not one book alone
You probably have to assemble your own recipe collection, I'm constantly looking at baking books, and I don't know of one that has all or even several of the recipes you are looking for.Formulas for hot cross buns you will find here in TFL, and I'm happy to give you the link to my favorite cinnamon r... |
Is my kneading causing layers?
I've been baking bread in fits and starts for over 2 years, but not consistently. The recipe I've made the most is the "hearth bread" recipe from the King Arthur website (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/hearth-bread-recipe).I'm actually happy with most aspects of the bread, when e... | A photo that shows what you
A photo that shows what you're describing might help! 8) |
rising problems with double recipe
Hello everybody. I apologize if this has been covered but I'm at work now and haven't had a chance to sift through the posts here yet. My problem is this: I had a bread recipe and it made nice bread. We decided that I would make all of our bread to avoid buying so i got two 12"x4.5"(I... | It's probably a bit exhausted
You might need to cut back on the bulk ferment. It's possible your yeasts are eating enough of the food that there's not enough left for a good final rise.Bread likes being made in quantity, so I find that when increasing the amount of dough, sometimes it's helpful to decrease the amount o... |
Plotziade 2 evaluation is up!
http://www.ploetzblog.de/2014/06/04/2-ploetziade-auswertung/ | Great bread
Lucy must be worn out. Hope she can find some shade and rest up! That bread looks like it is packed full of flavory grains and still looks moist. However she does it, she has scored again!Happy BakingBarbra |
Walnut and Cranberry Sourdough
Hello All,Decided to experiment with two different loaves using the same dough. For the first loaf, I used the ambient method with walnuts and cranberries, and for the second, I used the retarded method with poppy seeds. Otherwise, the recipes were exactly the same.Questions:- The first l... | Raw cranberries or dried?
I'm a little confused with the recipes and pictures. Are they switched around? How are the poppy seed, cranberries and walnuts incorporated? Whole or chopped?I find Raw cranberries will swell and then pop inside the dough bursting with liquid. May have a wetting effect on the crumb. Poppy se... |
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