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TFL in First Magazine
My mother came by today and brought me her October 5th copy of First Magazine. She was pleased to share with me that it had an article about the healing powers of bread. Baking as stress relief.
The important point is that a sidebar directing readers to online baking sites lists The Fresh Loaf f... | Oh yeah?
Oh yeah? Neat! I'll have to check that out. |
Mountain Valley Spring Water
After reading an article describing the lifestyle of a rural artisanal baker...how he used local whole grain fresh groung flours.....fresh well water...etc....I brought home some "Mountain Valley Spring Water" to use for my starter and bread formulas. I thought I was making the best pizz... | That's impressive! I'm glad
That's impressive! I'm glad you found a way to tweak your bread so that it's even better than before.
I just use plain 'ol Louisville Tap in my bread, but I suppose it wouldn't be that much more expensive to use bottled water. I'm interested to know in what ways has your bread improved.
Eri... |
Message for our Community Members: Help keep our site spam-free
Hey everybody!
I just wanted to drop in and remind everyone about a feature we have here on The Fresh Loaf to help keep the site running smoothly.
Since our site has become so active with so many members, it's also a prime target for folks wanting to make ... | I'm bumping this once so it hits the radar again...
I'm bumping this once so it hits the radar again... Last week was a busy one and this may have been missed by some of you.
This morning when I did my login to clean the forums of junk, I found a few examples of folks replying to forum posts which were all made by bran... |
Support Mercy Corps and test my software (updated 10/24)
A handful of times a year I abuse my privileges as site administrator and make a post about my favorite charity-- which also happens to be my employer. I hope community members do not mind too much. -F
A project I've been working on for months and dreaming of f... | Happy to support this fundraising
I have learned so very much about how to make great bread on this site, and I truly appreciate the efforts that Floyd has made to nurture this community.
I can think of no better way to show my appreciation than to contribute to this very worthy cause that is close to Floyd's heart. |
Meaning of "creamy" wrt crumb
I've often read the term"creamy"used, talking about the quality of a good crumb in certain breads. This word has never really made a lot of sense to me, but I assume it's a metaphorical descriptive, like when people talk about wine having "structure". I'm wondering if some one can take a s... | And also the "mouth feel"
This sounds like creaminess to me but it also means how the crumb feels in the mouth as you chew it-at least that is what I always thought of as "creamy" or "custardy" . It feels creamy as it dissolves in the mouth-not gummy or tough or starchy.Smooth,properly cooked flavor. |
knives
Has anyone tried the Pure Komachi 2 knives?
I love their original tomato knife and the bread knife is stellar, or would be if it were an inch or so longer.
The series 2 knives look even tackier than the originals & are about half the price. I was wondering whether the quality has changed.
Patsy | Forschner Victorinox
I love the tomato knife too - works great for scoring, but am not at all impressed with the Pure Komachi bread knife and it's now relegated to other tasks (cutting veggies).
I switched to the Swiss Forschner Victorinox bread knife, which is 10 1/4 inches long and quite awesome as there's flexibilit... |
Cloth Bread storage bag?
I'd like to be able to store my bread for a few days without putting it in plastic and not just leaving out on the counter face down. Could someone suggest the type of baker's bag I've seen referred to in some discussions on bread storage?
I thought - perhaps - I'd make one. Put a little mono... | Cloth bread bag
Susie,
My daughter brought a cloth bread bag back from Cote d'Ivoire for me after she spent a summer there. It's an off-white color, heavy fabric. Looking at the weave, it might be a twill, sort of like denim, although it's about the same weight as a light canvas or duck cloth.
Hope that helps,
Paul |
Slashing is deflating loaves.....
I swear that soon I will just give up scoring forever...sigh.....last week my slashing didn't work well because the tops of the loaves were getting dry during the second rise. Today I used plastic shower caps over my rising bowls and it worked just perfectly, loaves high as the sky, ni... | Image in the Mind's Eye
From you description of the process, I have a mental image of a raised ball of dough in a bowl that was slashed then removed from the bowl to the final proofing location (I typically use parchment paper atop my peel for that part of the process) for final proofing. I never slash until after the... |
BREAD STORAGE
I'm still a little fuzzy about how to store the different breads. Do you remember when you first started, and you read and read and read? Well, that's where I am, and I know I remember reading that you leave the crusty breads out on the counter. Do all others go in a plastic Zip-Lock? How do I determi... | Hello Syb, My biggest wish
Hello Syb, My biggest wish for a place to keep my bread would be a great big old fashioned wooden bread box I gave away years ago and room on the counter for it ; )
Sylvia |
Selling your homemade bread
Hi all,
I was wondering if any home bakers here have had success selling their breads from their home kitchen. Were you able to sell to more than friends and family? Farmer's market? Anywhere else? Your trials and errors would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
Mike | Semi-professional baking
There are a number of members here, such as verminiusrex, who sell baked goods prepared in their own homes (in his case, primarily at the farmer's market). The health regulations required to do so legally vary wildly from state-to-state though and are usually to largest hurdle aspiring bakers ... |
Weight or Cups and Sifting
Recipes call for cups of flour. Other articles I have read talk about weighing your flour. How much weight does one strive for per cup and does sifting your flour enter into this equation? | When you use cups things can
When you use cups things can vary depending on when your recipe was printed. Earlier recipes (often pre 2005) use the "scoop and sweep" method, where the cup measurement is dipped into the flour container and a straight edge/knife is used to level the flour with the top of the cup. Currentl... |
Fleischmann's Instant Yeast at Sam's Club, $5 for 2 pounds!
Two vacuum packed cubes, shrink-wrapped together.B.C (Before Covid), Fleischmann's Instant Red Star Yeast was available at SC, 2 pounds, $5. Just as I was running low on my initial purchase of 2 lbs., Covid hit, and yeast doubled and tripled in price, when y... | Glad to see it's back, thanks
Glad to see it's back, thanks for posting. I have a business account with them, so shipping is free for me. It's come in really handy this year.Dave |
best sour dough book for a novice
I would like to purchase a book on sour dough bread making for a friend who is a novice. What would be a good basic book to learn about making sour dough breads? | BEST BOOK FOR S/DOUGH
Hi, I'd recommend the Richard Bertinet book Dough. It has a dvd with it where he demonstrates how to work the dough as well as loads of other recipes. I tried making sourdough a few times to a few different techniques, each time it came out either tasteless, brick-like or both, 'till i got this b... |
Sad newbie....tops of bread dry out too much to score
I have tried proofing my loaf bread 3 different ways...on the countertop and covered with a floursack towel, in my oven (not on) and covered in same towel, and proofing in my expensive Excaliber Dehydrator that I quickly discovered never gets used for anything, but ... | Plastic bags will work...
You need to retain the moisture in your dough. Put the loaf pans in a plastic bag, saran wrap, or something similar to hold in the moisture. The towel isn't keeping the moisture from evaporating from your loaves.
Ria |
LOL--You can bake bread ANYWHERE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMhQc8T7tqQ
No need (knead?) for withdrawal just because you're away from home ;o) | Great idea!
My family regularly traveled with an old fondue for heating up/cooking in hotel rooms. Never would have thought to try baking on an iron though. |
Baguettes
I tried Lesson 1: Your First loaf, and this is what I got. Not too bad. Very flat but made some good sandwiches.
Also did some baguettes this evening. Once again, kinda flat. I am going to try to use some parchment next time to shore up the loaves while they proof & keep them from spreading out so wid... | Wow, what's in your pie?
Wow, what's in your pie? What a gorgeous crust! Your bread looks good. Welcome to the process!
Summer |
Couche in NY
Hey bread bakers!
I'm in New York at the moment and am looking for a couche. Does anyone know where I can find one for a good price?
Thanks! Leah
ps- or in Toronto... | Homemade couche
Leah,
I can't answer your question directly, but thought this might be useful.
I use a "couche" for my ciabatta loaves, but I just use parchment paper. I place a long piece of parchment paper on an upsidedown cookie sheet. I place two loaves on it, separated by about 8". I then pull up the center to ... |
Muffins won't rise
I am having trouble getting my muffins to rise. I made sure my baking powder and baking soda were fresh.
I am wondering if it is my oven. all of the recipes say to bake at 375-400 degrees fpr 20 minutes. i have a convection oven and was told i should dial down the temp by 25 - 50 degress. i have trie... | Get a copy of the manual
for your oven and read it carefully.
Check the exploded view of the fan and oven and see if the fan has any missing parts and turns in the proper direction. (My aunt was missing the cover to her convection fans, apparently cleaned and never re-mounted.)
Mini |
Spam comments
Hi,
How are we supposed to handle spam comments that might appear on our blog? Obviously we can just delete them, but if someone has created an account for the purpose of spamming, I assume someone should be notified. There is the "mark as offensive" link, which kind of sounds like it was intended for a d... | Mark as offensive
Mark as offensive is the correct one. Spam, harsh words etc. |
sun dried tomato question
I have quite a few dehydrated home grown heirloom variety tomatoes that I would like to use in breads that call for sun dried tomatoes. I have seen dried tomatoes with no oil labeled sun dried and those packed in oil also labeled sun dried. So, can I take my home made dried tomatoes and rehydr... | I do not have exact
I do not have exact experience with tomatoes: drying, rehydrating and baking them in bread. Having said that, everything I know with regard to cooking and baking says "yes" absolutely use your tomatoes.
Jeff |
Spritzing Oven
Some recipes say to spritz the inside of the oven a couple times during baking for better crust. I am afraid of breaking my stone if water hits it.
I am also puzzled about pictures I've seen of the steam pan placed on the top rack of the oven with the bread on the lower rack. I thought the bottom of the... | I used to spray the inside
I used to spray the inside because they said to do that but no longer. I've gotten plenty of water on my stone without it breaking but I've heard some do; possibly an inferior product? Don't know.
It just seems to me that spraying the inside, then closing the door, you lose almost all that st... |
Kneading Trouble
Greetings all,
So this is my second attempt using what I guess is called French Fold? I found it from the video http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/video/2008/03/bertinet_sweetdough which this site linked to me.
Anyways, both times I've tried it, it has stayed sticky all the way through, up to 30 minutes o... | Lots of Flour
I share your frustration with trying to replicate the process he uses with the results he achieves. But I suspect that the difference in what I'm trying to accomplish and what he's doing is the issue here. I'm making simple bread dough (flour, water, salt, yeast) and he's making a sweet dough using bind... |
Advertisements on the site
I am getting back to using fresh loaf after a few months absence. Now, I ma getting advertisements intruding on the site. Is there any way to block this?Thanks, Jim Burgin | uBlock Origin
Works great for me. It is a free plugin for Chrome or Firefox. |
Baguette screw-up in progress..
Making a baguette recipe at GF's house, from memory...
Accidentally doubled water, so I ran with it. However, I used 2t yeast in a double batch, where I'd normally use 3t for a single recipe. Can I save it? I figure (much) longer rising time might do the trick. I don't feel like ba... | Go for it!
My only suggestion is proof at an elevated temperature 80°F to 84°F. You can usually get this temperature putting the dough in your cold oven with the oven light turned on. Monitor the temperature if you have a thermometer, and turn the light off when you reach the warmest temperture you think is right.
Goo... |
dark bottoms on my rye bread
I make round loaves of dark rye bread and bake it on parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal on a sheet pan. The bottoms of the loaves are coming out too dark and hard. Any suggestions as to how I can prevent this? If I use a baking stone does it have to go into a cold oven and would this p... | depends on starting temp
generally, when i burn the bottoms of my loaves, it means that the stone is too hot, either because oven temp is too high or i have the stone down too close to the electric element. for rye breads, lower and slower is generally better than hotter and faster. try starting out at 425 or so for th... |
Bread dough/dinner rolls?
This might be a simple minded question but please understand I'm still not sure what I'm really doing yet.I made some regular kneaded white bread today in loaf pans and it's so far my best effort at bread makimg.My question is:Can I just use the dough that I made today for the loaves of bread ... | I use the same recipe
I use the same basic white bread recipe for rolls, and burger/hotdog buns.
I saw the photos of your bread and they look yum. Make sure you let them cool completely before cutting. If not you will loose precious moisture to steam. By letting them cool completely the moisture is re-absorbed into the... |
Personal taste
It seems like most everyone on this site is a sourdough fan. For those of you who are, what is your opinion of the bread served at Claimjumper restaurants? I have never been a big fan of sourdough breads. It could be that I have never met a truly good one, or it could be that I just don't like it. The br... | sourdough
I love the buttermilk sourdough I make almost every week, but it isn't sour at all which is just as well because I don't like the sour stuff. I do use a little yeast in it, but I've also made another starter with just flour and water and made bread with that, using no commercial yeast at all. Not too sour, ... |
Cissel bread?
My Google-fu is seriously lacking today as I just can't find anything about it. Any ideas? | Corn bread ?
as in maize ? |
Doughnut pans
I was out this afternoon and had a few minutes to kill. Went in a Goodwill store and found one 6-cavity doughnut pan and one 12-mini doughnut pan. Got them together for $9. I would have to pay twice as much to buy them new so I thought might as well. Now, here's a problem... no one at home, including ... | Jello molds
Jello molds |
Julie and Julia
The movie is born of the book Julie and Julia.
I withdraw my comments. You astonish me. | Julia Only would have been my choice
I just wished they had done the movie on Julia Child alone without the coarse blogger. To me, it takes away from Julia. I understand why they did it, but real foodies would've gone anyway.
Just my opinion. |
Chewy Bread Question
What is it that makes some breads chewy like a bagel? I have added gluten to no avail. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Chuck | less water?
Besides high protein flour, another factor is the hydration. For bagel recipe it is 45-50% |
How to STOP baking?
Stop me before I bake again! The freezer(s) are full. I've got to stop baking and do some eating for awhile. It's been 3 days and I'm getting itchy. I use wild yeasts only so I dried and froze my starters. That helps, but I know I could thaw them out pretty quickly. I've even been thinking abo... | I know . . .
It's embarassing that I had to ask my husband's help to stuff the freezer full of Sunday's baking--three challahs (they were small, I swear!) and a fairly big loaf of "heart of wheat" bread (Rose Levy Berenbaum).
OK, and three parbaked pizza shells.
And a dozen (or so) teeny weeny little english muffins.... |
Micro bakery
Can anyone share the sq footage of their micro bakery? I'm looking into building a room in my garden / backyard to use as a dedicated bakehouse. Currently thinking it'll be around 2.4m x 3m (7 x 10ft).Is that too tiny? | With or without rain or snow?
Do the dimentions include the oven? |
going to a supplier
if any of the members want somthing i a'm making a trip to the bakery supplyer today and i would be happy to pick up anything if you would be willing to pick it up from me
we'r talking bulk here 50# bags of flour cases of canned fruit 11# pound bars of choc or 50# cases 2 pound blocks of fresh yeast... | wow
Would love to have come with you............................ qahtan |
Looking for alum substitute
I was going to make salt dough with my son as a summer project. The salt dough recipe called for alum and the book said I could find it in the baking section in any health food store. I went to look for it today but couldn't find it anywehre. It's a very small amount but I am not sure if ... | Cream of tartar?
The salt dough recipes I've seen just call for water, flour and salt.
Alum is a pickling spice - if you're looking for a hardening agent, the cream of tartar should work. But maybe too quickly? |
bread making
Can I just say for what it's worth , myself I think that many newbies also some oldies that are haveing problems with their breads is that they are trying too hard to get it right.
I have been a self taught home bread maker for over 50 years.
qahtan | Bread Making
Qahtan,
I agree and would add that the home stand mixer is responsible for many people trying to make bread without actually knowing how it should feel. Relax and mix by hand.
Eric |
TFL Tee Shirt design
Here's my candidate for a TFL Tee Shirt design. (Thanks, flournwater, water for the idea!):
David | Thanks
Beautiful. Thanks for the image. |
new name
I have a request. I need a name I can live with. I was just goofing around when I came up with the current 1234, and now I'm stuck with it! Or am I??? I don't know how to get it changed, and I would love some suggestions for a new one!!!! Anyone want to help me with a new name? I'm beginning to think o... | My name
My name was my dogs name she was a Saluki,,,Qahtan...... |
Blue Cheese Walnut Rolls
A while back Trishinomaha created a post called King Arthur's Gruyere Cheese Breadhttp://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/gruyere-stuffed-crusty-loaves-recipe. If it has cheese, my husband and I will love it. It was bookmarked for a future bake and today :
I've had a hankering for some bleu chee... | Looks great! I have been on
Looks great! I have been on a Blue Cheese in my bread kick lately. Two weeks ago I made a Blue Cheese and walnut bread. I'm going to try Blue Cheese and Pumpkin seeds this week. They do counter all the fats. |
Farmers Market Requirement
Does anyone else have a problem with breads that are sold at farmers markets being required to be sold in covered plastic bags? My area is finally catching up with the times with farmers markets sprouting up across town.
Friends have been trying to encourage me to sell my sourdough baguett... | Legal requirement, no doubt
The rule is probably mandated by your state's health department and/or statutes for sanitary reasons.
I know the breads I've seen at the outdoor markets are all bagged. I don't have a problem with that since one can always wash veggies, but you can't wash bread.
Check with the manager of th... |
No Knead bread.Why a wooden spoon?
I'm a new bread maker.Only a few days at this and I've not tried anything except the real easy (but very tasty) no knead type bread.I see that most of the people telling how to mix the no knead tell me to mix using a wooden spoon.I do not own a wooden spoon.I used a big metal spoon un... | Don't need one
Not sure what recipe you're looking at, but the original no-knead recipe credited to Jim Lahey of the Sullivan Street Bakery and published by the NY Times makes no mention of any spoon, let alone a wooden one.
Your hands will do a very nice job. |
Has anyone else noticed...
...that nearly every Tom, Dick, and Harry is named David?
David G | I have noticed that
Yup. I noticed that in a post I called "Too many guys named David". That was before another dozen or so Davids came on board!
D.... |
Food Grade Lye - Cheap(er)
I keep reading posts about how food grade lye is expensive and have been kicking myself for not remembering where I ordered mine from. Finally my source, Essencial Depot, sent me a promotional email so now I'd like to pass their address on to adventurous bagel bakers everywhere:
www.essentia... | Lye
Awesome Summer! THANK YOU!! I have never tried lye in my bagel water but I will now!! AND I want to make some Goats Milk soap so I can use it in that as well!! THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! |
Hi Fresh Loaf! Looking for feedback on "declarative" sourdough calculator
Hi members of the fresh loaf,I wanted a way to write down what percentages of flours I want in my sourdough bread, and it'd just calculate the flour amounts I needed, so I created a little calculator for it. :-)I hope it's OK that I share it with... | Wow
That's really great. Thank you. |
Unbleached? Not here....
The only bread I've made so far is no knead and the instructions said use either bread flour or unbleached all purpose flour.To date I have only used bread flour.Went to the store today to buy the unbleached all purpose.Wanted to build a couple loaves using it instead of the bread flour just to... | What'll happen? You'll get bread.
If you use bleached instead of unbleached your bread will come out a little whiter (but you probably won't notice unless you put two slices side-by-side), and you will likely get a touch of residual bleaching agents that you wouldn't otherwise.
The main difference between unbleached A... |
Need Professional advice for a new oven
Well, it seems that I am at a crossroads in my baking venture. I need a second oven and would prefer gas but we have to have LP out here. With the volume of baking I am doing now for our market I am thinking that a regular home oven isn't going to last long as I am running the ov... | Flourgirl51,
I would check
Flourgirl51,
I would check Ebay, it normally has a great choice also professional gear and sometimes free shipping.
Thomas |
Help needed regarding norpro bake pan
Does anyone know how much dough in weight that the NORPRO 8x4 1/2x3 inch bread pan holds and how long to bake it at 350 degrees?? I called the company and they have no idea and I don't have time to experiment today. Thanks! This is for wheat bread. | My guess would be about 16
My guess would be about 16 ounces of dough, with a baking time of 30 to 40 minutes depending on what type of bread you are making.
There are two common sizes for loaf pans: 8 1/2 x 4 inches and 9 x 5 inches.
The smaller size usually is for 1 pound loaves; the larger, for 1 1/2 pound loaves.
-... |
small town in need of bread
As mentioned in my intro post a while back, I'm an ex-pat living in rural Nicaragua where the community is supplied with endless corn tortillas but devoid of good artisan bread. As such, I have taken it upon myself to bake my own. So far, so good, I'd say. There have been a few moments of... | 10 to 12 loaves
I've got a book in front of me, The Great Canadian Bread Book by Janice Murray Gill, with recipes for Basic White Bread Made in Quantity. Now her recipes are for white sandwich loaves which include milk and fat, but excluding those, for 12 loaves, she only goes up to 3 tbsp. of active dry yeast and 3 t... |
Floyd's Bagels
Sometimes I feel as dumb as a box of rocks, but right now I'm driving myself nuts trying to find Floyd's recipe for bagels. Could someone please give me the link, I will be forever grateful.
Carol | Try search
If you type in "Floyd's bagels" in the search box, you'll find the recipe.
The TFL search function is excellent and you'll learn all sorts of interesting things during the process. |
can you add VWG to regular bread flour to make hi gluten?
I've seen two recipes tonight with the KA high gluten flour, which of course I don't have. So can you add more VWG to bread flour to be the equivelent?
Thankd | Honestly, a great deal of
Honestly, a great deal of recipes that call for high-gluten can be made just fine without the VWG. It just depends on how faithfully you want to re-create the recipe's crumb texture. A lot of folks actually bring the protein content down by adding some all purpose flour, which creates a much s... |
Bread Texture
Every so often when I make whole wheat loaves, my bready comes out lumpy. It rises this way and seems to have thin layers that tear into holes. Anyone have an suggestions as to why this occurs? | Sounds like it probably isn't
Sounds like it probably isn't kneaded enough. Or, if you are kneading it for a really long time, perhaps you are over kneading it and causing the bran to break up the gluten strands. But I think the case is probably the former.
Tell us more about the recipe.
--Pamela |
Blogs and beginners
I've noticed that all the bloggers here have great looking breads. I think it's going to be awhile before I get good enough (If ever) to start a blog of my own. When I make what I think is a pretty decent loaf I look through the blog pages and think " Oh Man, do I have a long way to go". You guys ar... | Whoa, Dave! Don't feel like that!
I have been baking for years, blogging on here over a year and I was telling Pamela yesterday about a weekend FLOP I did. Where I let time get away from me and let my dough rise over the bowl and collapse down the freezer in an awful mess. No baker is perfect. I guarantee that if you p... |
Whipping Cream ideas
Salutations, I was thinking of a way to use Whipping Cream in a recipe last night and considered this may make an interesting thread on TFL.
How about it...What do you use Whipping Cream for?
note: I have three young children, all's fair. :-)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxOTR1wIcds All the best... | interesting topic...
...and video too. Looks like you've got some potential superstars there. I was just doing some experimenting with tiramisu and made up mascarpone cheese with heavy whipping cream along with the filling that goes between the ladyfingers. MMmmmmm!-Mark |
Neglected starter questions?
OK, I left it in the fridge for a few weeks all by it self with no care at all.
I took it out and it looked funny, liquid on top and some discoloration "spots" on the surface both on the dry places above the liquid as well as under the liquid, but after I mixed it up it looked and smelled (... | I don't know all your
I don't know all your answers....but I think I've read that it's a good idea to pour off the liquid that gathers at the top of the starter when it's been neglected. It also sounds like your starter may need one or two more feedings to be "healthy/strong" for baking. |
Organizing the ~12 steps in baking
I admit to being left-brained but somehow I'm still terrible when it comes to figuring out when I need to start an operation so that I end up with the bread sufficiently cooled after baking so that we can have it for lunch, dinner or whenever. So that's why I came up with my 24-hour ... | Wathc the Dough, Not the Clock
The only arguement I would have with your clock method for planning is that I don't believe it's a good idea to prepare bread based upon clock watching. The dough always communicates when the time is right for the next step and using a clock to time each phase introduces constants that a... |
Edible disaster
Well, I decided to bake a no-knead loaf the other day. I find my house is cool so I use a slightly heated oven as my place of choice to rise my bread. A few hours into the rise my son decided to preheat the oven to 300 to warm up some chicken. He yells out " hey. what's that smell in the oven?". Now my ... | If it tastes good, that's all it counts
Way to go to be creative! That's the fun part of bread making. If it doesn't turn out exactly what we're going for, we can always make it into something else!
Just two weeks ago I saw a water roux starter recipe and I really wanted to try it. I must have made some mistakes in... |
Bread Shelf Life
So, my bread is drying out pretty quickly, which makes me sad. As a single person with only one girlfriend, we can only eat so much at once, and I am running our of houses for housewarming gifts. What's the best way to keep bread from getting stale? | Smaller loaves
If the recipe calls for two loaves, you can make three smaller loaves and freeze the excess.
Of course, then you create a situation of running out of freezer space... |
The Little Loaf That Could
Has anyone had a slip up like this that ended up ok? I set out on the right foot yesterday converting my Liquid Levain into Stiff and building a little overnight preferment in preparation of making Jeffrey Hamelman's Pain au Levain. Step by thoughtful step ( I need to concentrate hard now be... | Disaster recovery
That's a beautiful bâtard, ein!
I have had quite a variety of mishaps, usually when transferring loaves into the oven. I have managed to recover the bread in each instance and end up with a very edible product.
You obviously did the right thing. In fact, your bread looks so nice, you may have discove... |
here's another cool bread site if anyone is interested.....
It might not appeal to the advanced on here, but I keep going back to this site, and just thought I would share, esp since they have a pretty large whole grain bread section. Hope someone finds it useful too!
http://www.cookingbread.com/index.html | Interesting, but....
They only offer volume measurements.
Really odd considering it's a Canadian site. |
Yeast and health
Hello!
I have just stopped following an alkaline diet which banns yeast consumption. My reasons for stopping were the lack of science behind the approach. However, some things remained with me, like the sugar free part of the diet.
However, for a couple of years now I've been suffering from repeating s... | Google sourdough health benefits...
You'll find a whole lot of information there. Sourdough has been touted as being good for anyone who has allergies to commercial yeast; I don't have an allergy, but I love sourdough because it's so low on the glycemic index that I can eat white bread without my blood sugar spiking. |
porketta recipe
Does anyone have an authentic recipe for Porketta? All my online searches seem to yield the same two recipes (posted below). Any input would be of great value. I will probably take the best of both recipes and combine, unless anyone can point me in the right direction.
most common recipe found all o... | Porchetta
The Zuni Cafe recipe for mock porchetta is widely available on the web & is delicious. Just Google Zuni porchetta. Patsy |
recession hits organic farms - article
I read this depressing article in the NYT today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/us/29dairy.html?_r=1&hp
It is mainly about arganic dairy farms. Are there any Fresh Loafers who have info about how the recession has hit the organic grain farmers? Is it as bad for them?
In the ... | I wouldn't consider buying
I wouldn't consider buying anything less than organic dairy products......I'm mostly vegetarian, and my food bill isn't that much anyway.....would rather eat less food made with the best quality ingredients, than more food with chemical ingredients.....I wish I could buy local "raw" milk, an... |
Handy desktop converter for weights and measures that is a snap to use......
If you go to this site, Josh Madison has a great little converter that is really easy to use ( If I can use it , anyone can) It's a free download that I have on my desktop and use it frequently when cooking and canning to convert from grams to... | Google does it too
Sorry to be a spoiler, but no app is necessary. Just go to goggle and type in, e.g., 16 ounces to grams, and your answer will be displayed immediately. Google calculator works for all kinds of conversions, e.g., temperature, money, etc.
--Pamela |
multicolored bread recipes wanted
I have always liked the looks of two tone breads or multicolored breads. Does anyone have any good recipes for these types of breads? I saw an interesting one that was made with red and white dough. The red had tomato paste or something in it. Sadly, I didn't copy off the recipe and I ... | for flourgirl51
Like you, I love multi-colored breads. My first suggestion is Peter Reinhart's BBA, it's on page 183 - marbled rye bread.
My 2nd suggestion is this one which I found 3 days ago.
http://www.recipe-ideas.co.uk/recipes-7/Colorful%20Vegetable%20Bread.htm
Let me know if these are helpful. |
Malted Barley Flour?????
I've learned that most our bread and all-purpose flour contains malted barley flour, and that this is food for the yeast? correct me if I'm wrong.......what would we do if our flour didn't contain this malted flour? I live in the U.S.
Does most the flour in the world contain malted barley flo... | Malted Barley in AP Flour
I think most AP flours have a very small amount of malted barley added to them to boost their enzyme activity. Whole Wheat flours do not require such an adjustment because they contain both the germ and the bran.
--Pamela |
how much height to expext?
How much height (vs width) should i reasonably expext in a sourdough mostly white flour boule?I have learned that overproofes dough will run away like lava and result in a very low flat loaf.But a well proofed loaf? Yesterday my liaf was about 20cm wide and 8cm high. So a 2.5:1 width to heigh... | Height is a function of many
Height is a function of many things: flour type(s), dough size, hydration, scoring, shaping, how it's baked and really what you're going for with the crumb.In my 70% hydration sourdough loaf using 12% protein bread flour with 18% whole wheat. a 500g boule proofed in a 18cm round banneton an... |
Do you use fresh bread to make French toast?
My husband loves breads. Who doesn't? I make sourdough WW sandwich bread, twice a week, so my family can have fresh breads all the time.
Last week I got busy and behind schedule so we were out of my homemade sourdough bread for one day. My husband couldn't wait for one d... | homemade makes the best...
I always use my Challah for French Toast. it makes the best. The stale bread, I don't think, is as good as fresh. I like the recipe on Epicurious for overnight FT. It is Creme Brulee FT. Wonderful and rich. But for every day I think the FT is only as good as the bread and syrup you use for it... |
A question about crumb
I hope I've put this post in the most appropriate section...
After reading posts on this site for over a year, I finally got around to joining so I could ask a question that has flummoxed me for years...What is meant by "crumb?" I've been cooking and baking for 20 years but only started baking b... | Crumb
Crumb: Term referring to the interior texture, gluten network, tenderness, and general feel of a bread. Desirable crumb size and texture varies depending on the product. Kneaded breads are generally fine and even, although when using sourdough starters the product may contain large bubbles. Batter breads gene... |
Room Temp
Hey all,
I have a very basic question...
I keep reading about fermenting at room temp... What is the correct room temp? I live in Phoenix and in the summertime I keep my apartment at around 76 to 78 degrees.
Is that too warm?
Thanks
Craig
BTW... my first formula from this site is the Rosemary Olive Oil Bread,... | Temperature
Ah yes, Phoenix. I was just near there. Toasty. Dry, too. Make sure you take care that your dough doesn't dry out. I was baking near there and we had to go to extraordinary lengths to keep our dough workable.
76-78F is within a perfectly acceptable range for most breads. (There are special techniques ... |
How to give bread a longer shelf life?
..we're going to a festival here in a few days and would love to bring bread, however I'm afraid of the bread turning hard by the time we get there (3+ days). Should I reduce/increase the salt content, add more honey, or...
..really I have no clue, so I'm asking for your tips a... | The only way I know
how to keep freshness longer is to use sourdough. I don't know about where you live but I live in an area where it's cold and dry; my sourdough breads are good for a week . In fact, by day 3, the flavor really heightens and the sourness is just about right between the 3rd and 4th day. Last Saturda... |
Stretch and fold . . .in a bowl?
I've heard of the stretch and fold method, but never of doing it "in the bowl." Does this mean just kneading using the mixer? I discovered this as part of the process in the recipe for baguettes listed below. I want to give it a whirl, but am unsure what this particular instruction mean... | Watch video
Here's Mark Sinclair's video showing the technique. |
Cooling the bread first
In my original post about the onion bread I said how the taste wasn't all that great. Admittedly, I sliced and tasted the piece while the bread was still warm. Unimpressed, I froze the loaf. We were going to a friend's house for dinner, so I decided to take the bread along and see what others th... | i agree with rockfish
I agree with rockfish, and can say that if you are baking sourdough bread, you might find the flavor continuing to change for several days AFTER it's cooled! The "daily bread" I bake has maximum flavor (and sourness) 2 days after baking / cooling.
David |
Weekend Bake - Courtesy of George Greenstein
I went on a baking frenzy today, thanks to George Greenstein's Secrets of a Jewish Baker. I followed one of his "Morning Baking" programs at the end of the book and made muffins, milk bread, whole wheat bread, and Italian bread. | WOW
That is very impressive! May have to check out that book. |
Thank You Mr. DiMuzio
I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this, but it's the only place I found that comes close to the category I tried to find. That's a WOW!! category. Even better, a Thank You category.
Chef Daniel T. DiMuzio demonstrated a most incredible degree of generosity by his participation on th... | I second that Thank You
Great information, what a nice gift to those of us (all) who love bread and baking. Thank you again Mr. DiMuzio.
I love the understanding side of what is going on in bread and baking -- your book is on my wish list. I'll have it soon.
Dave |
Kneading Mystery
I'm trying an onion bread that was posted by FloydM. It calls for kneading. By hand. Ugh! So I tried. I kept adding flour. And more flour. A little at a time, granted, but it was so frustrating (and messy and sticky) and it made me want to just dump the entire 5 lbs on the dough and be done with the to... | My method.
This makes for much less tired arms. Being 3 months pregnant, that's a good thing.
I knead for about 5 minutes before I put the salt in the dough. After this 5 minutes I let the dough rest for about 10 minutes, then I actually *knead* in the salt for about 7 minutes or until it's incorporated into the dough.... |
Can someone explain what a "soaker" is?
I've read about people using "soakers" - what exactly is that?
How do I incorporate that into making the bread? When do I add it?
and also....
*why* would I use a "soaker" or that method?
If you could tell me all about it - I'd appreciate it!
Thanks | Softening grains and seeds
If a recipe calls for using certain seeds or cracked/whole grains, they are soaked in water overnight or for a specific number of hours to soften them (so you don't break a tooth when you eat the bread). The water is part of the total water used for the dough.
Sometimes the water is boiled, ... |
It Tastes Like Corn. Are We Making Tamales or Bread?
I love roasted corn, it's one of my favorite things. And this being sweet corn season, I'm up to my neck in it!
I love cornmeal too, being essential to many ethnic recipes, especially those from Mexico.
For bread, however, there's a time and a place for cornmeal, lik... | corn and baguettes
Just a nit, but you DO realize that the baguette post-dates the introduction of corn into Europe by at least a couple hundred years (depending on what you say "a baguette" is)? |
Rye bread will do you good
Got this from a friend, scanned from a booklet about Irish Toast. Maybe nice to share.
I got a new camera and will be back online with my blog after a week or two.
Cheers,Jw. | cute!
Hopefully my sourdough rye will come out okay this weekend!
Summer |
how to double a recipe
I notice when I double a recipe, the dough doesn't add up exactly twice as much. Is there a way to figure out how to do it without losing the total volume? | Doubling
I'm not quite sure what you're meaning here. Are you measuring by volume (cups) or by weight? if you're doubling something by doubling the weight of each ingredient it should exactly double in weight. When doubling measurement by volume you're also doubling every tiny little inconsistency in measurement. Over,... |
Math. problem
I have just mixed up a batch of dough for the Swedish Tea Ring from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas. This is her no knead dough and gets to spend the night in the refrigerator. I made this once before and had a problem when it came to rolling the dough into a "20" to 24" square". ... | This should work
Square root of (20 x 20)/2 = 14.14"
of (24 x 24)/2 = 16.97"
so, between 14" and 17" square for each piece.
FP |
slashing tool
Can anyone recommend a good online source for a slashing tool for breads? I have tried using a knife but it doesn't seem to work very well. | Here you go
This one is a favorite of many TFL members. It does a very nice job. |
Received my first order
Remember I mentioned some friends from work and school asked for my breads? I received my first order this weekend. Two dozens of muffins and two medium sourdough WW sandwich loafs. The muffins were done this morning and the breads are now in the oven. I won't be making much money off this b... | That is exciting!
I've had that happen to me too, and it is thrilling when you realise that people are willing to pay for your bread. Congratulations! |
My Favorites
have disappeared. I had trouble signing in today and when I finally did and went to my account all my favorites had one poof! Now when I put something in favorites and go to check, it's not there. Can anyone help? TIA. Hope it was okay to ask here.
Carol | I dont think I'd ever
I dont think I'd ever actually used that feature before. Had to go exploring for a while just to see how to get to the favorites.
I am seeing a bunch listed on your account though:
* Valentine's Day Treats, Part Deux: Brioche * Blueberry Cream Cheese Braid * A Pizza Primer ... |
Bought some Italian flour--Now What?
I wasn't planning on it, but I just happened to come across some important doppio zero flour at the farmer's market. At $1.69 for a 1000g bag, I thought what the heck. I have yet to open the bag, but I know from reading about doppio zero flours that it's very finely milled and not... | It depends
There shoud be a code on the bag indicating the strength of your flour, something like "W200". What is it? |
OK to store egg wash (1 whole egg mixed with 1 tsp of water) in fridge for 2 days
I googled my question but I'm not getting the answer I'm looking for. Must be the way I phrased my question. But here's my question: i love the egg wash effect on breads but I find I'm wasting too many eggs. I know I can freeze egg wh... | I think it is OK
I have some that I made up yesterday and used today. As long as it passes the 'smell' test, I'll use it.
--Pamela |
Recipe for Corned beef and/or Pastrami
I see lots of recipes for awesome looking rye bread. All I can think of when I see these is how bad I want a Katz Deli (NYC) hot pastrami sandwich. I was hoping somene in here might know of a recipe for brining my own corned beef and or pastrami. | Pastrami
How funny! I've got a pastrami brining in the fridge right now as I had much the same thought.
I'm using this recipe.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/beef-pastrami-recipe2/index.html
I haven't used it before, so I can't tell you how it's going to turn out. I admit to being a bit weirded out b... |
Help! my file browser is loaded?
Im trying to post some photos in my blog. It says download failed...my file browser is full...I can't figure out how to empty it..can anyone help?
Iam not to sharp with PC's sorry! I think I need to delete all the old listings of downloaded photos and posts. It says it's full and wo... | I just bumped the per user
I just bumped the per user limit up to 50 MB, so please give it another try. |
mailing cookies
anyone do it? I wonder if they would make it, edible, if I used Priority which takes about 4 days to where they'd be going? | We do it all the time
We do it. Actually my wife does it. She loves to make sugar cookies, and everyone in the family loves them. Plain, frosted & sugared. We mail cookies to her mom and our kids quite often and everyone says they arrive unbroken and still fresh.She wraps them in plastic wrap (2 cookies side by sid... |
How much to charge for a loaf of sourdough bread?
I have shared my sourdough breads with a tight circle of people i.e. school, work, etc. Now some of these people are asking me to bake breads and they will buy from me. I am not going to operate a bakery; just to bake a few extra loaves each weekend to provide for tho... | A couple of questions towards
A couple of questions towards answering your question.
What is the final baked weight of the loaf?
Is the flour organic?
Jeff |
mixing dough for the physically challenged
Hi all,
I recently discovered the joy of bread making from this site while I was out of work on medical leave. I was using my KitchenAid to mix the dough, but it is getting stressed with this chore and I'm afraid it will burn up if I continue to use it for this. In fact, I'm... | Well, if you're willing to
Well, if you're willing to forgo typical sandwich breads and go for more artisan-type results, you could switch to a much higher hydration bread recipe. If you shoot for something in the 70-80% range, your mixer should have a much easier time hydrating the flour. And once the flour is hydra... |
A normal amount of obsession, knitting vs. bread making
I've been reading wonderful books about knitting by a certain author, S. Pearl-McPhee. She is a yarn fanatic, has her own blog, and is entranced with knitting. It all sounds similar to bread making -- such as -- starting a stash of the various wool yarns or . . . ... | I couldn't agree more. I
I couldn't agree more. I happen to be passionate about both, as well (although I've been on a bit of a baking hiatus as of late while I've been working to complete my current knitting project). I'm not sure what it is about the two crafts, but there's just something about them that encourage... |
Buying flour from a bakery
This is question for the professional bakers out there or from others who have experiences.
I have, from time to time, been successful in buying hard to get flours from local bakeries. But I am wondering what the general feeling is regarding the right way to approach a bakery if you have not ... | Flour
Since we are both from Ohio (I'm from Mentor) we share a wonderful resource in the Amish Community. I buy specialty flours from B&R Bulk Foods in Middlefield, Ohio, and their prices are below what I can buy in the grocery stores. An example is 25# of Montana Sapphire for $.49 per pound, which is $2.50 less than a... |
Planning out my easter baking scheduel...
Hey everyone!! My family, on discoving my bread baking abilites, has requested I do some baking for easter :) I just wanted to see if I could get some advice on how I should plan out when to do everything. I want to make some dinner rolls, an italian bread, an egg bread and som... | consider no knead recipes
I'd look to some no knead style recipes, or at least things that are happy to sit in the fridge for a while, which will give you some flexibility as to when you bake. |
cheese, anyone?
I know this is pretty far off topic, but I was wondering if anyone knows anything about making cheese? In a way, it seems similar to making sourdough bread: mix a bunch of raw ingredients together, put it in a warm place for a given amount of time, and let the bacteria work their magic.
Friends of ours ... | Start with an entry level kit
Eric,
I just got my first cheese making kit from New England Cheese Making. It is a simple process but from what I can see is even less tolerant of missteps and sloppy practices. Depending on where you live, finding milk suitable for making cheese (not ultra pasteurized) may take a little ... |
Food Additives
In another thread potassium bromate was mentioned as an additive found in some flours and most definitely bad for the human body. The fact that much of the world has banned potassium bromate is a good clue as to its inherent qualities.
This brings me to the subject of this post; and that is the number... | Glutamic acid is not so much
Glutamic acid is not so much a neurotoxin as an aminoacid crucial to human metabolism as well one of the fundamental building blocks of pretty much all living things. As far as calcium caseinate is concerned it is a milk protein, calcium being the part that is good for the bones, or so the... |
traveling to Italy
my husband and I will be in Italy for a week at the end of the month. We'll be in Rome and Assis. Does anyone have any suggestions for bread or pizza shops?
thanks,
Judy | pizza
Lucky you!
I think you're going to be surprised at the number of fine bakeries and pizza you will find everywhere, in every neighborhood. We sought out certain places we had heard about, but on our own street (we were house exchangers near the Coliseum) there was a world-class bakery, a fine pizza place, and a be... |
A Baker's Reading
I have found at least three references to Peter Mayle's book "Confessions of a French Baker" on this forum, but I hope new members of the forum will find the book interesting.
I have read it in about an hour, it's that short, but laughed a lot and found a few neat tricks there.
Here is a quote in rega... | for gosiam
nice suggestion. will look for it in my local library! |
Bakery Puns by Abbott And Costello
Silliness with which to wrap up the weekend. | ROTFLMAO!!
tHAT wAs tHe bEST!
sYLvIa |
Ads are EXCESSIVE!
I do understand the need to bring in funding for this valuable site. But currently the ads are SO invasive as to make coming to the forum nearly useless. I doubt there is anything that can be done, but a bit of a reduction would make the site so much more useful. | Get an ad blocker
I recommend uBlock Origin. Works great. |
One-Day Bread/Cast Iron suggestions?
I remember some time ago seeing a picture of bread that had been baked inside a round dutch oven. I'm a bit short on baking supplies (One loaf pan, one pizza stone) and, quite frankly, very new to baking bread. I have two seed cultures going - one rye, one spelt, but how healthy the... | One Day and You're on Your Way
What you have will work nicely for this bread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU |
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