instruction stringlengths 2 23k | output stringlengths 3 23.1k ⌀ |
|---|---|
Cold and flu season
Ok it's cold and flu season here in Ontario and I'm curious what others do when they get hit by colds and/or the flu? Home bakers and bakeries all apply.Do you cease all baking, wear protective apparatus (masks, gloves, etc), close up the bakery for a few days (or longer). Now being a small business... | aw! I hope you feel better
aw! I hope you feel better soon! We all got hit last week too, and Floyd didn't do much baking during that time. None of us had any taste buds to enjoy anything much either though. |
Why can't I see recent posts when there is an indication that an entry was posted 28 minutes ago?
I was trying to read the recent posts for "Rustic Bread" entered by Floydm, and I did not see anything new on that topic. Is it because I have not set my settings correctly? I noticed that there is a selection for how ma... | New comments
There are some new comments on the rustic bread thread. They are near the middle though, so you may just have missed them. Load the page and search for 2007 and you should find them. |
I have softened water
I have used softened water in my regular yeast bread for many years, now I read that sourdough doesn't like it. Why is that. My house plants do just fine. | softened water
Water softening removes magnesium and calcium from your water. All microorganisms, including sourdough cultures, need some magnesium and calcium to grow, however, they may get enough from your softened water and flour, especially if you use whole wheat flour. If you have trouble, you can substitute mine... |
SMELL!!!
I heated some crab legs the other night in my oven. Now as I bake my bread, I'm smelling crab. Please tell me my bread isn't going to taste and smell like crab!!! Steph | Follow up please
What did the bread taste like? I made a toco sauce in a pan and noticed a smell in it for a use or two but no real transfer. |
Baking in a Soapstone Fireplace
Has anyone tried to bake in their soapstone, like regular, fireplace?I could get mine to 300 degrees outside, don't know how hot it is inside but hotter and pull the coals out. It takes it 30 to 45 minutes to heat up and for ever to cool off but I don't know if it would be the correct te... | Re-enforced Cement Pipe
I pulled an unused irrigation riser last year when my pipe broke that feeds it. It's just laying there. I was wondering if I could get my neighbor's backhoe and have him dump it by my house and I could use it for a base for a bread oven or, it has a 26 inch inside diameter, make an oven out of i... |
Winter baking
Usually when I find myself starting a question, "Is it just me, or...", it's just me! However, my problem I don't think is just me this time. So my question is this: While making three batches of bread this past week, I notice it takes much more flour to get a smooth dough. I knead the dough without a... | Re: recipes and weather
> I asked Mum if they adjust the recipes for the> weather. She looked at me like I was mad? > There's the best answer. : -) Two points perhaps: if you weigh flour rather than measure it by volume that is going to compensate somewhat automatically for different moisture levels in the flour as t... |
Starter AND Yeast?
Could someone please explain why many recipes call for both sourdough starter AND commercial yeast? Is it to have a rising shortcut but the author wants a sourdough taste, or will the starter not last or support the dough, or is it something I haven't even considered? Thanks to anyone who can clea... | Starter and Yeast
Susan,
When commercial yeast is used in conjunction with starter, it speeds up the rise significantly, but also lessens the sourdough flavor. Just depends on what kind of characteristics you want your bread to have. I rarely add commercial yeast to sourdough bread, myself. |
Preheating and other miscellaneous questions
I'm about begin, yet again, to make my sourdough bread. I feel an aura of peace around me ;-D that I will have great success! I've read in many places to preheat the oven for about 30-40 minutes (again contrary to what S John says) with the bread stone in the oven. So wha... | Bread->Stone
Sadears, When I bake directly on my stone I do one of two things. I shape my loaves and place them on parchment paper on a solid cutting-board (my fake peel)I cover my fake peel with corn meal, place the shaped loaves on the meal, and tip the peel to remove the excess corn meal. When I use the parchment I ... |
How Do I Mail Bread?
I have friends and relatives that want me to mail them my bread but I can not think of any convenient container for doing so. Has anyone tried this and know of a good way to do it. I just bought a computer and saved the styrofoam so maybe that would help with the safe packing material. Any sugge... | I've mailed Floyd's bread to my parents
I have put breads that Floyd has made into paper bag, thrown that into a plastic grocery bag, and thrown that into a padded-with-newsprint box and mailed it next-day express mail to my family. It was just in a regular box! The trick was getting the breads baked on a day when a tr... |
How to clean my Couche cloth?
I have this nice Couche cloth. I was making some ciabatta bread. Made a huge mistake with measuring the amount of water. Like a dummy I proceeded anyway. Now I have this mess on my cloth. Instruction that came with the cloth say to never wash it. So, how do I clean up this mess. | Let dry,
And then rub clean with a stiff brush. Be gentle and don’t worry if there are little tiny bits left. |
Kneading
Is it possible to under-knead dough? Steph | Yeah, it's very possible. If
Yeah, it's very possible. If you don't knead enough, the gluten will not develop properly, and you'll end up with a not-so-good loaf. I almost always use the window-pane test to see how well the gluten has developed. |
Interesting website
Found an interesting website: http://www.breadtopia.comThe guy who runs it has some very interesting videos that often cover several days (the videos are only a few minutes long) such as reconstituting dry starter. Very informative. Check it out.Steph | Interesting website
Many thanks for the breadtopia.com site. Great info and the videos are super.Willard |
Getting better at this
I have just baked my 6th loaf of french bread, actually, it's a baguette recipe in the book "Bread - A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes", I shaped them into batards that resemble mishapen loaves. Pretty ugly, I need more practice in folding and shaping. The last 2 loaves were the best, ex... | Crust
Not knowing your formula I can't offer a lot of help except to agree with the other poster regarding hydration. I use the pan of water trick for steam in my oven. I let the steam build for 5 min before I put the bread in, and I remove the steam pan after 15 min. I want a nice dry oven for the last 15 - 20 min ... |
scoring device
i would like to know the name of the scoring implement used by Floydm in his video (and the Coupe Batards video) so that I can order one, please | Scoring device
My scoring device is called a lame. Mine is made from a double-edged razor (which can be found in the shaving section of any grocery store) threaded carefully onto a coffee stirrer stick (complimentary at Starbucks).
That's it. |
Visiting this site -- where do YOU start?
First let me say that I love this website! People on the forums are friendly and helpful, and Floyd has done a great job of stuffing useful info into every nook and cranny. But that's my problem. There's so much to see that I have trouble finding it all. I know I'm not the ... | RSS feeds - via Firefox with Sage
I keep up with the changing info on this site with RSS feeds. I use Firefox with the Sage extension to keep track of which new posts I've already read. When I run out of new postings and have extra time to kill I do check out the home page for the "Active Forum Topics" and "Recent Com... |
What kind of yeast?
I'm contemplating switching from Active Dry Yeast to Instant Yeast. Any opinions? My preferred form of yeast is my sourdough starter, but for those things where a starter won't do I've always used Active Dry. My Active Dry jar has just run out and I've never used Instant Yeast, but it seems like it ... | Active dry vs. instant yeast
Active dry yeast has a longer shelf life than instant yeast. That is the only compelling reason I know of to use it.
To the best of my knowledge, most professional bakers switched over years ago. I know the bakery I worked in almost 20 years ago used nothing but instant yeast. It is stro... |
Storing Bread
I have a question for you all about how you store your bread.
I usually just slice and freeze my bread, but I am starting on a food elimination diet for migraines that requires that homemade bread be at least one day old before eating.
I don't have a breadbox and don't want to buy one, as I have a tiny E... | Thanks Rena.
I don't make
Thanks Rena.
I don't make sourdough (and it's forbidden on this diet).
I guess what you said would apply to regular bread as well?
So, do you just leave it out uncovered for a day? |
Article on 22-year-old running Poilane in Paris
Interesting piece on Apollonia Poilane, daughter of the Poilane who founded and ran the hyper-famous eponymously named Poilane bakery in Paris. Her parents died a few years ago in a helicopter accident. She's now at Harvard and heir to the family business.Here's a link t... | Thanks, JMonkey for posting
Thanks, JMonkey for posting the article. Good for her that she is keeping the tradition alive!
There is a fromagerie here in Lux that has Poilâne bread delivered from Paris twice a week. It is, indeed, expensive, but you can get a miche that weighs 2kgs (the fromagerie will also cut the mi... |
Do you pair?
Since it seems that most of us are home bakers, I was wondering if you guys pair a bread with the meal your cooking that day? My wife laughs at me as I try to pick a bread that goes well with what I'm cooking, sort of like choosing a wine I guess. I love a sour rye with beef, a Vienna with Italian cookin... | to pair or not to pair
Now that you mention it I, myself, don't go to such lenghts when I'm making bread. I'll usually end up finding an interesting recipe, bake the bread and usually just end up eating it as is or with butter of some other topping. However I think bread is a very large part of a meal that people don... |
Help! How do I post a recipe?
Okay, the truth is out. I don't understand anything about computers. I tried to post a recipe for Paddyscake, and the preview showed all the lines run together in one very long paragraph. Help! What did I do wrong? And more importantly, how do I correct it? | Posting a recipe
Paste it in and I can fix it if I need to. |
Where technology meets sourdough..
Have you ever wondered: what were they thinking? https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/17/21224787/sourd-io-sourdough-starter-diy-fitness-tracker-yeast-twilio-narrowband | Ay Caramba!
If this is what you have to do to bake a few breads, maybe knitting is a better hobby.No one who works with levains for any modicum of time needs this contraption.If you're new to SD/Levains, then paying attention to the needs of the craft and how it works will benefit you a lot more than another digital be... |
Throw another loaf on the barbie
I'm still not ready to make the leap to a brick oven, but I decided to toy with baking on the barbeque today. I made up a cinnamon raisin cardamom bread to try out there. I used one of the 99 cent quarry tiles I picked up at Home Depot a while back. I should admit that I preheated ... | The look good but, Is this a
The look good but, Is this a gas or charcoal barbie?Everytime I want to make bread on my barbie they get way too smokey |
pies, tarts puff pastries
I have been browsing a lot of pie, tart n stuffed pastry(is that what its called?????), puff pastry, ready roll dough etc. on the web most of them sweet n some with non-veg fillings. I am not well conversant with these food items and shall be thankfull if someone would take the time to elabora... | pastries
I've never made mine sweet. Always no salt, a pinch of baking powder is salty enough. I let most fillings decide. I use quiche crust for most pies. Pie crust is usually mixed quickly with very little mixing and rolled into a ball. Roll out after 15 or 30 minutes rest. They are typically oil or shortning cr... |
Flour types?
Hello all! I am hoping someone can enlighten me on this point...
I recently moved to Argentina, so I am trying to familiarize myself with the different baking ingredients available here. The flour here all seems to be classified with varying numbers of 0's. I must admit I didn't pay much attention to flour... | Thank you!
Thanks manxman! The website is very informative...yes, my Spanish is improving...especially my recipe vocabulary, of course!!! It seems that I should probably use type 000 for most basic breads and type 0000 for finer things like pastries? And the "screw-up" charts will likely be very useful for me on a dai... |
Refridgeration before baking
I'm considering making the cinnamon raisin walnut bread from Bread Bakers Apprentice this weekend, but I'd like to make the dough Saturday night and then bake it first thing in the morning Sunday. Is there a certain amount of time you should wait after taking it out of the fridge before bak... | take off the chill
If you are baking a loaf, the rule of thumb I've seen is to have the dough sit for two hours to 'take off the chill' or to stick a probe thermometer into the center and be sure it registers at minimum over 60F before baking (ideally over 70F). Retarding bagels in the fridge overnight and immediately ... |
San Francisco Baking Institutue - experiences?
Has anyone taken one of the 5-day workshops at the San Francisco Baking Institute? I was thinking of taking their "Artisan I" class and wasn't sure whether it was worth it. Any advice appreciated (including Bay Area alternatives that may be better).
http://www.sfbi.com/w... | SF Institute
My next door neighbor, who was an avid home baker, took that workshop and loved it. He is now working at an artisan bakery in town. |
Why am I losing oven spring.
Hi All,I have been working on perfecting a crispy hard roll with a nice open crumb. I have a recipe that is working well, with the exception of losing volume during the bake. Here is what I'm trying to find a solution to. I put the rolls in the oven and steam them for about 7 min. When I op... | Steam them for longer
By then, the outer skin and inner structure should have hardened or stiffened enough to support itself. |
Williamsburg,NY recommendations
I am visiting the Williamsburg neighborhood in NY city this coming weekend for 4 days (Sat-Tues). Nearest our hotel is Bakeri (which will be my breakfast). HERE is the link. Any other bakery or food related places that you recommend. Being March and Sat-Tues rules a lot of things out tha... | It's my 'hood and I'm embarrassed
It's my 'hood and I'm embarrassed to say I have no idea where to go for good food.Bakeri does indeed have great pastries that sometimes feature interesting flavor combos.For espresso, I have never found a better or more consistent joint than Black Brick, at 300 Bedford Ave (between Gra... |
First try: white bread: tasteless?
I just followed Jack’s (of Bake With Jack fame) simple white bread for my first go. It turns out that I didn’t bake it long enough- hence the somewhat doughy crumb center... and light crust. But what sort of error would make it so tasteless? AFAIK I followed his instructions... but so... | That’s actually pretty
That’s actually pretty typically of an undercooked dough to be tasteless for a variety of reasons that stem back to the complex chemical reactions that occur during baking. If the dough does not the reach the proper temperatures, the caramelization of sugars as well as sugar-protein bonds cannot ... |
Preferment, Soaker, Starter ect
I've been baking sourdough for about 2 years now both with white flour and freshly milled grain. I feel like I have a handle on it and really want to start creating my own formulas but there are some things that I just don't seem to understand. So I'm asking for someone to explain to me,... | A preferment is the same as a
A preferment is the same as a levain.A starter is usual a smaller version that you just feed to keep it alive. you can then when you want to bake use a part of that starter to create you levain/preferment. The term soaker is new for me. |
Hovis recipe
I am looking for a Hovis bread recipe that I can recreate at home. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. | Google & Search box work just fine
Google:http://www.thebreadkitchen.com/recipes/hovis-recipe-old-style/Search Box (upper right corner of this screen):http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/3865/hovisLooks like a wheat germ/white flour hybrid. Let us know how it works out. EDIT: I found this interesting article about Hovis b... |
What did I do wrong?
Hello everyone!Wishing you the best from Texas as I just found this forum and am eager to join. I am new to breadmaking, started back in January, and have only made basic rustic bread. Normally, my loaves come out fairly well, but the past two times I've baked, I don't think my dough is cooked all ... | Loaf
Welcome to the forum! If one loaf was good and another identical loaf was not, then your oven is probably to blame. Try rotating your loaves in the oven periodically during your bake or use a infrared thermometer to see if you have a cold spot somewhere. But that assumption about the loaves being identical is key.... |
NY/NJ Wanted: Sourdough Starter, Fresh or Dry
Long time no talk all. I used to follow this amazing community daily from 2012-2015. I am now stuck working from home and would love to get back into making homemade bread. I use to have “Friends of Carl” starter but I never dried any out for long term storage and now I am ... | Carl's Friends (1847 Oregon Trail) still going.
Welcome BAA-aaack!www.carlsfriends.net is still going. $1 suggesting donation, plus S.A.S.E.I got some and used it for a while. It's powerful, strong, a little goes a long way, lasts a long time in fridge between feedings. But, I prefer the taste of a different sourdou... |
Ancient Egyptian Emmer
An interesting read about Seamus Blackley's journey to bake bread from a several thousand year old Egyptian starter. Just to make the process a bit trickier, he bakes it in a hole in the ground! It's all done in a proper scientific manner, which gives it credibility.Lance | Awesome
Wow, that is very cool. I love the idea of baking with ancient yeast using ancient techniques! Do you know if Blackley has documented the story of obtaining and reconstituting the starter? It looks like his personal website is down right now. |
Love baking... More than I have belly or room for. And can't give away.
Hi all,Title says it all. But I'm thinking of baking "small". Problem with scaling a recipe down is that scales do not get that accurate. And I think baking times and temp would be a challenge as well. Anyone with this kind of experience? Mon | small batch baking
Hello from Canada!One book on my shelves is "Small-Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers" by Debby Maugans (also available as Kindle version), and she has at least one other entitled "Small Batch Baking (under the name Debby Maugans-Nakos). Maybe this would do the trick. Cheers! |
Rye Crust in Karelian Pie
I want more technical information before i endeavor the rye crust for Karelian Pie. Are there any folks out there who can give me some helpful hints , before I endeavor this 2 parts clear rye flour, 1 part wheat flour crust, The main questions1. what is the ideal Texture2.do i use fat in the d... | (I lived in Finland for some
(I lived in Finland for some time)You kinda just combine all the ingredients, it's not a very sophisticated food. So mix about 2 parts rye flour, 1 part wheat flour, a pinch of salt, 1-1,5 parts water and a touch of oil in a bowl. The dough should be malleable and shouldn't stick to anythin... |
Bread masks against Covid-19
I cannot think of anything I'd rather breathe through than a fresh slice of home baked bread! (Especially a spiced rye.) Wonderful! So wonderful! And what a great way to greet the day or anytime for that matter. If you know me, I'm up to something and thinking too much. Ah heck! Slic... | duplicate/deleted
duplicate/deleted. |
Manhattan Meet-Up?
I have been part of this community maybe three weeks now and have learned a lot, and have seen the results in my bread making. Do people meetup to look at and offer advice on each other's breads? I think I found an old thread that helps with an issue that I have with wet/shiny/gummy crumb, but I don'... | try putting Manhattan in the title.
There are a handful of NYC bakers here. Try putting "Manhattan meet-up" in the title, to get their attention. Just edit this one, you don't need to create a new post. |
San Francisco: bulk buying flour for home made sourdough
Hi there,I have been baking sourdough for a few months now. My main ingredient is Organic Type 85 which I order from Central Milling directly (5lb bags). The shipping cost to San Francisco ends up being non-trivial so I was wondering if there are more folks in th... | Costco
Have you tried the downtown Costco? I've seen CM flour there, 20lbs for about $11. Not sure if it is Organic Type 85 though. |
Baking with "brewers yeast" in 20th century London
I wonder if someone here can help me with some more information about this.My grandfather ran a bakery in Addiscombe, South London until the 1970s (approximately). (Consequently there is no tradition of baking bread in my family as bread just appeared, indeed when gran... | You would not be using stuff
You would not be using stuff from the bottom of fermentation tank. That's lager yeast, and it's not suitable for making bread. Traditionally, the yeast was skimmed from the top, washed with water and then used bor baking, but by and large that practice was abandoned abouth 100 years befo... |
Tartine and treatment of bakers
Thought this would be of interest to folks here.Tartine Officially Comes Out Against Its Workers’ Unionization Effort:Apologies if its the wrong forum, but I learned a lot from the Tartine book and especially how skilled you must be to be a good baker. I also support the craft of baking ... | Sounds like they are about to
Sounds like they are about to go under. |
Bread denser and gummy at bottom of loaf?
My loves of bread baked in loaf pans are getting better :). Something I see from time to time is that the horizontal bottom 10% of the loaf is denser, harder and sometimes even gummy. Why does that happen? I have been able to knead and make the bread without adding more flou... | Hi, I wonder could you
Hi, I wonder could you perhaps be handling the dough a bit too roughly when sealing the seam underneath, thus creating an area of denser dough?I have only ever had gummy crumb when I have under baked, could your oven be baking unevenly? Or perhaps more heat underneath the bread, a hotter stone et... |
upload woes
Woe is me! I cannot upload a photograph from my iPad. I have been able to upload photographs in the past. This is what I do:Click on uploadselect choose fileselect photo libraryselect and check off photochoose image size (I have tried actual and smaller)And now the problem: The drop-down window for choose i... | Do everything as written,
Do everything as written, then choose image size>Click Recent > Click Done > Click Upload > Click InsertWorks for me on iPad. |
Using weights instead of volume
Hey! so Im relatively new to bread baking, and I have been constantly running into confusion regarding measurements. Its obvious that using cups to measure something like flour is really off because of packing and density of the cup. I really am into the idea of just weighing everything ... | Cups are for drinking tea our of ...
Well, so says this European ...However they're not going to go away... And this came up recently here too... The best suggestion I can make is to try to work out most of the recipe based on "feel" or bakers percentages. So if a recipe calls for 3 cups of flour and X of water and ma... |
So many books
Hello all,I'm new to this site and have am looking (desiring really) to start making my own bread at home, but I need your help please. I have experience making pizza from scratch, using store bought yeast and using a pizza steel - but now I want to start making bread. I lived in Italy many years and got ... | Ken Forkish's book, Flour,
Ken Forkish's book, Flour, Water, Yeast, Salt has by far the best introductory section. Hamelman's Bread has the most tried and true recipes. |
Bowl over my dough...
Hey folks, got a question, if ya dont mind...So for the last couple months, I’ve been playing with sourdough recipes. So far, loving it! I’ve made some really nice loaves, consistantly and am trying to master the crust.I have a decent baking stone in my regular, basic gas stove. I’ve been playing ... | Maybe not what you want to
Maybe not what you want to hear, but I just do half covered and half uncovered. Makes everything simple for the timer and works for me. On some breads, I turn the heat down slightly for the second half, but on others, where I want a darker bake, I leave it at max. |
Reheating sourdough bread
Hi all, Quick question: I need to bake six-eight loaves of bread for a family gathering. No-knead, sourdough, some with garlic, etc., Dutch oven variety. I can bake two at a time, but there is no way I can bake that many the day of, and still make the rest of the meal. If I bake them the day b... | First of all, sourdough keeps
First of all, sourdough keeps really well, so the storage could be as simple as "place cooled loaves somewhere out of the way." If they haven't been cut into yet, I wouldn't worry about them drying out, so no need to cover them. Just put them somewhere clean and let them get their beauty r... |
Bread Calculator
I made a little bread calculator that uses bakers percentages to scale a recipe up/down, calculate final hydration, dough weight and number of boules/pizzas.It's a web app so it'll work on iOS, Android and desktop: http://brdclc.com/You can scale by changing the flour value or the desired dough weight.... | Yup
I do scale up by weight sometimes, so that functionality would be welcomed by me.- Greg |
Sprouted flour vs malt
Hi DAB, I sprouted wheat grains to the chit stage with the shoot just beginning to emerge. I don't have a dehydrator so I dried the grains on the "proof" function in my oven over 8 hours with occasional bursts of extra heat. The temperature was generally at or under 120F. I'm concerned that the f... | Sprouted flour vs malt
I found the answer, thanks |
Will & Matts not so epic adventure
Hello, friends.I am not sure if I posted an update or not. If I already did please excuse me. By the grace of God, we made it to Az. safe. The first part of the adventure was epic indeed. We picked up my daughter Valerie & her boys in Georgia. I got to see my son in laws shop (Hudson ... | Whew!
I'm glad you got there in one piece, even if your Jeep didn't. After seeing the photo, I'm surprised that Allstate totaled it instead of having it repaired. My Toyota Tacoma had a lot more visible damage after a similar encounter and my insurer had it rebuilt. It's still plugging along just fine.Hope you enjoy... |
Testing for done
I got my first lesson in bread baking in about 1971, from my mother, a few years before she passed away. One of the tips she gave me was how to tell when the loaves were baked. What she did was to wet two fingertips with a bit of saliva, and tap gently the bottom of the (metal) pan... if it exploded ... | That’s a new one for me.
That’s a new one for me. |
Bread Pan Size
Hi all. This is my first post here. I'm a newbie bread baker. I've only ever used a bread machine, but want to start making real white bread loaves in loaf pans. Figuring I'd like to get the biggest, yet somewhat standard sized loaves per baking session, I asked my wife for 9 X 5 loaf pans for Christmas.... | According to the details on
According to the details on that web page, the inside measurements are 8.5" x 4.5". The outside/max dimensions are what you mention. The sides are sloping, so even saying 4.5" is not exact. That is a standard width it seems. Some recipes/formulas specify the exact size of a pan, some don... |
Breads from La Brea Bakery Book jacket; what are the rolls
Hello,I am new to this forum page. I have been baking sourdough from Nancy Silverton's book for many years. I have been pretty successful and have kept a starter for several years. But I Have always been so curious.. what recipe are the rolls on the left side... | They look like a simple
They look like a simple yeasted dough, cut into strips and twisted. Maybe put some filling between two sheets of dough and cut into strips. Top with cheese and bake. Maybe start with a foccacia dough. They shouldn't be too difficult to replicate. |
What is starting with water when preparing pizza dough?
So in pizza napoletana’s guide (https://www.pizzanapoletana.org/public/pdf/disciplinare%202008%20UK.pdf) on pizza, it says that an essential rule to follow when making pizza is to start with water when preparing.What does this mean? Should I add the flour to the w... | It does seem to be suggesting
It does seem to be suggesting that you must add the flour to the water and not the other way around. I've never really noticed any discernible difference. Typically I put the water in first but on occasion I have added the water to my dry and never had any issue. Can't think of anything... |
Good replacement for Robin Hood flour...?
My mother has always used Robin Hood flour for baking. Apparently they stopped making it a few months ago and now she is using King Arthur's flour. When she made her Thanksgiving rolls this year, the rolls did not rise like they normally do. She thought it may have been another... | Which Robin Hood flour did she use?
Which Robin Hood flour did she use? There are several.https://www.robinhood.ca/En/Products/Categories And which King Arthur flour did she try?--I also noted on the Robin Hood web site that they add both amylase and ascorbic acid to their AP flour. Whereas King Arthur uses malted ... |
Bread slicer
I've been looking for a bread slicer..........you know, one of those wooden doo-dads you put your loaf in and it has the guides on either side for the knife. I've looked on Amazon.......they have a bunch but look kinda flimsy, or have poor reviews as to the quality. If anyone has one they really love and... | If you don't mind paying the
If you don't mind paying the price & have space to spare, this Graef slicer is pretty damn awesome: https://www.manufactum.com/graef-hand-slicer-a21216/?c=193694 It is crank-powered, so you can cut slowly, all the way down to the last nub of a loaf. |
Another good article on why industrial bread is so bad and bad for us
https://medium.com/@andrewmerle/this-is-the-type-of-bread-you-should-really-be-eating-898500834c5e | Sweet mama, that is probably
Sweet mama, that is probably the longest ingredient list for a bread I've ever seen!! And regardless of what the article tells, it should be obvious you don't need all that crap in your bread. |
Amateur baker looking for a school program
I am an amateur home baker (bread, pies, pastries)--I'd like to take my baking to the next level. I'm looking for short course (ie I can't be gone for seven months, but maybe one month), pretty serious baking programs (i.e. not a vacation class, but more serious), and I am ope... | SFBI-San Francisco Baking Institute
The offerings at SFBI may suit your needs. They offer many classes and workshops with several different focuses on baking, from sourdough to viennoiseries. They are in South San Francisco, near the SF International Airport. You can find information on their offerings for the balan... |
Bread burns in Le Creuset. Any suggestions?
Hi All,How can I avoid bread burning on the bottom in my Le Creuset pots? Any advice you can offer would be most appreciated!Chana | This normally happens to me
This normally happens to me when it sits too low in the oven. Just a few cm/inch higher and it doesn´t burn! |
Recipe page/Baker's percentage spreadsheet
I have tinkered around and created a spreadsheet for myself that is sort of a recipe, sort of a baking log, and an ingredient/baker's percentage calculator all in one. It has a place to list the ingredient names and then you can input the weight of each item in grams (you wil... | Are you going to share the spreadsheet?
Are you going to upload the sBreadsheet for others to use, too? |
Recipe maker (Excel) - Trying to combine different units ?
Hello
As a newbie in bread baking but having a decent knowledge in coding and computers (my main job) I've tried a while ago to create a way to solve a problem (for me) related to the many and different ways of a recipe's measuring units.
I've seen in recipes s... | conversion link
Hi Dimitris,
This link has been very helpful for me:
http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/flour_volume_weight.html
aloha,
Dave Hurd, Hilo, Hawaii |
Why we are baking our own bread
Just saw a great article on why to avoid industrial bread.https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/oct/10/flour-power-meet-the-bread-heads-baking-a-better-loaf?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0xOTEwMTA%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS&CMP=GTUS_email | Guardian article
Thank you for sharing this article. |
50 Best Breads
If you don't subscribe to the Bread Newsletter, you may not have seen the CNN article "50 of the world's best breads".It certainly made me hungry as I read it! And then I thought, how am I going to get time to bake all these? Lance | Lance, I saved the
Lance, I saved the instructions for the Tiger Bread. It looks intersting. May try it with SD. |
Searching for certain baking tool. See below
I'm looking for a 3 litre, square plastic container about 20 cm square and 12 cm deep for Ciabatta bread, thatI saw Paul Hollywood from the UK use on public television. 20cm is about 8 inches square, and 12cm is about5 inches deep Thanks,poilanelover | Ice cream box?
Sounds like you're looking for ice cream boxes. Or frozen cream puff boxes. :)amazing what one can google.....https://www.amazon.com/Snapware-10-5-Cup-Solution-Storage-Container/product-reviews/B00HC62USU |
Bots & Spam
I've noticed a lot of what I think are Bot posts lately; generally they seem to repeat a section of text from a previous post in a thread and usually, but not always, insert some strange link - I'm not sure what their purpose is, but they are annoying.I've just received an email from Vivaldi (the browser, n... | Whack-a-mole
Floyd must be very busy playing whack-a-mole with these recent bots. It can't be easy!I, for one, would welcome an extra login step for registered users. Something like "2 factor authentication" or similar. It's an extra step for users, but will help keep the rodent population down.Just my 2 cents...Jef... |
How you log what you do?
How you guys log what you do? I have a little logbook where I write down the recipe basics, water content, pre-mix details, sourdough, polish, temperatures, baking times, etcIt's a good source to look things from the past up, but over time it gets a bit messy. You follow where I'm going to?Are ... | I use a paper notebook too,
I use a paper notebook too, but there are apps like DayOne that are very easy to use and that accept photos easily. |
Quick Proofing Questions...
I must say I am loving this group already. One post and I have learnt more this past few days than I've learnt in the past 10 years of trial and error lol. Just a little question then about proofing.As you may or may not know it's quite hot here (I live in Southern China) for 3/4 of the year... | I would always recommend a
I would always recommend a slow proof because you are more in control, the windows of opportunity are bigger and you're not rushing anything. Plus, a slow proof adds more complex flavors as well as better digestibility to baked goods. Especially with sourdough it's better to not rush anything... |
Questioning respectfully the rise of breads that take days to make?
Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that these loaves of bread are delicious and making these loaves are probably satisfying, but I have to wonder about this sudden surge in popularity?Bread is a staple of life for nearly everyone from all cultures for... | There are a bunch of videos
There are a bunch of videos out there which will give you a sense of what professional bakers do. Hamelman's videos might be a start. A key point is that while a batch might take a couple of days from start to finish, most of that time it's just sitting and fermenting. It's not more labor... |
NPR - Who Killed Lard?
Leaf Lard has unnecessarily been given a bad reputation by food manufacturers in their efforts to build market share for monopoly branding. The following piece from NPR traces the story and a Brooklyn restaurateur attempting to restore Leaf Lard to its proper place in America's food pantheon..., ... | Good read
I remember when I was young, my mother kept a basin in the kitchen into which she poured the fat from the Sunday roast (mostly lamb). It would solidify at room temperature and get used to roast potatoes and other veggies, the best roast spuds I ever ate. She told us stories of using the lard on bread instead ... |
What makes a good Brioche Bun?
Hi-I have been trying different brioche bun recipes and I am just wondering what people look for in a bun? I know I want something that will hold up on a burger or chicken sandwich but I am not sure I am there yet. I made a decent bun yesterday but it seemed a bit on the dry side and mayb... | Lazy man's brioche.
Try Floyd's recipe in the search bar. It is so easy and the result is great. |
Reinhart Bavarian Pumpernickel tips???
Hi,Time to time I am baking Vollkornbrot following J. Hamelman recipe or P. Reinhart's and also Bavarian Pumpernickel from P. Reinhart. Some breads come out pefect and others have a cracked line even a hole about 1 inch underneath the top crust. Any explanation or tips as I canno... | I can see the crumb slumping
in the middle of the loaf. The downward motion of falling. I would say it overfermented or rose too high too fast and separated, he top of the loaf set staying up, and the rest dropping with gravity. Try less yeast or get into the oven sooner. Whatever works best. Other Q'sWhat is the ... |
Pentosans, I presume?
Hi Everyone. I mixed a deli rye today (Hamelman's Forty Percent Rye) and as soon as the the flour took up all the water, I could tell something wasn't right. The dough was was heavy, slack, and sticky. I added a bit of flour to no avail. Nor did it improve with continued mixing. It took a long tim... | Does Hamelman's 40% Rye
Call for Pumpernickel? Also when using rye, and at such a high percentage, would it be ok to use AP flour? Think i'd prefer to go with something stronger. What category does Ceresota fall into? You talk about it as if it's not even up to the usual AP flour you use. It might be a combination of t... |
method of adding steam
I read somewhere about a method of adding steam where you place an empty pan on the floor of the oven while it is preheating, and when you load the bread on the stone on the top rack, you place a foil pan on the bottom rack with water in it and a small hole in the foil pan that allows water to sl... | In practice it comes down to
In practice it comes down to this - it's not so much about steam generation as it about oven's ability to hold onto it. So, if you have an electric oven there is no need for convoluted approaches, pretty much any steaming method will work. If, however, you have a gas oven the only thing t... |
Pre-ferment
As a newbie here, I really have to ask this..............what does a pre-ferment accomplish? I have a recipe for a Harvest Seeded loaf and it calls for a pre-ferment. Is it beneficial to do this even if the recipe doesn't call for it? I have tried the Tang Zhong (don't know if I have spelled right) and ... | They:- improve the overall
They:- improve the overall gluten structure because a part of the dough has developed its gluten strands very well- add more complex flavors - make the bread easier to digest because a bigger part of the dough's sugars and starches have been broken down already.If you have the time, I would r... |
Bread from home milled soft wheat berries??
Has anybody ever home milled soft wheat berries and made bread from the resulting flour? I rarely use bread flour as I don't like the chew it imparts to the loaf. I work to develop the starch and gluten in regular AP flour and WW flour with great results.I will be making Broe... | Sure you can
Although, it might be something other than what you want in a bread. The soft wheats are lower in protein and gluten. That makes them great for cakes and pie crusts and biscuits and scones and such, where tenderness is a desired trait. It also makes them a different kind of challenge when making yeasted... |
Security
I've been getting a 'not secure' notice on the address bar of TFL. Has something changed and is this something to worry about? | Security
I have had the same thing .Merlie |
Chose bread baking as a topic for presenting at an interview today!
I am ready to go back into the working world and I have put out a few resumes and just a few minutes ago I came home from the interview. At the interview, I was asked to present on a DIY class for the library (which has a whole branch for DIY.)I had cr... | Good luck!
Good luck! |
One Pound Loaf-Flour Weight or Dough Weight?
This is a question I've been meaning to ask. When someone refers to a one pound loaf, is that based on the weight of the flour in the bread, or the total weight of the dough or loaf? I'm wondering because the basic one pound loaf pan actually works with 1.5 lbs of dough, e... | Dough weight in my opinion
I pondered that question too when I was starting as I was attempting to fill loaf pans with the right amount. Browsing around on the Internet I compiled the following information: A 9x5x2 3/4 loaf pan needs between 1.25 and 2 lb of dough, which roughly means recipes with about 3-4 cups total ... |
rye sourdough fails to rise after a few days in the fridge
Hello,A newcomer to this forum, but I've looked around for a bit to see if there is a solution to my problem and have not found a "fix".I've been making a rye sourdough bread reasonably successfully for a month. I have some homemade 100% rye flour sourdough s... | The yeast is not spent
but the dough matrix I s. Rye does not retard well. You can get a longer working time on the rye by combining with wheat flour as you did but such a long time in the fridge, well, usually doesn't rise. It just can't hold the gasses coming off the yeast and the gas literally leaks out of the do... |
Calculating dough to tin ratio?
Hi All,I've recently bought a pullman loaf tin and i'm struggling to work out how much dough i need for it to fill just perfectly. I'm generally using a white flour recipe which i would expect 100% rise.I read that you weigh water in the tin and divide the weight by 1.9 and that's your d... | Lewis, I haven’t used this
Lewis, I haven’t used this method, but it seems to work according to the general consensus on this forum. Dabrownman is very innovative. Here is the link.http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/11585/how-much-dough-pullman-pan#comment-428221Danny |
Well, that was hair-brained! I forgot>>>>
I thought it might make for a fun topic as I'm POSITIVE I'm not the first person to have forgotten to add a key ingredient into their bread (or another recipe).Today, I was making the bread I ALWAYS make, but for the third time, grinding my own whole wheat flour. Well, I think ... | How much time have you got now?
Why not add the yeast now and depending on how long you can afford to wait adjust the amount of yeast? |
Question for Bosch Universal Plus mixer users
Can you tell me if this piece looks like it can fit on the central hub (where the mixing bowl sits)? I'm trying to find out what I have and I think I have an attachment for this mixer, but FINDING someone who can investigate that for me has proven to be difficult. | I need a better photo of tth whole attchment
Okay first of all the Bosch universal has two drives, the bowl drive and the high speed drive. Attachments would connect to the high speed drive. I am not sure if any attachment connect toi the bowl drive. I have yet to open the high speed drive compartment, so I don't know... |
The Physics of Stretch and Fold with a Video
The video on YouTube 'Strongest Dough Lightest Crumb' is a demonstration of making large volume light weight light crumb loaves in under two hours. the science behind the video includes the 'outrageous' description of gluten as a mixture of two glues, one with a half life o... | Elasticity and Extensibility
The “glues” you’re describing are glutenin and gliadin, to put names to faces. |
Baking Records
I try and keep a record of every bread I bake so I can refer back to it later for analysis or repeat bakes. Spreadsheets are fine for formulae, but nothing beats a handwritten record for speed and whatever degree of verbosity you want. So I use an A4 spiral bound, lined page book to keep a record. On the... | I still a newbie and have
I still a newbie and have been writing things down. This might be the perfect time to set this up for myself.Thanks |
BBC Article about Sourdough Library
This was really interesting reading.http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190730-the-strange-science-inside-your-sourdough | I listened to this with
I listened to this with interest a few months ago as a podcast/show on BBC Radio. It was fascinating. Which reminds me, today is the day I need to feel my sourdough starter. |
Holey bread a fad?
I have memories from childhood of toasting bread and being annoyed and at big holes in bread that would be hard to work with for spreading butter or peanut butter. Yes, you wanted the bread to be airy, but not necessarily holey. You only wanted English muffins to have holes (with a firm bottom) to ca... | Yup
:) |
How to clean linen liner
My first sourdough turned out great despite the fact that I only stretch and folded once and bulk rise was a couple hours too long followed by unplanned overnight retard (life got in the way). Anyways another mistake i made was that I was pretty stingy when I floured my brand new basket liner. ... | Let dry,
scape off as much as you can and then rub in some rice flour. It then should be pretty non stick. |
unhulled buckwheat flour
Q1: Where can I buy unhulled buckwheat flour in the UK? Every supplier seems to sell finely milled, hulled flour, presumably for people who buy it for health not for the lovely strong taste it has in France. Plenty of suppliers in Canada, the United States, India, but I can't find a single one ... | Unhulled aka Wholemeal?
How about Doves Farm Wholemeal Buckwheat Flour? Never bought it but have seen it a lot in shops where I live. |
Log in on phone
Whenever I log in to the forum on my phone I get those dreaded Captcha photos - and they are pretty difficult to decipher on a 5.1" screen!I could understand this happening once, but not every time... Same phone and same browser always.Does anyone else have this problem?Lance | Yes. I’d guess that 20% of
Yes. I’d guess that 20% of the time I can’t get past the Capcha and just give up. It might happen right now for all I know. Here goes... wish me luck!only took 4 attempts. I persevered just to support your point. |
When you are a hands on AND auditory learner
Ok, this has a LONG intro to my question, so if you want to just see my main question, look below where I bolded it.I am a hands-on and auditory learner - always have been. Every time I try to learn something by just reading about it, I don't quite absorb it all. I just assu... | Have you considered Teresa
Have you considered Teresa Greenway’s online courses? If interested go to udemy.com and search for ‘teresa greenway’. Her courses are discounted to $9.99 at times. |
Less yeast vs colder temp
I know that longer fermentation produces better bread, and there seem to be two main methods of slowing the fermentation:1. Fermenting at a low temp, in the fridge, with a normal amount of yeast or starter2. Using a much smaller amount of yeast or starter and fermenting at room temp.I realize ... | I don't think there ends up
I don't think there ends up being much difference. Number 1 might result in a slightly more tangy bread. |
HELP with Math
I am venturing into parts per million.Lets say you want 30 parts per million. Inexpensive scale resolution is 0.01. I am thinking about dissolving 1g of AA in 100g water.How do I proceed?Dan | AA?
I assume you are referring to ascorbic acid. Correct? 30 ppm in water or in the final dough? |
New mission: find a good egg bagel recipe!
Hello fellow bakers!Recently I've bumped into a challenge: EGG BAGELSMy friend, who used to live in NYC, told me she used to eat egg bagels, and she can't find them where we live now. So I tried to find a recipe.The only thing I found was an adaptation from Peter Reinhart's ba... | I think egg bagels are
I think egg bagels are slightly softer than regular. As for color, try adding just the yolk and not the whole egg. I've read to add up to 8 yolks to a regular bagel recipe. |
Best way to wrap a gift sourdough loaf?
I live in a hot and humid climate and am also fairly new to baking bread. I have pretty well taken care of storage needs at my home (with a wooden bread box), but will be giving a day-old sourdough olive loaf to a friend in a day or two. She does not have a bread box. What will b... | I am equally interested in
I am equally interested in learning about this. This reply will enable an email notification to all replies to this post.Thanks for posing the question.Since I am the only one that eats this bread in my house, it is sliced after waiting a day and then frozen. It keeps for weeks and bread tast... |
Sourdough Starters - Scientific Paper
I came across a scientific paper "Ecological parameters influencing microbial diversity and stability of traditional sourdough".A bit of a mouthful, but it's an easier read than it sounds; it gives a useful overview of sourdough starters and the different microbes therein and how d... | Thanks for sharing that.
Thanks for sharing that. There’s so much information to extract but I can’t battle through all the science terms to get it and assimilate. I’ll give describe some points that I was able to get:If I'm reading the tables right it confirms that young starters contain a diversity of different micro... |
Pasta Class
Pasta ClassI've seen a few different pasta formulations on TFL lately, so I thought I would add my thoughts on how Italian pasta should be made. I'm not a pasta expert, so I'm not calling this a pasta masterclass, but hopefully I'm on the right track. Of course you can make pasta with whatever ingredients a... | Great Pointers
Thank you for sharing. Very helpful |
Mary G bread classes?
I'm wondering if Mary G bread classes in Ontario still exist. A link I tried from another forum no longer works. Fingers crossed. Thanks! U.D.G | Don't think so..
I took Jim's class about eight years ago. He hasn't been active online much in the past many years and his website is no longer up. He would be getting on in years so I suspect he probably retired. |
The right shape for bread
Allowed file types: png gif jpg jpeg.Subject *Recently, I saw a lot of interest in (sourdough) boules. I do not find spherical or circular loves particularly handy for eating. I see them as being more for the convenience of baker, and in part a result of using Dutch Ovens to enhance oven spri... | I had no idea that this was a
I had no idea that this was a controversial topic! |
Salt-yeast method
This apparently is a method I have been curious about but found little information on the net.With this method salt and yeast together are mixed in water and left for an extended period of time before making the dough. Does anyone have any experience with this method or information about? | Doesn't seem like a good idea to me...
I think the salt may just kill the yeast.Can you post any more information or a link?-Brad |
dark breads
There are recipes in all the standard texts on baking for "dark" breads that call for things like caramel, molasses, coffee, cocoa, and balsamic vinegar. However, I was just looking at a YouTube video on sourdough bread made from fresh milled wheat berries and water, naturally resulting in a dark bread and ... | Substitutes
As far as I can tell the things you listed are all used as substitutes for traditional bread making techniques. For example long, low temperature bakes like traditional pumpernickel produce a maillard reaction throughout the dough that leads to a dark crumb that is fairly sweet. This is done around 225F and... |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.