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Is there some significance to 'doubling' on the first rise?
Most recipes and, indeed, most bread makers I know, follow what seems to be the standard practice of allowing the dough to double in size for the first rise. Not one to be satisfied doing something simply because that's how everybody does it, I feel compelled... | Nothing magical about
Nothing magical about doubling; if a dough doubles in two hours, you can accomplish the same thing by punching down after an hour, and then again an hour later. It's not about getting the yeast active enough, it's about developing flavors and generating lots of bubbles in the dough.If you allow th... |
Does transferring the dough to an oiled bowl serve a purpose?
I've usually followed the instructions and transferred the dough to an oiled bowl after kneading for the first rise. Lately, I've simply been pulling out the dough hook and covering the bowl with plastic wrap secured by a rubber band, then scraping it out l... | it's right.
If it works for you, it's right. The oiled bowl is for people who are having problems transferring the risen dough (especially high hydration dough) back to the bench for sizing and shaping.Ford |
Pumpkin Seed Bread Recipe please
I hope this is the right part of the TFL forum to post to on this topic!I've been asked to bake a loaf that includes pumpkin seed and would be grateful for any suggestions. To be inclusive, I'm not going to discriminate against the inclusion of other seeds but the pumpkin seed ingredie... | I've only ever
baked on loaf with pumpkins seeds, it was a 70% rye loaf. What type of loaf are you looking for?This is the one i'm hoping to try this weekend....http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/34729/polenta-pepita-sourdoughIf you want to try a loaf ...http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/45632/something-bit-different (the... |
Stuffed bagels
Recently my wife brought home an assortment of handmade bagels from a cafe in Taibei (Taiwan) which each had a generous chunk of something (e.g. soft farmer's cheese in one, sweetened sesame paste in another) stuffed inside the ring. I'd never heard of stuffed bagels before, although I suppose it was ine... | What a great idea.
Will have to give this a shot during the next bagel bake.Happy baking |
Is it cheating to use a dough conditioner?
I struggled with bread for years. Generally speaking, I enjoyed what I was making, but it seemed every loaf was a crap shoot. While I had far more successes than failures, many of the successes had, for lack of a better term, a 'novice' quality. The flavors were there, the ... | if "store bread" texture is your goal….
If "store bread" texture is your goal, then you have found what you need to achieve it. You sound happy as a lark with your results. Most home bakers do not like that "wonder bread mouth-feel", so we use unbleached flour, whole grains, avoid chemical additives, and let time bu... |
Baguettes as hard as a brick
Hi guys,I am not sure if I am posting this into the right category, but I didn't see baguettes labeled anywhere.First, a little introduction. I have been successfully baking breads with my own sourdough starter for a year now and I am fairly advanced. Yet, when a few weeks ago I bought a ba... | Perhaps
Perhaps they were overdone?? What were the temperatures and the timing. The baguettes will not take as long to bake as loaves in a loaf pan, nor as long as a boule. The greater surface area relative to the volume of the loaf makes for quicker heat transfer and thus faster baking. Or is this too simple an ex... |
Baguette Burnt on the Underside
Hello there,Thanks to this site, my baguettes are getting better and better ( with a long way to go yet).My problem now: The baguettes are pretty nice, but the underside is definitely too dark.the dough is 70% to 73% water. Baked on a un-glazed quarry-tile surface, at the top third of ... | BBB (burned baguette bottoms)
A photo of your problem loaves would help. Here are some questions to answer, so you get an appropriate solution:1. How much do your baguettes weigh, and how long are they?2. Besides the bottoms, do you feel the rest of the crust's coloration is just right?3. What kind of oven do you have ... |
Making soft bread baps
I like to make soft 'baps' using a bread maker for the dough. I would like them to be broad and fairly flat, what are usually called baps. After dividing the initial dough from the bread machine into 9 pieces weighing about 100gms, i then flatten each one with the palm of my hand to create the ... | Sounds like you may want to
Sounds like you may want to try docking your dough. You can use a fork to pierce the dough in multiple places, primarily toward the center but also out toward the edges. It should keep the dough from rising much in the oven.Dave |
Success with Brioche, finally! Some questions though
Hi all,After countless attempts, I was finally successful!The only problem is, I'm not sure exactly what I did that made it work! My process was:1. Mix all ingredients except butter2. Room temp autolyse 30 mins3. Knead until incorporated4. Gradually work in cool (qui... | Recipe:1.75 cups bread flour4
Recipe:1.75 cups bread flour4 yolks2 Tb sugar1 tsp dry yeast1 tsp salt1/2 cup milk125g butter |
Doubling Bertinet Doughs
hello, im new to this forum but ive been reading for about a year now and its really helped me and answered lots of questions.i enjoy making breads and pastries so much that i have recently thought about doubling and tripling certain doughs so i can make a variety of baked goods instead of just... | Doubling recipes
I've used several of Bertinet's recipes as well as others, and almost always bake much larger batches than the original recipe is for (I bake for customers). I haven't noticed any problems caused specifically by scaling up the recipe. Different doughs perform in different ways on different days. Even e... |
lucky clover trading company baskets
We're looking to buy some new baskets at work and lucky clover trading co came up as the cheapest option. Right now we have a few different types of baskets at work and some are certainly made with a higher quality wood than others. I know people have mentioned this company and ha... | Lucky Clover cant be beat!
Cant prove it, but i suspect the amazon (among others) bannetons are wholesaled from lucky clover and then sold at a huge mark up. I have purchased 4 9" round cane bannetons directly from them and it's an identical match to the significantly more expensive ones i bought from amazon.Great qual... |
How much could oil affect dough feel?
I've been making my pizza dough with the following formula for a while now and I've noticed something odd about the texture of the dough after the initial mix but before the bulk rise. According to the baking percentage formula, the dough is at 68.7%---not very high, not very low i... | 555g bread flour100g semolina flour10g salt10g sugar15g fresh yeast25g olive oil450g water (90-95F)Add the flours, salt, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a food processor with a plastic dough blade. Pulse to mix. Weigh out oil and water and add through the feeder spout while blending on the 'dough' setting. Once all wate... |
Resources on steamed breads?
I've recently become interested in making steamed breads like Chinese buns, Boston brown bread and idli, but I've mostly just been finding isolated recipes on the Internet or cobbling attempts at breads based on vague Wikipedia articles. Does anyone know any resources on steamed breads, com... | Polish steamed buns
I don't know of any resources but one steamed bun I'm very fond of making, is pyzy from Poland.This recipe I got from google is as good as any.http://www.secretsofmykitchen.com/steamed-buns---pyzy.htmlGood luck with your research |
Getting started - helpful hints and book/website recommendations?
I've just had a go at my first bread baking and found it a strange mix of reward and failure! I picked the Hugh Fernley Whittingstall sourdough recipe for my first efforts and had to put two things resembling house bricks into the food recycling! The s... | Getting started - helpful hints and book/website recommendations
I've just had a go at my first bread baking and found it a strange mix of reward and failure! I picked the Hugh Fernley Whittingstall sourdough recipe for my first efforts and had to put two things resembling house bricks into the food recycling! The st... |
Over-rising of bread?
So I just got an electric proofing box and I find even at 75 degrees my dough rose right out of the banneton. It had a very quick bulk rise. Should I just do bulk rise + fridge and not bother with a warm banneton rise?I shoved it back down into the bread proofing basket and it's baking fine now bu... | How long?
Maybe the banneton is too small? If it is rising too fast for you, maybe cut back on the yeast (or starter if you're doing sourdough). |
Is it wrong to divide dough before it rises?
This might be a dumb question, but I figure that when dough is mixed properly everything is distributed evenly. So, would it be wrong to divide the dough into balls before the first rise?I'm trying to see what can be done to speed up the process of making bread. Basically,... | You can divide the dough before the first rise
or any time. It just takes more containers or bench space to let the dough rise. :) |
Corn Bread
I've just made some great nann breads, now I want to try corn bread and have looked at the The Fresh Loaf recipe.I'm missing something I'm sure but what is 1/4 sugar and 1/3 veg. oil? 1/4 what? Lb. oz. gm. pint?Please help a dud!dud-dud | Cup
Cup |
Apple yeast water loaf
Hi guys here is the first loaf I have made using my Apple yeast water as the sole raising agent. I started it off yesterday as per the recipe which I think I got here, retarded it over night and baked it today. It was a very wet but lively dough which took some time to prove. I added some garlic... | Looks good
Yeast water is an interesting alternative or addition to sourdough especially for those of us that don't like overly sour bread. Just started to work with it myself, as a matter of fact got a loaf proofing now. Wish you luck in the exploration.Stu |
stretch and fold magic
Hisomething different Two Glues and a FoamThe general descriptions of what happens when a stretch and fold is carried out are usually misleading or wrong. It is nothing short of magic to explain dough strengthening in terms of gluten ... | Very interesting!
Thanks for posting. |
Troubleshooting : scoring bread
As a novice baker, I still haven't come to terms with scoring. Sometimes it goes alright, other times I fail. My last two loaves have been miserable with scoring. The slash turns out to be unporous (spelling ?), like a flat smooth impermeable surface. Could anyone help me figure out ... | I don't think it's the scoring...
There looks to be something else at play, rather than just the scoring/slashing. The loaves don't look fully cooked to me simply based on color, and it may be that you're not getting enough steam on them during the first 15-25 minutes. Aside from that, something about the bulk and fi... |
Converting Babka Recipe to Sourdough...
I'd imagine something along these lines has been covered before, but either way, just wondering if I could pick your brains, especially with Easter just around the corner...I have a really old family recipe (pre-WW2) for a traditional Polish babka, but it's always left something ... | Correct you are. I'm thinking you can easily use
25 g of starter too with 100 g of flour and 100 g of milk too for a single stage levain of 8-12 hours depending on how strong your rye starter is.This is the perfect recipe for Yeast Water by the way. It cures the crumbly crumb but keeps it sweet and lovely.B…..B….B…. B... |
dough acting strange in mixer
I have been making bread for about a year and a half now and they have gradually got better. I treated myself to a KitchenAid mixer at Christmas and i am vert happy with it.My last two makes though the dough has climbed above the hook and got into the spring on top. Bit fiddly cleaning out... | Dough climbing hook
Yes, my dough sometimes climbs the hook on the KA mixer as well. Depends a lot on the type of dough and the volume. When that starts to happen (before it gets to the spring or over the edge of the hook base) I stop the mixer and scrape all the dough completely off the hook, sort of 'pile' the dough ... |
Baguette Failures
Hi all,While I feel comfortable with boules and batards, the baguette shape and finish always elude me.Here is last night's failed attempt.The dough looked nice while proofing on the cloche, they got really deformed when I transferred them to the baguette baking pan.I have a large oven and can't seem ... | review this post, top to bottom
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/45495/loading-baguettes-ovenIf you have a gas oven venting will likely be an issue. The towels must already be at the steaming level by the time that you load the dough, with enough water to maintain their steam. You also should have a husky and suffici... |
Blueberry bagels
My kids (ok ok ok, it's me...) really love blueberry bagels. We often get them at Panera or other bakeries but I figured I might as well try them out since I have made bagels in the past and they always turned out pleasantly well.These were fun to make and were really good while still slightly warm fr... | They look great!
Love the dough color! I read excess acidity from blueberries can break down the dough but I guess the amount you put was not enough to cause that. i'm sure they're really tasty! |
Deconstructed Saison Rye
My friend Jim, owner and brewmaster of a local craft brewery, decided to have a beer bread contest. Instead of using a bottled beer, I used 3 kinds of beer malt, hops and coriander to create this complex 60% rye that offers a balance of sweet, sour, bitter and astringent, all wrapped in the mel... | I'm guessing the only thing that some folks didn't
like about this bread - the part that made it not for everyone, was the hops. The added sweetness due to the malts, a normal ingredient in rye beads, helps to cut the bitterness in the whole grains that some don't like - making an assertive tasting bread like a 60% r... |
Riffed on Reinhart hoagie roll recipe
The recipe in Artisan Bread Every Day. I used 40% WW flour rather than all unbleached white bread flour, used coconut oil as my oil, and added a few spoonfuls of sourdough starter to the instant yeast mixture. Retarded, shaped, rose, baked and ... YUM! Soft and flavorful without be... | You can freeze bread too
It often takes a few days for my wife and me to consume an entire loaf, so I regularly freeze half right after cooling, some sliced first, others not. |
High Hydration and Poor Oven Spring
I find the higher the hydration the less oven spring I get. At 60% I find the dough won't rise at all in the oven but at 40% it rises about 2cm.I'm making just a basic loaf with bread flour, yeast, water and salt. Should this be the case or is there something wrong? | wow, at 40% hydration
I am surprised you can get dough at 40% hydration, which is low, very low. Most find the opposite, the more hydration the more the dough stretches in the oven and expands. Something wrong here. First hydration is the weight of water divided by the weight of flour and then multiply by 100 to ge... |
Shaping high hydration without commapse
I have been slowly upping the hydration on my breads and until around 75% all is good, but post 75% I am struggling to the the loaf to not spread out dramatically as I put it in the oven. I do get oven spring, but recently I can shape the dough into a nice ball/loaf, but as soon ... | post pics and more info for help
It could be a number of things...gluten development, shaping, fermentation, how the loaves are handled in transport to the oven, slashing... If you post pics and give more details of your process, you'll get more informative responses. It will also help you become a better student of ... |
Latest Post on theryebaker.com: Swiss Rye Ring/Brasciadela
This bread, from the cold, mountainous Swiss Canton of Graubünden, is a smooth, tight crumbed 69% rye ring that offers a pleasing combination of tangy sourdough, spicy rye, and the mellowness of a well-matured wheat poolish. Get the recipe here. | That looks so pretty!
Hi, Stan, the link does not work .... |
Your Opinion Please!
The Bread is made from Ken Forkish book. The recipe is called "Field Blend #2" I followed the recipe step by step, except I fermented the bread for 36 hours at 38 degrees F, and baked in a Romertopf clay baker (I'm questioning if this clay baker leaks steam). Vic | My opinion
My opinion, Vic, is that you are an amazing baker! Your bread looks fantastic, yummy, great. Good for you! |
First bagel attempt
I have been baking for over 3 years now. I have been making my own bread, pizza dough, burger buns and tortillas for a while. There was one item I never tried my hands on until today: Bagels.I like the Montreal style, or else it's juste a donut-shaped bread :PI am quite happy with the results. They ... | Nothing like a good bagel. I'm with you on
getting rid of the sugar, replacing it with BMS and using SD instead of yeast. Well dine and happy baking. |
New baker need advice
Hey bakers i am looking for a new oven for all kinds of breads I am a home bread maker I need a oven what I can put in my garage and it's good in size to put the 3 loafs pan trays and good for steaming/ spray and oven tray for steam what does everyone recommended I can't spend lots of money 350... | And all so need this aswell
And all so need this aswell forgot to add to my post Hey guys it's me again I probably all ready said this before I need a loaf tin the best you can buy i don't care about the money what do you guys recommended I am in uk like i said I need a deep loaf tin so I can make white tin bread and ... |
Suggestions for making time to learn
Hello, Ever since I started baking, I have really enjoyed it and I like to think I make a pretty decent loaf of bread. As time goes by, more and more I have come to realize that I would love to make a career out of baking. I make our sandwich loaves and I've made some OK rye boules... | Well . . .
The best way to make a career out of baking is to make baking your career. But I know that's not very helpful. Unless you have the luxury of just switching jobs (and baking is not typically a high paying job) it's going to be difficult to put in those hours. Now, if you have the ability to start your own bus... |
Sourdough sandwich loaf Weizenkastenbrot
Flavourful sourdough sandwich loaf, Weizenkastenbrot, not very rich in sugar and fat, and with the pinch of sourness of the typical german breads. Good to eat just some slices alone, or to make sandwiches.Day 1: prepare 250 grams of whole wheat sourdough (Mix with a spoon 120 gr... | Nicely done...
Your loaf looks great!
Can I ask why you prepare almost double the amount of starter than what you need? |
Croissant collapsing
This is my last croissants batch with poolish(txfarmer recipe).But i have problem they collapsing during baking.The lamination seems good.Maybe problem is in too high temp in first 10 min of baking within 10 min they reach the maximum oven spring then i low temperature and they collapse.Maybe they... | The crumb is beautiful
Let me just say that again: the crumb is very good, so it seems strange that this would have anything to do with a weak dough ('weak' meaning overproofed or having too little strength). Take this idea with a grain of salt, because my croissant are not as good as yours, but could it have to do wit... |
Farm house loaf
Hi guys I need a no fail recipe for 2 Farm house loafs and 12 very soft large baps any one have any i would love to see it and your picture I realy need them for tomorrow thanks bakers | Hm
You will have to be a little bit more specific . . . what exactly is a "Farm house loaf"? And a "bap"? |
Split top sandwich bread "deflating".
Hi folks.I'm an accomplished cook with very little baking experience.I'm working with the The Bread Baker's Apprentice book.My first mission is to find a soft white sandwich bread for my family.One problem that I'm having is when I score the surface to make split top, it deflates q... | Ahh I see.I proof until the
Ahh I see.I proof until the dough doubles, punch down, shape and then proof again until I have a good dome on the loaf.Sometimes my first rise goes a little long because I get busy with something else.I'll pay more attention to that. |
Stone deck oven loaf capacity
Hi, anyone use stone deck oven for baking loaves and if so how many can you bake in one? | they come in all kinds of
they come in all kinds of sizes, ours fits 15 medium loaves per deck at once comfortably. but I have seen them meters long and wide and also smaller ones |
Skolebrød Custard Problems
Hi I'm new here and not a massively experienced baker, particularly of bread. Today was a miserable rainy day so I decided to have a go at making Norwegian Skolebrød. But i have had some difficulty with the Custard filling. The first issue is the well that I made was too small and on some of... | The custard is Creme Patissiere
It has cornflour (cornstarch) added into it. (did you forget? It's in the recipe) This will stop it splitting (turning into scrambled egg!) when baked. However you need to cook it through - So whisk the eggs, sugar and cornflour, add the boiling milk, & vanilla mix, whisk, then strain ba... |
Struggling with croissants
Hey folks! I’ve been working on a croissant recipe for a few months, and I think that I’ve achieved an okay result so we could start selling those in our bakery, but I still feel that we’re not quite there yet. I used a formula for poolish croissants from Michael Suas' Advanced Bread and Pas... | A few random thoughts…
Your pre-bake and exterior post-bake look awfully nice. But the crumb you show seems to have lost definition of the layers which could possibly be caused by letting your butter layers get too warm. Do you refrigerate your butter slab after prepping it to size? After creating my slab I’d always gi... |
That time of year again!
Hot cross buns - what else? Recipe from my bloghttps://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/67502/my-hot-cross-bun-recipe increased by 50% to make 12 buns.Lance | They look delightful!
They look delightful! |
Worth trying to save it/carry on
I've been away for the bank holiday and decided to get some bread in for the week. I ran through making the sourdough sponge this morning with my usual recipe and then added the rest of the mix in around 5 hours later. We then decided to go to the cinema on the spur of the moment and he... | Bake it
You never know what you're gonna get until it goes in the oven. Even if it comes out flat and ugly it'll still probably be nice and tasty. Or you can just intentionally flatten it out and make a flatbread or pizza out of it. Load it up with some nice toppings and pretend that's what you were planning to do all ... |
A Little Slice of Heaven...
Carrying on from my blog - which includes the recipe - and prior post (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/45353/sourdough-easter-babka-babka-wielkanocna-na-zakwasie)...This was soooooooooo worth trying. Just delicious... Soft, light, sweet, fruity - everything a babka should be. To be honest, ... | There you go. The SD will make it keep longer
too - not that it will last long enogh to worry about. Looks yummy. Now you will have to do a yeast water one to compare:-)Happy Easter Reynard |
Latest Bake -- Easy Wholegrain Buttermilk Rye
Of all the different kinds of rye breads I’ve made and tasted, the coarse dark ones have always been among my favorites for their rustic mouthfeel and intense rye flavors. This buttermilk rye, which comes from northern Germany, has the added attraction of very short prep ti... | Looks fantastic!
That's a great method for making quick rye. I'll have to give it a shot sometime.Cheers!Trevor |
Dough deterioration when kefir used
I have noticed that when I use kefir as a liquid in my doughs, the dough tends to deteriorate quickly as if an enzyme reaction is occuring. By the time the dough has finished its bulk fermentation (2-3 hours for this batch), it is fragile feeling and as I shape it, it tears easily. ... | CAn anybody explain what is happening
I would like to try and understand what is happening when I use kefir, lately. I used to use kefir in my bread with no problems whatsoever. Now, every time I use it I experience the problem described above. What is actually happening? |
New Baker with some minor issues :)
Hi, I am seeking some advice on the below recipe and the resultsMy bread recipe250g strong white 250g wholemeal flour340 ml water40ml olive oil7g dried yeast pack8g SaltI have made quite a few loaves with the above recipe, they are all tasty with decent crusts but fairly dense. and w... | I think you might like this one better in a tin.
hate to say you need more water with the UK flours you are using which are much less thirsty then in the USA where I would be at 78% hydration instead of 68% to open the crumb. The bottom looks pale to me. What are you baking on. Otherwise it looks pretty good to me f... |
Kitchenaid Classic jumping around
I recently bought a Kitchenaid Classic. It seems to be working ok but I have just tried mixing bread dough and the top of the mixer is jumping about and making a knocking noise. I've checked to see if the dough hook is hitting the bowl and it clears ok. Is this normal??Here is a videoh... | mixer juming
Hi Ron. I've had this happen too. I think that once the dough comes together, it gloms onto the dough hook and just keeps going round and round. If you are using the mixer to knead, try a lower setting. Another alternative is to finish kneading by hand. Large amounts of dough can be the problem too. ... |
Forkish method - OK to use mixer instead of hands?
Just got Ken Forkish's Flour, Water... am an advanced beginner. Currently I can't do all the mixing by hand due to a new neck problem causing arm/hand weakness & pain. To prevent withdrawal, am tying to bake & cook to some degree while I do rehab (hoping to avoid su... | Try using your other hand
I am and was going through the same thing, herniated disk between C5andC6. Physio worked wonders and no surgery so far in my future so I hope the same for you. I am seeing a physiotherapist with osteopathic training so if you can find someone like that, it would be awesome as I know it has mad... |
New KitchenAid Mixer --- Not the right model for bread or did I do something wrong?
Hi,My lovely wife bought me a KitchenAid Mixer for Chrismas this year. Today was the first time I had a chance to bake since the holidays and I decided to break it in with a fairly wet dough (about 60% hydration, 550 g flour, 330 g wat... | How much dough?
You didn't say how big a batch of bread you made. If you made MORE than the machine could handle, yes, you'd have problems.Also, it seems that you weren't using the dough hook. I use the dough hook even for mixing. |
This Week's Bake: Lithuanian Black Rye Bread
http://theryebaker.com/black-rye-breadjuoda-rugine-duona-lithuania/ | That is one beautiful rye and a very low hydrtion
too. A couple of things, maybe 3 I don't understand. Why the long soak for the malt scald? Everything in the malt is either dead or denatured due to the high heat in drying . All you have to do is get it wet I would think. If you were scalding caraway seeds in it t... |
List of common terms?
As I become more dependent on this forum for baking knowledge, I want to be familiar with the common usages of baking terms as used here.The terms associated with dough development are what I want to be sure that I'm on the same page as you all.Bench rest, bulk fermentation, first rise and second ... | There is a glossary attached to this site
under the handbook tab above - then go to the glossaryYou can also google bread baking terms |
Hokkaido milk bread - unreal!
Hi all, Just made this Hokkaido milk bread.Floyd, thank you for the inspiration, your words sank into my mind "the silkiest and softest"... yes, it is! I used a mix of these flours in the final dough: 2 parts of KA AP four and 1part of 00 Antimo Caputo flour.I utilized the Tangzhong method... | So pretty!
It just has to taste as good as it looks, with all of the work that you put in to the preparation. Thanks for sharing! |
Lvl 1 baker needs help
Guys what's everyones go to recipea sites/books and the best videos on how to make bread from YouTube to Internet | What about right here?
Search this site - plenty of tried & tested recipes right here before you go anywhere else.It might also be an idea to say where you are, so people can recommend books available locally too.-Gordon |
Shaping Cold Retarded Dough
I am sure this topic has come up many times (as I have read many posts on the subject).I am wondering if anyone has any updates or new information to share regarding shaping cold, freshly retarded dough from fridge.In particular, I am baking a San Francisco type sourdough. Last night I reta... | With cold dough or any dough for that matter
you don't want much of any flour on your work surface to speak of. But, the dough is so cold coming out of the fridge you can't get much surface tension on it anyway without tearing the dough. It is best to let it warm up for an hour before shaping and getting the surface ... |
How does folding over the no knead bread during first rise effect second rise?
Let's say I am making a no knead bread. It calls for a long period of rising, then you fold it over a couple times and let it second rise for a couple hours and bake. Then there's another no knead recipe that calls for folding over the dough... | Out of curiosity ...
... to the O.P., what hydration are you using? I've seen no-knead recipes with hydrations ranging from about 75% all the way up to 90+ %. For my own baking I've settled on 75% as the dough is much more manageable. I can shape and slash it fairly easily and let it rest on linen (flax) prior to bakin... |
Pain a l'ancienne (Reinhart)
Just started a batch of dough for this recipe from The Baker's Apprentice and realized just a bit too late that it is for a larger batch (6 baguettes) than many from the book. I had a batch of 3 in my mind. Has anyone had any experience delaying baking this dough for a day or two? Give... | Reinhart gives instructions in the recipe...
"Meanwhile, dust the other pan of strips with flour, mist with spray oil and slip into a food-grade plastic bag...If you don't plan to bake these strips within an hour, refrigerate the pan and bake later or the next day."In the section on using the pain a la ancienne dough f... |
Francois Brunet / Epicerie Boulud defined layer Croissants??
Hello Everyone, I am new to this forum and was wondering if perhaps you could share your opinion.I came across these stunning photos, http://ny.eater.com/2015/9/17/9345675/boulud-chocolate-raspberry-croissant.Do you have any tips for achieving such layers? I ... | Start simple.
Ignore the coloured layer and just make croissants. Make many. Keep making them until you're happy. This will take several iterations. Quick diagnostics: If they come out of the oven soggy and swimming in butter then they're under proved. If they come out overly "bready" then overproofed and/or worked whi... |
Is it possible to shape no knead bread?
My gosh, no matter what I do, I cant get my no knead bread to resemble any sort of shape. It just turns out to be a blob of dough. The only thing i can think to do is to punch it down and then reshape it immediately before putting it in the dutch oven after the second rise. Thank... | Don't ever punch down bread. Just gently degass
it after the first rise and then gently but firmly shape it and let it proof in a rice floured basket until ready for the heat. I like to let mine final proof in the fridge overnight - but it is a SD. It might over proof if yeast. |
Sourdough rye bread stages
Hi!My bread adventure started just few months ago. I gained some experience in wheat breads but rye bread is still a bit of a mystery to me. I'm trying to perfect Hamelman's 65% sourdough rye bread and I'm wondering what, in case of rye breads, should be the signs of finishing bulk fermentati... | Use your eyes and nose
Rye is really mercurial stuff and timelines are only a rough guide at best. For sourdough sponges, look for lots of bubbles and a sharp, pleasing sour smell. Doubling is a pretty easy determination for sponges and bulk fermentation of final doughs; for proofing, I look for the first signs of crac... |
Please help me identify this bread from 1973 (CT)
The other day I was looking through some old photos, and came across one of my sister, feeding the ducks, in November of 1973. At first I thought it was wondering bread that she was holding, because of the colors, but if you look closer, you can see that the bag is deco... | Hmmmmm
I can't seem to find any reference to this bread anywhere online! It might be some kind of off-brand of wonder bread. |
Seedsation
I have moved to rural Oklahoma from Dallas and therefore, no longer have access to my fav CM bread, Seedsation. I understand their recipe is a well-guarded secret, but is there a copycat recipe that would get me close?? | Do you have an ingredient list
Hard to recommend a recipe unless we know what was in the original bread |
New colomba pasquale video
For those that enjoy and appreciate such videos...http://vimeo.com/155940826 | Thank you for the video….
very nice video indeed. Easter is not far away! |
Baking times & temperatures
Hi folksIs there any kind of guide as to what temperatures & baking times to use depending on the size of the loaf? For my standard loaf (500gm flour, 320gm water etc) I bake for 25 minutes at 220c followed by 15 minutes at 200c but what if I bake half that ingredients? Obviously not half th... | Color is a good indicator.
Color is a good indicator. If you are experienced with a recipe and your ingredients, kitchen and oven, you can confidently bake by color. Which means to say increase or decrease the baking time compared with the recipe with which you are familiar, using color as the judge of doneness. And... |
Honey Orange Prune Bread
This weekend I baked an Orange Prune Bread from Beth Hensberger's Bread Bible. Despite some quirks about the book that annoy me, all of the recipes I've baked from it have turned out very good. This recipe was no exception: I enjoyed it and my kids loved it. Honey Orange Prune BreadMakes 2 loav... | Really?
Every time I come across this recipe, the honey orange part engages me and the prune part cuts me loose. Do they really work? The photo shows a very inviting-looking loaf, and the whole wheat touch is nice. One does cling to one's biases, but I'm preparing to abandon this one. |
Crusty Crust - Certainly Confused
Hello all.In the early 1970s we sometimes bought bread from a small bakery. It was just plain white, square, unsliced bread - very light and soft inside - but outside the crust was HARD, yet thin. It took some chewing - the rest of the sandwich was often long-gone but you were still ... | /nhuman: Is possible to achieve
/nhuman: Is possible to achieve in a bread machine, and if so, how?Have you tried or is it possible to open the lid of the machine after the oven spring (bake cycle) and let out the steam inside the machine? Site search: making steam in a home oven.I think what you want to do is ha... |
The new rye book
It's official!!! Details/preorders here. | That's great, Stan!
Congratulations! I'm looking forward to seeing it this fall. 8^) |
Does anyone have a good 'rustic' bread recipe that can be made in one day?
I've seen no knead recipes, and I love them, but I want to try my hand at a recipe that involves kneading. Is there such thing as a rustic bread recipe that I can do in one day that doesnt require overnight proofing or anything? Thank you, you a... | Try a TFL favorite
Floyd's Rustic Bread recipe can be done in a single day or with an overnight proofing.http://www.thefreshloaf.com//recipes/rusticbread |
Help! Clarification on where I've gone wrong?
Hi everyone! Quite new to bread-making and would really appreciate some pointers. I'm trying to develop a recipe for an easy no-knead granary sandwich loaf that my mum can make but my latest attempt was a disaster. Although it tasted great, there was barely any oven-spring ... | To make it easy...
just buy a granary flour. I use Shipton Mill light malthouse and their Three malts & sunflower mixes.Just one thing to note with these - the added "bits" in the flour affect what you might think is the right hydration - so use less water than you might calculate. I have found that these flours don't ... |
My first English Muffins
Hi everybody :)I am new to this forum, though I've been lurking for a little while. I have made English Muffins for the first time today. Actually I've never had an EM, since they don't exist in our shops.I used this recipe http://www.savorysimple.net/whole-wheat-english-muffins/ but ran into a... | Lovely!
Those look delicious! I like how puffy they turned out!!In Mary Berry's recipe she leaves hers to prove for an hour. I'm not sure if this is traditional, but she does seem to do things in quite a classical manner!You've inspired me to try and make some!!!Nicki |
2 Newbie Questions
Hey there! Been making my way through a book called "Josey Baker Bread." Fun stuff! Just did my first sourdough with a starter I started a few weeks back!!! Two questions...1) When I get the bread out of the proofing basket it really flattens out2) Oftentimes the bread is a little underdone on the w... | Thanks!!!
Thanks!!! |
Lye dipped homemade pretzels
Hi all,This was my latest attempt at homemade pretzels. I've recently become a lye convert and am really enjoying the results. I still need to work on the pretzel twisting and for next time I'll add a little butter to the dough, but they were good!!The little 'bites' were stuffed with pea... | a suggestion...
if I may make a suggestion or 2...Please emphasize that when mixing caustic soda that you add the dry power into the water and not the other way round. Pouring water onto dry caustic can create instant boiling and splatter you with hot caustic. Not a wise move. I'd also suggest a full face visor too. Yo... |
An outstanding Russian rye bread -- Moskovskiy Rzhannoye Khleb
I'm a great fan of Russian rye breads: I love their dark color, intensity and the complexity of their flavor profiles. This one is one of the best I've baked so far -- a tender, open 100% rye crumb, the spiciness of rye and cumin, chocolate notes from the r... | I have a few questions
I have a few questions/comments.1. Why medium rye? This is supposed to be a whole rye bread.2. Why on earth cumin? It's never cumin, always caraway.3. Why there is yeast in the sponge? And so much too?4. The formula is wrong. It's based on a calculation for 500 g. of flour (including mal... |
Effect of more yeast.
My whole wheat sandwich bread is lacking in yeasty flavor, which I find aromatic. But how will adding more of it affect my bread in terms of proofing and others?Right now, my bread has good oven spring and it shows in the splits on both sides of the loaf. I have extended the final proofing time, b... | Pictures would be really
Pictures would be really helpful here.What do you mean by yeasty flavor? Normally, bread shouldn't have a specifically yeasty flavor if it's made correctly. What recipe are you using? Are you scoring the tops of the loaves? |
flour additive?
So my sister-in-law has a hard time digesting flour products. No, it's been established it is not celiac disease or some gluten allergy. It's something else. Bizarrely, she found that when she was in Europe, bread goods there were easily digestable, and she has convinced herself that there is some flour... | Not much to go on
She has convinced herself! Well that doesn't mean any additives are to blame. Did she eat regular bread in the US and sourdough in Europe? It could be that while on vacation she happened upon sourdough but bought regular store bread while at home. That and any other long list of reasons could be the a... |
Making my own bread flour, cake flour and pastry flour
Hi!i have a mill and some hard red and hard white wheat berries from bluebird farms and I am ordering some soft white wheat berries from community grains. I also got a flour sifter and another one that is 1/50 For super fine flour.i want to make my own bread flour,... | You can run grains through your mill and sift out
various sizes of particles but making flour like they do at roller mills using sophisticated techniques of milling, bolting and laboratory testing is another thing entirely. The best thing you can hope for is a general interpretation that gets you somewhere in the ball... |
Vital gluten
hello! I have been trying to use up a 50 pound bag of white flour my father bought me and whole wheat flour as well. I have been using the artisan five minute bread books, but I really don't like using so much added gluten (vital gluten) in the recipes. I understand it helps the rise, texture and softness ... | Just don't use it. You may
Just don't use it. You may need to modify your processes somewhat especially for your whole grain breads. Your whole wheat bread will probably turn out denser, this is normal. AP flour is perfectly suitable for making many types of bread without added gluten...All depends on what you're t... |
hypothesis and questions about preferments
dear all, Being new to using preferments in bread, I have studied its use and preparation methods online. Based on what I've learned, I can't help to have the following hypothesis about preferments. Since the direct consequence or (maybe objective too) of usin... | You need to consider several
You need to consider several points for starters- What will ferment faster - straight or prefermented dough depends on how much yeast you put in either.- Effect of preferment on the fermentation will depend on the percentage of prefermented flour. - Nutrition in the dough never gets exhaust... |
Proper scoring technique
Hi everyone,I started making sourdough about a year or so ago and have always had a difficult time with my scoring. I tend to rely on Ken Forkish's technique of baking the bread seam side up and letting it crack naturally because I'm so bad at scoring. Can anyone help me out? I'm not sure if I ... | Word searches on this site answer most questions
... but here's a great resource:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/31887/scoring-bread-updated-tutorial |
Basic questions regarding making bread.
I'm new to the forum and to making bread, been doing it now for about 6 weeks but have a few issues. My bread never rises much, I use good strong bread flour and good quality yeast, mix it up by hand, knead it for 4 or 5 minutes until it's a silky and elastic dough.I put it in a ... | Yeast
What type of yeast are you using. Is it instant? Also have you tested your yeast to make sure it is still good? |
is it possible to bake bread on stove top alone?
hi, My little oven does not heat very well, and I really want to preserve energy and not preheat my oven for too long. But I get the idea that to have a good oven spring, the baking temperature needs to be very high from the start. Thinking that stove top can he... | No
I suggest you try English Muffins. They are baked on a griddle. |
Cioccolatini bread
Hi everyone! I used a formula that I found here on THEFRESHLOAF for a simple chocolate bread. As i recall it was in paragragh form and not really written out. I thought it was named cioccolatini bread but I have searched several variations of spelling and I have not been successful in locating the fo... | Do you mean this one or a similar one
Pane casereccio, chocolate and beetroot bread, and other things...or search for casereccio |
Kale pesto and feta spelt and wheat twisty bread
I made this bread a couple of months ago for the blog and had kind of forgotten about it. When I made it again the other day I fell back in love with it so thought I'd share it here!!http://rootsandwren.com/pesto-and-feta-twisty-bread/My first time sharing on the forum! ... | That is one fancy do
loaf of bread. Well done and happy baking |
Kitchenaide bowl probs
Does anyone have suggestions about how to keep a Kitchenaide P-6 mixer bowl on the "arms" when making stiff dough; mine wobbles around then hops off the "posts" on one side or the other. | never had that happen
I have a 7 qt KA and have never had that happen even with a double batch of bagel dough. Do you have it clamped onto the spring latch in back?
If so there might be a problem with the latch and you might want to replace it would be my guess. |
My First Rye Loaf
I'm very new to baking and started at the deep end - supposedly - with spelt and rye flours. I've had amazing success so far. I've attached a few images of my first foray into rye. The recipe was off the back of a Dove Farm rye packet (just so I could get started). I baked both the Dark Rye Loaf and t... | Looks good so-far ...
you'll soon find out that a lot of us like to see the inside as it were - the "crumb shot" :-)I've not tried the Doves farm recipes, so I've no idea what their chocolate almond loaf is like - if it's flour free then yes, some almond cakes can be a bit dense. Adding baking powder on it's own won't ... |
Issue with baking bread in steam-convection oven
Hey Forum,I'm new here, so apologies for maybe not posting in the appropriate section.I've been operating a small sourdough bread baking business and so far using only a normal kitchen oven. The results were great, but volume-wise I was not happy since I wanted to expan... | Can you cancel the steam
Can you cancel the steam after about 10 minutes and finish in a drying oven? I have a Miele home oven that has a steaming function (Moisture Plus). Cheers,Gavin |
Croissant help
So, I made my first batch of croissants. Overall I am okay with them, but I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on where I went wrong--I used non-European butter AND I've never done a laminated dough before so I don't know if it was my butter or my technique that left them kind of dense and undefine... | Butter too warm?
Hi!! Did you refrigerate the dough for long enough between each turn? I had some turn out similarly one time and I'm pretty sure that it was because I wasn't letting the butter harden up enough in between the turns. If it's not really cold the butter melts and then the lamination won't work.
They look... |
Latest Blog Post: Pinzgau Country Rye (60%)
This is a very mellow, undemanding loaf. Find it at theryebaker.com. | Looks good!
A classic form both in shape, crumb and Rye %. :) |
40 videos on the basics of baking bread Plötz's
Many of you must know this German baker and his blog, PlötzBlog.Recently, he put 40 videos about the basic of baking bread onto iOS app. Android version will come later. Since my phone is Android-bade, I haven't tried the app yet.Thought this might interest you. | Great blog!
I follow his blog and am tempted to buy the app. Will you purchase it? I have an iphone and a Mac, but no tablet. Would I be able to watch these videos on my Mac as well, do you know? |
Hearty Sandwich Loaf
On America’s Test Kitchen they made what appears, a really good grilled cheese sandwich. It calls for a hearty sandwich loaf. I’m guessing they mean a tight crumb that will hold the cheese in place. Can anyone recommend a recipe to me? Thanks,John | Try this
White Sourdough Bread [19 sl./lf., 1/2" sl., 47 g, 110 cal, 3.3 g prot, 2.0 g fat, 19.3 g carb.] 3 cups (27 oz., 255 g) refreshed sourdough starter (100% hydration), at 70 to 80°F3 3/4 cups (32 oz., 907 g) tepid scalded milk (skim ©)11 to 11 1/3 cups (46.8 to 48 oz., 1327 to 1361 g) bread flour*1 1/2 Tbs. (1 o... |
Suggestions for rye bread recipes
I'm beginning to think I might have an allergy to wheat and would like to try more rye-based breads.Any suggestions for rye bread recipes that aren't too dense and sour? I like open light breads with open crumbs and my heart sinks at the thought of the heaviness of a lot of the ryes I'... | What about 100% spelt?
You mention spelt, so before jumping into the weird & wonderful world of Rye, try spelt or another ancient grain first?However they're still wheats - just an older variety, but some people find they can digest spelt easier than wheat.Also - what about long fermentation? Are you already making whe... |
the way to cool bread and bread height
hello,
My bread always seems to get shorter in height after being cooled in an upside position. I've checked that the gluten development is quite good before second proofing, and there are not signs of overproofing either. Other aspects of the baked bread seem fine, such ... | re: to cool bread
Hi Liming and welcome to the forumI've had this happen a few times and have always attributed it to overproofing of lower gluten doughs. I've only experienced it with loaf pan breads and one thing in common was that while the density of the crumb was fine at the lower part of the loaf, as I looked up ... |
Southeast Michigan (Detroit area) Bakers?
Hi there! My name is Andy and I'm looking to connect with other breadmakers in the Detroit metro area. I actually just started a meetup group, because I want to bake better bread, and there are very few worthwhile breadmaking classes in the metro area that I can find.Anyone out... | Hey, I'm in the Kalamazoo
Hey, I'm in the Kalamazoo area. I'm not super familiar with the Detroit area, but just saying hi as a fellow Michigander. Field and Fire up in Grand Rapids does a pretty good job. That's run by Shelby who formerly worked and Zingermann's which makes ok bread. Again though, I've only been o... |
Video tutorial: Shaping a sandwich loaf
Here's a video that I put together this weekend on how to shape, slash and bake a sandwich loaf. Nothing too hard, but it gave me a great excuse to play around with iMovie. Fun!I hope you all enjoy the video. Here's a link. Hopefully, it'll show up as an embedded video soon. | Shaping video
Thanks for that video, JMonkey! Shaping is really an Achilles heel for me.
I have a couple of questions:
1. Do the ends of the loaf need to be touching the ends of the pan?
2. How do you prevent your whole wheat dough from ripping when it is being shaped? This is a constant problem for me.
The whole w... |
How to Store Dry Active Yeast?
I bought a bag of dry active yeast from costco in a few weeks ago. After I opened the package, I put the dry active yeast in a plastic container then leave it in the room temperature. I was wondering if that is the right way to store dry active yeast? | I store it in the
I store it in the refrigerator, I think I had the same question a couple of years ago and many people suggested this and it has worked fine. The costco yeast lasted me for a year and that includes giving a fourth o it to a neighbor. |
Doing a happy dance today
Hi Y'all!Ive been lurking for quite a while here and have been learning a lot while doing so. Im a huge fan of cooking and baking but have made it a goal to seriously increase my bread baking ability this year. Currently baking my way through FWSY while reading the bread bakers apprentice. Mil... | These look great for a first time SD
using a new starter. Well done andHappy baking |
steamed flour
Yesterday I was prowling little markets on Parliament St. in TO and came across a shop with a bunch of Sri Lankan stuff. They had bags of steamed rice flour, amongst many other things.I did a little digging but didn't find much about it. I guess steaming kills microbes and denatures enzymes but I saw othe... | Steamed Wheat Flour
Interesting. I tried googling. I only found some recipes (like Puttu) that mix rice flour and other ingredients and then steam.I did found "steamed wheat flour", or "steamed flour" in the category of atta (wheat) flour. This one claimed: Steamed wheat flour is widely used for improving the quality a... |
White (golden) Wholemeal bread
I've read here about White Wholemeal flour - and been confused by it, however I've recently obtained some, although the stuff I have is called "Golden Wholegrain". (Wholemeal and Wholegrain mean the same in the UK).So what I gather is that it's the colour of the bran which is normally a r... | It suee looks like a great whole wheat
sandwich bread..... Well done! |
Best French Toast Ever
I am no longer in the restaurant business but if I ever decide to get back in, which may be soon, it will probably be as a small local place that does Artisan style sourdoughs and a few great yeasted breads. We would serve breakfast to those who came in the morning to get the fresh baked product... | Fresh or a few days later...
Hi Grady95,Do you make the French toast with the bread fresh or a few days later? |
Keep Messing this Up!
New to this site. Hi everyone. I am attempting to make Kathleen Weber's Semolina Loaf from her book, Della Fattoria, page 230. This is my second attempt, however, the dough is so very slack, so I don't think it can possibly produce a decent loaf. When I have been to her bakery, this bread is wonde... | That's a tough bread to start with!
87% hydration? That's like making bread out of cream of mushroom soup! OK, as suggested above, would you consider bringing the water level down to around 75-76% You're going to still get a wonderful loaf but it might be easier than this formula. I remember breaking an old thermom... |
Latest attempt at "sandwichable" loaf without a pan
I baked another loaf on Sunday for sandwich bread this week. I used this recipe as a starting point and took some liberties with the kneading and baking process: http://www.sourdoughhome.com/index.php?content=sfsd1Differences being I used dark rye flour instead of who... | That looks quite nice to me.
That looks quite nice to me. Reshape your sandwich not your loaf at least until you get the pan.Stu |
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