Bread -

[Alacrity59]

A few months back I dried out some starter on silpats and stored it in mason jars. I thought I'd make a couple of loaves on this long weekend. So I started my starter, so to speak, a couple of days ago. Seems to have worked.

I've got a couple doughs rising now . . . one with a bit of whole wheat.

I'll mention to Canadians that the flour we have in Canada is different to what they use in the US. Ours is "Stronger". More gluten and protein. Canadians have to add more water than a US recipe calls for. I've never bothered to nail down the conversion factor as I typically go by feel but off the top of my head a recipe calling for 12oz takes at least 14 or 15oz to get to the same texture. Not an insignificant difference . . . and my experience is that if you don't have decent hydration you get Ellie May Clampet like results.

 

[Alacrity59]

9PM . . . 7 hours later . . . this has to go in the fridge . . . as I'm not going to bake it tonight.

 

[Alacrity59]

Bit of a different process. Even with some scoring this loaf did its own thing. Still waiting on the cool down to try it.

 

[Alacrity59]

Some home made stew and a thick slice of sourdough.

 

[Saxonbowman]

Nothing fancy, just some basic white bread to go with the leftover rib roast...

 

[kelbro]

Beef stew tonight with the leftover brisket needed a loaf.

 

[Saxonbowman]

A cautionary tale or simple dumassedness?

When I made my bread yesterday I needed to slit the top. Since I heard that some bakers use razor blades and I happen to have some around (go figure) I decided to give it a go. I selected a new Gillette Nacet blade and carefully cleaned it before slicing the tops of the loaves. This went fine but I did snag one cut on the side of the blade. No problem the cuts worked—I got deep enough without deflating the loaves.

Being the frugal sort I figured the dough wouldn’t hurt the blade so after cleaning it again I put it in my pre-war Tech this morning. Worst shave ever! I don’t know what I did to that poor blade but it just wouldn’t cut. I had to get out a new one just to finish the shave.

So a bit of shaving advice in the mess hall, keep your baking blades and your shaving blades separate

 

[Leverspro]

A cautionary tale or simple dumassedness?

When I made my bread yesterday I needed to slit the top. Since I heard that some bakers use razor blades and I happen to have some around (go figure) I decided to give it a go. I selected a new Gillette Nacet blade and carefully cleaned it before slicing the tops of the loaves. This went fine but I did snag one cut on the side of the blade. No problem the cuts worked—I got deep enough without deflating the loaves.

Being the frugal sort I figured the dough wouldn’t hurt the blade so after cleaning it again I put it in my pre-war Tech this morning. Worst shave ever! I don’t know what I did to that poor blade but it just wouldn’t cut. I had to get out a new one just to finish the shave.

So a bit of shaving advice in the mess hall, keep your baking blades and your shaving blades separate

My wife has a woodfired oven that she makes all our bread in. She uses my GEM single edge blades on her bread. I've never tried to shave with them post bread.

 

[NotThatMatt]

Looking forward to some bread and lentil soup for dinner tonight.

 

[NotThatMatt]

I figured the dough wouldn’t hurt the blade so after cleaning it again I put it in my pre-war Tech this morning. Worst shave ever! I don’t know what I did to that poor blade but it just wouldn’t cut.

Holy cow does sourdough wreak havoc on a blade. I've never tried to shave with the aftermath, my hat's off to you for trying. All I know is that I go through blades faster in my lames than I do in my razors. And that's coming from someone with a fair bit of vestigial Neanderthal DNA focused around my hair follicles.

 

[McBlade]

Looking forward to some bread and lentil soup for dinner tonight.

View attachment 1204660

That's a work of art

 

[TexLaw]

A cautionary tale or simple dumassedness?

When I made my bread yesterday I needed to slit the top. Since I heard that some bakers use razor blades and I happen to have some around (go figure) I decided to give it a go. I selected a new Gillette Nacet blade and carefully cleaned it before slicing the tops of the loaves. This went fine but I did snag one cut on the side of the blade. No problem the cuts worked—I got deep enough without deflating the loaves.

Being the frugal sort I figured the dough wouldn’t hurt the blade so after cleaning it again I put it in my pre-war Tech this morning. Worst shave ever! I don’t know what I did to that poor blade but it just wouldn’t cut. I had to get out a new one just to finish the shave.

So a bit of shaving advice in the mess hall, keep your baking blades and your shaving blades separate

Yeah. Don't do that, man.

 

[Alacrity59]

Another no-knead loaf. I made this dough at the same time as the previous loaf in the same bowls etc. 1/2 the cleanup or twice the bread. Baked it tonight. Pretty good deal.

 

[Geordon]

I'm severely jealous of all of these loaves of bread. Our oven hasn't been working for a number of months, so we've not been able to bake ANYTHING in it, and we used to pretty much depend on it for lots of cooking.

However, I recently discovered that I can proof a batch of dough in my Instant Pot on the yogurt setting and then cook it off in a Crock Pot. The results aren't mind-blowing by any stretch, but at least I can say that I can bake fresh bread again. And, with our almost total lack of counter space, a no-kneed recipe works. You go with what you got, right?

 

[jesseix]

A cautionary tale or simple dumassedness?

When I made my bread yesterday I needed to slit the top. Since I heard that some bakers use razor blades and I happen to have some around (go figure) I decided to give it a go. I selected a new Gillette Nacet blade and carefully cleaned it before slicing the tops of the loaves. This went fine but I did snag one cut on the side of the blade. No problem the cuts worked—I got deep enough without deflating the loaves.

Being the frugal sort I figured the dough wouldn’t hurt the blade so after cleaning it again I put it in my pre-war Tech this morning. Worst shave ever! I don’t know what I did to that poor blade but it just wouldn’t cut. I had to get out a new one just to finish the shave.

So a bit of shaving advice in the mess hall, keep your baking blades and your shaving blades separate

I use up my Derby’s to slash loaves

 

[Saxonbowman]

Sally Lunn bread...

This is based on an old colonial recipe from 1773 found in Williamsburg Art of Cookery. The story goes that a baker's apprentice brought the recipe from France to Bath, England around 1690. She established a bakery which became very popular.

This version contains eggs along with the usual white bread ingredients. It's very good and makes excellent cinnamon toast. The first picture is from the first rising. The dough has a batter-like consistency.

 

[Leverspro]

Hello. I'm new to these parts. I have a question about bread mixers. My wife makes large batches of sour dough bread for our outdoor wood oven. She uses a Bosch machine that has a capacity of about 1.5 litres (liquid). Looking to possibly get a machine with more capacity. Not looking for huge commercial Hobart type machines, but something more industrial for the home and able to do larger batches. Particularly interested in Canadian help, as I'd like to source something within country. But any experiences with larger machines would be appreciated.

 

[Old Hippie]

I'll mention to Canadians that the flour we have in Canada is different to what they use in the US. Ours is "Stronger". More gluten and protein. Canadians have to add more water than a US recipe calls for.

Also, where I live in the BC Interior we have two additional challenges: altitude and relative humidity. Altitude's not bad where we are but it's enough to take account of it when baking, pressure cooking or canning. This time of year (January) we get RH down between 10 and 15 per cent, which sucks the moisture out of flour, dried beans and other pantry staples.

I've been a recipe tester for cookbook authors and have found that most recipes written by someone parked at sea level need a little help.

As a consequence we find that breads from other high, dry places do well here.

O.H.

 

[Old Hippie]

I have a question about bread mixers. My wife makes large batches of sour dough bread for our outdoor wood oven. She uses a Bosch machine that has a capacity of about 1.5 litres (liquid). Looking to possibly get a machine with more capacity.

We use a larger KitchenAid. Have for decades. The new dough hook is the bomb; it really moves things around better than the older designs. (I have no problem with kneading, but my wife has arthritic shoulders.) I use it to start the weekly loaf, which has four cups of liquid and 7 cups of flours and grains.

One does need to be cautious when putting a bagel sponge through the second mixing, however. Quite easy to have the Flour Shower if you add too much at once with a wad of dough in there whirling around. Bagel dough being nearly solid I tend to let Reddy Kilowatt do the work.

I have been a bit concerned that the current KitchenAid is not quite as robust as the last five or six I've worn out over the years. So if you find a robust, powerful option let us know!

O.H.

 

[Alacrity59]

Yeah I hear you. I've not dealt with higher altitude. If water boils at lower temps does that equate to baking bread at lower temps. (ha . . . I usually hate shortened words . . . but here is me . . . temps . . . temperatures)