Sunday, June 21, 2020

Bread Thread: June 22, 2020: Cranberry Walnut











Flour: King Arthur Bread Flour

Ratios:

Dough:
84g leaven (saved the rest for new starter)
350g flour
238g water
1 tsp salt 

71.4% hydration

Process:
Day 1: Mixed leaven in morning, made dough in evening, left overnight on counter. 
Day 2: Folded in mix-ins, baked.


Remarks: Didn't dissolve leaven in water first - just threw everything in the bowl, including salt, and mixed to form shaggy dough. Left in bowl on counter overnight. 

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Bread Thread: Biscuits Version #6






Flour: King Arthur AP Flour (sourdough starter mostly King Arthur Bread Flour)

Process: Proportions based on Pinch My Salt recipe. Used 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp shortening, and pulsed everything except sourdough starter in the food processor until sandy. Added flour mixture to a bowl with sourdough starter and mixed gently with spatula. Turned dough out onto counter and did a tri-fold (left edge folded in 1/3, followed by right edge), turned the dough, then did another tri-fold the other direction. Patted out into a rectangle and cut into large squares then baked. Checked at 12 minutes and looked a bit blond. Checked again at 15 minutes, still blond but the last time I let them go over 15 min they got a little crunchy.

Remarks: Interior was soft and "biscuity" as G put it, but held together well to toppings (jam, honey, butter). May want to brush the tops with milk next time to promote browning.

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Bread Thread: June 8, 2020: Doubled Flax











Flour: King Arthur Bread Flour

Ratios:

Leaven:
35g flour
35g water
1 tbsp starter

Dough:
70g leaven 
350g flour
238g water
1 tsp salt 
40g ground flax

70.9% hydration

Process:
Day 1: Mixed leaven
Day 2: Mixed dough, 2 hour autolyse, 6X S&F every 30 minutes. Shaped and put in colander overnight.
Day 3: Baked

Remarks: Made less leaven this time and dissolved entire thing in the water at the beginning. Added in the flax with all dry ingredients at the beginning. Improved distribution of flax vs. adding in during S&Fs, and didn't seem to affect the dough. The loaf rose up rather than out, so it was tall but did not fill out to the sides of the dutch oven as other loaves have. Highly pleased with color and flavor. 

Friday, June 5, 2020

Bread Thread: June 5, 2020: Cinnamon Raisin Bread!











Flour: King Arthur Bread Flour

Ratios:

Leaven:
75g flour
75g water
1 tbsp starter

Dough:
75g leaven (used remainder for new starter)
350g flour
238g water
1 tsp salt 
Add-in: 150g raisins (191g raisins after hydrating with boiling water/draining), 1/2 c. light brown sugar mixed with 2 tbsp cinnamon


71.1% hydration

Room Temp: 74F (air conditioning)
Humidity: 55%

Process:

Day 1: Mixed leaven, left on counter throughout the day. Mixed dough and left on counter overnight.
Day 2: 6X stretch-and-fold added raisins on 3rd and 4th stretch-and fold. Added cinnamon swirl and rolled up dough into loaf, placed on parchment, proofed 2 hr in the loaf pan. Preheated oven to 400F with a pan of water on the lower rack to create steam. Scored loaf with serrated knife. Baked 15 minutes at 400F with water pan, then removed water pan, lowered to 375F and baked add'l 30 minutes. 

Remarks: The swirl disappeared during baking! Probably was too aggressive on the scoring, which cut into the cinnamon sugar layer, which exploded out of the score during baking. Raisin distribution was good. I skipped the egg wash which probably caused the crust to be a bit on the blonder side, although the recipe said to check internal temp to 200F and after 30 minutes the loaf was 209F. The crumb was very even and perhaps a bit on the wetter side, although technically I "overbaked" it by temperature. Crust was soft and easy to eat. Good cinnamon raisin flavor, smell reminded me of those Sunmaid loaves in the red bag that we had as kids.