The Staff of Life - Bread (not Beer)

[rollerbearing]

The second day's (after a day of refrigeration of the dough) bread had a much crispier crust. Day three loaf tomorrow.

Are you baking in covered pot?

The Bittman recipe didn't mention it much but that is really key for the crisp crust. I don't know that much about it but there is something about the steam that does it. I had a friend who was making amazing baguettes. He went to great lengths to block all the vents in his oven and spritz water into the oven at just the right time. The pot makes it so incredibly easy.

Last two loaves I did with 25% whole wheat flour and 75% white flour - that's my favorite right now.

Thinking about trying a deep oval shaped covered casserole dish for baking the next loaf in.

 

[220629]

... I think it was similar to what she talks (and talks..) about on the video. I took less time to read the recipe and make it than to watch the video. She made it a bit more complicated than necessary. I used half whole wheat flour, and although the bread was good warm I think it actually tasted better the next day. I used an IPA, but I'd like to try a stout. Didn't have any on hand. I'm sure you could substitute any other fat or oil for the butter.

Thanks for the real world experience.

I've looked into other Beer Bread recipes. They vary. Some don't use oil at all. Some use lotsa sugar. I'll likely adjust the recipe to what I think will work.

As I said in my first post in this thread, there seems to be a bunch of leeway. Rise time, ingredients, pan shape, etc. At different times I've added pumpkin seed kernels, sunflower kernels, raisins, cranberries, herbs, or other stuff to my basic recipe. I increase the sugar using brown sugar for cranberries or raisins.

...

Thinking about trying a deep oval shaped covered casserole dish for baking the next loaf in.

About 6:40 here this guy talks about spritzing with water and using a bowl of water for the first bake time period. It's for sour dough bread, but should apply generally to other breads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r8irdLuUtc

vic

 

[tinman]

Are you baking in covered pot?

The Bittman recipe didn't mention it much but that is really key for the crisp crust. I don't know that much about it but there is something about the steam that does it. I had a friend who was making amazing baguettes. He went to great lengths to block all the vents in his oven and spritz water into the oven at just the right time. The pot makes it so incredibly easy.

Last two loaves I did with 25% whole wheat flour and 75% white flour - that's my favorite right now.

Thinking about trying a deep oval shaped covered casserole dish for baking the next loaf in.

I'm not using the Dutch oven, just putting the loaf on a cookie sheet, but I did stick a pan of boiling water on the bottom shelf of the oven. That's an old trick for a thicker crust on French bread and such.

 

[tinman]

Thanks for the real world experience.

I've looked into other Beer Bread recipes. They vary. Some don't use oil at all. Some use lotsa sugar. I'll likely adjust the recipe to what I think will work.

As I said in my first post in this thread, there seems to be a bunch of leeway. Rise time, ingredients, pan shape, etc. At different times I've added pumpkin seed kernels, sunflower kernels, raisins, cranberries, herbs, or other stuff to my basic recipe. I increase the sugar using brown sugar for cranberries or



vic

Right, I don't think there's much that's absolute in any recipe. Best to have a little fun with it. Outcomes will vary in an case due to, among other things, oven temp, local humidity (very dry here, so I find all recipes need more liquid), altitude, disposition of the kitchen fairies, etc.

 

[rollerbearing]

For something a little different

Speck Brot (Ham/Bacon Bread)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gxJLUB-sTA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVJ89JS3nVM

 

[220629]

Some information on how to keep your starter for short or long term.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPEj_VAxPzI

A non-PC comment.

My guess is that she is a weather girl as her day job. (My wife and I have a bit of a game going as to what criteria weather persons need to fill.)

vic

 

[220629]

In these days of making things stretch, you can reduce the amount of yeast.

Use a Bread Machine Dough cycle.

I've been making and baking no knead bread for many years now. During social distancing so far it has helped to keep us from needing to go to any store for over 2 weeks now. I think we can last another week before needing to provision for eggs and vegetables.

Skip down to How I've made bread to avoid reading about my life history.

...

1/2 - 3/4 tsp yeast (I'm going to try 1/4 tsp)
Update: I used 1/4 tsp. A 2 hour rise time before baking. The bread seemed the same as when using more yeast. 1/4 tsp yeast with overnight rise might even be better.

...

YMMV. Experiment for your best results.

vic

 

[OrioN]

Some information on how to keep your starter for short or long term.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPEj_VAxPzI

A non-PC comment.

My guess is that she is a weather girl as her day job. (My wife and I have a bit of a game going as to what criteria weather persons need to fill.)

vic

Amateur sex tape?






.

 

[rollerbearing]

This stuff is fun - deliberately letting thin sheets puff up and blow out. Great for scooping up hummus and other dips. Be careful handling them - they stay full of super hot steam for a fair while - I always used to poke with a knife before handing them out.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Locatio...rboomstrand_Plettenberg_Bay_Western_Cape.html

https://www.markbittman.com/recipes-1/pita

https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-8986605/bomba-this-italian-bread-is-full-of-hot-air

The last reference is from the May 1990 Sunset magazine where I originally got the recipe. My hand written copy said to knead the dough, let rise and double for 1 hr, divide into 5 equal balls, roll out 1/8" thick 11" diam (dusting with flour to prevent sticking), transfer to greased baking sheet, bake 1 at a time on bottom rack at 550 degrees (hot hot) until puffed 4 to 6 minutes.

 

[hugh]

My guess is that she is a weather girl as her day job. (My wife and I have a bit of a game going as to what criteria weather persons need to fill.)

vic

I think she aged out of weather girl, sad but true.

 

[tinman]

This stuff is fun - deliberately letting thin sheets puff up and blow out. Great for scooping up hummus and other dips. Be careful handling them - they stay full of super hot steam for a fair while - I always used to poke with a knife before handing them out.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Locatio...rboomstrand_Plettenberg_Bay_Western_Cape.html

https://www.markbittman.com/recipes-1/pita

https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-8986605/bomba-this-italian-bread-is-full-of-hot-air

The last reference is from the May 1990 Sunset magazine where I originally got the recipe. My hand written copy said to knead the dough, let rise and double for 1 hr, divide into 5 equal balls, roll out 1/8" thick 11" diam (dusting with flour to prevent sticking), transfer to greased baking sheet, bake 1 at a time on bottom rack at 550 degrees (hot hot) until puffed 4 to 6 minutes.

A local pita bakery built an automated baking unit and put it behind a window. I think I could watch the just baked inflated pitas coming down the conveyor for hours.

 

[220629]

My next experiment with no knead bread making was going to be using honey to replace the granulated sugar and include no added yeast. My thought is that the honey may contain enough yeast to replace the 1/4 tsp added bread yeast that I've found good enough.

My experiment went to full stop when I looked into the pantry and realized that we didn't replace our honey when it was gone.

We do have some Aldi Blue Agave Light Golden on hand. I know that it is sweet. What the hell is "Light Golden"? And the more important question... why do we have it on hand?

Back to baking bread.

Until we get some more honey the Blue Agave elixir will be my next experiment.

Hmmm... brown sugar may have some yeast hanging on to it. That may be another experiment.

I'll post my results regardless of the outcome.

vic

 

[rollerbearing]

Grapes have natural yeast on their skins. Also a sourdough article said something about using dried fruit which supposedly has yeast on it. I thought a lot of that fruit got blasted with sulfur dioxide - don't know if yeast can live through that or not.

Let us know how the agave comes out.

 

[rollerbearing]

Poking around and saw this on making and baking with raisin yeast:

https://www.sourdoughandolives.com/recipe/how-to-make-and-bake-with-raisin-yeast/

Interesting all the different ways to have at this - making bread that is.

 

[220629]

...

Let us know how the agave comes out.

I was almost a total failure. My always supportive wife commented, "What did you expect." She was right. The only thing keeping it from being a total failure is that the birds and squirrels will probably eat it.

I put together the basic recipe outlined earlier in the bread machine. No yeast. Agave Golden and sugar. I didn't reduce the hot tap water. The result was a dough that was more like batter. I added a bit of flour during the cycle to make it more dough like.

When I turned the dough out into the warm baking dish it settled a bit. I set it aside to rise. 2.5 hours later no rise. Overnight. No rise. I tried making tortilla like pieces and frying. Tough. not good. I fashioned some roll like cookie size pieces and baked them. Most didn't cook through. None were good to eat.

The wildlife may appreciate them.

That 1/4 tsp of yeast is worth including.

vic

 

[rollerbearing]

Something fun to do with younger ones.

As mentioned before, part of the reason for baking is to help my teenagers with their morale. Found some of my root beer, cream, and ginger soda extracts in the very back of a cupboard. Made up a batch of root beer. We followed this procedure (one we used before):


https://fankhauserblog.wordpress.com/1996/06/28/making-root-beer-at-home/

I like using the soda bottle because you can gauge the pressure with a good squeeze. When I first made root beer way back in school I had glass beer bottles blowing up in the closet.

Ordered some Zatarain's extract for the next batch because my kids really like the Abita root beer at the local Cajun Restaurant - hoping it will be similar.

 

[220629]

...

Ordered some Zatarain's extract for the next batch because my kids really like the Abita root beer at the local Cajun Restaurant - hoping it will be similar.

When I hear Abita I don't think of root beer. Purple Haze is what comes to mind.

vic

 

[220629]

I just completed an order for a 1# brick of Saf Instant Yeast on Amazon. It claims delivery between April 24 and May 1. $20.75/lb.

My recollection is that the last brick which I bought locally was about 6 bucks.
My memory may be optimistic though. It was quite some time ago when I bought it. The yeast that I bought previously may not have been instant yeast. That could make a difference. All purpose flour was $1.50/5 lb, self rising was $2.00 just yesterday.

vic

 

[rollerbearing]

Funny - I made the exact same order. Was going to offer to share if you ran out. The yeast powder might look a little suspicious in a First Class mail envelope though. Same delivery date - we will see.

 

[220629]

Funny - I made the exact same order. ...

Like minds...

I will bottle it up into smaller sized glass jars. My collection... hoard of baby food jars works well. I've kept my bottled yeast for over 5 years in refrigerator and still find it is viable. That is longer than recommended. It wasn't activated yeast if that makes a difference. It was just the lazy stuff.

vic